If you’re like most dog owners, you’ve likely encountered the well known predicament of a dog that pulls on their leash. This can be cause for challenges walking, and may even be dangerous for you and the dog. I’ve owned 12 Labradors in my life, and they have all pulled on their leash at one point or another. Diesel was certainly the king of poor leash walking – in fact he was 100x more obedient off-leash; however off-leash walking is not widely accepted in many areas. Way back in my University days, I walked around campus with Diesel and Hemi, and one day they really did pull me down on the ice – man did that hurt! Then came my mad hunt for a solution to this leash-pulling issue.
We tried Gentle Leaders and Halti’s – to which the dogs absolutely despised having their noses tugged at. We tried harnesses, which effectively made the dogs even stronger than before, because it gave them leverage over me. I often equate a harness-walked dog to that of a sled-dog – a sled dog has a harness to aid in pulling a heavy object….if you think about that for a minute, it really doesn’t make sense to use a harness & in turn provide your dog more power to pull. None of these options worked well, and back in 2008-2009 I was concerned at the look of a prong collar – it looked scary and like it would hurt the dog. Fast forward several years, and with the help of a great trainer – I hesitantly decide to try a prong collar on one of my dogs. WOW. GAME CHANGER! Why didn’t I try this 10 years previous?
Are Prong Collars Cruel? There is certainly controversy about the prong collar, and I was previously not a fan of this tool because I believed (incorrectly) that it could hurt the dog. However, the truth is – we need to be educated about prong collars before passing judgement. I gave this tool a try…and I’m a believer now! Hopefully this write-up helps someone else too.
The fact is, the prong collar, when fitted & used properly, is designed to be the most humane way to train and to NOT harm your dog. Many people have never seen a prong or “pinch” collar properly used in dog training & therefore have a less than ideal view of them.
Proper fit: The collar must be fitted properly around your dog’s neck – high up, just behind the ears. It should fit snug (finger space) but not too tight, and sit right below the ears. The higher on the neck you can keep the collar, the better communication you will have with your dog. This can be a challenge, as the collar does seem to slip down the neck if not snug around his neck. With the collar in the proper position, the little prongs with communicate with the dog more effectively, and you’ll find hardly any correction is required.
Proper Prong Set Up: Prong collars come in many shapes and sizes, and most often the prongs that are available at a regular pet store are WAY too big! Prongs should be closer together to aid in better communication, and the length should be on the short-side – though keeping thick/long fur coats in mind. You will need a longer prong if your dog has long hair. From my personal experience, a prong with 1″ wide prongs is WAY too big, and is almost completely ineffective. A prong with smaller prongs (~1.5cm) works much more effectively. The smaller prongs are able to hit more pressure points in the animals neck, thereby resulting in better response to your commands. We have had great success with the Hamilton 2.3mm Prong Collar and always purchase the extra inserts to make the collar larger. You start with the basic collar (just a few links with it), and then add in extra insert links to make the collar the correct size for your dog – keep in mind the proper fit I suggested above.
How to use a Prong Collar Properly: The proper use of a prong collar is very important, as is the use of any other training tool (this includes flat collars too). A prong collar is meant to be snug on the neck as described in Proper Fit and the chain portion where the leash attaches is to be on either the left or right side (depending which side you walk your dog). The prongs should be pointed in a direction that when the chain is tightened, the prong will make contact with the pressure points in the dogs’ neck. A prong collar is NEVER meant to PULL, NAG, or DRAG your dog. The prong is meant for a gentle “tug”, almost like a flick of the wrist. This slight action pulls the chain, and engages the prongs. The prongs make contact with the dogs neck, which catches their attention and they understand they are supposed to be doing something different. A prong can work wonders when walking your dog to stop them from pulling, but also re-directing their focus from something you don’t want them to pay attention to. For example, if your dog is hyper-focused on a squirrel – you can gently flick the leash, engaging the prongs, and your dog will immediately think “oh hey, what was that”…totally forgetting about the squirrel.
A prong collar is a tool, and is meant for walking with human supervision. The prong should not be worn 24/7 and should be removed before playtime.
Which Prong Collar? Herm Sprenger Prong Collars are a great training tool – they have excellent quality control, and the collars are durable & safe. I would definitely recommend this brand (with the 2.25mm prong) if you are doing daily walking/working/training. Personally, I have been using the Hamilton 2.3mm prong collar because we don’t do a lot of leash walking (we live on a country acreage) – so leash walking is only for outings, and our prong doesn’t see a lot of use.
What to expect? The first time you try the prong your dog will likely back up, spin around and try to get away. Don’t pull, but gently guide your dog to walk – this way they will begin to forget all about the prong collar. Once you’re on the move, you can begin to “flick” the leash to engage the prongs whenever you need the dog to stop pulling. It takes time, it takes dedication – but once you and your dog have tried the prong – you’ll be walking with much less stress. Only a few of my dogs have gone to official training classes, the remainder I have trained myself. Truth be told, I can put a prong on one of my dogs that has no experience with it, and just walk them in town…no questions asked. They respond so well, and they respect the prong.