Lately I have been seeing an influx of people online who, no matter what the behavior issue, give the following advice:
"Prong collar. Oh. and dominate your dog."
Sigh. We all know how I feel about the second thing, but the addition of the first thing has made me very upset. As a positive reinforcement trainer, I do not advocate prong collars. Some trainers do. And, unfortunately, so many people are gravitating to it. Some without any professional guidance at all. And for behaviors that could be adjusted without it. Would it take longer? Maybe, but...
I don't like the prong for a number of reasons. The main reason because it causes pain if a dog pulls or does something "undesirable." It goes against everything that I believe in.
Advocates for the prong say that the only way a dog gets any pain is if they do something they aren't supposed to. If they stop pulling, there is no pain, so the dog is in control of the correction. True--but why are we resorting to pain based techniques for leash walking, aggression and any other tiny thing?
According to a Michigan State University article, A prong collar works like this: The prong collar distributes the pull all the way around the neck instead of directly on the throat. When using a prong collar, you should use mild corrections or use the collar as a self-correcting collar. For example if you are in the heeling position and halt but the dog continues forward, the collar will tighten and self-correct the dog...The prong collar needs to be fitted properly to ensure you do not hurt the dog. It should be placed high on the dog’s neck just behind the ears and all the extra links should be removed so that it is snug to the neck, not drooping.
That same article goes on to say that no one should use a prong without the guidance of a professional. Unfortunately, with the availability of them in retail stores and pet stores, your "Average Joe" dog owner will most likely just grab one and slap it on the dog, possibly causing more harm than good.
In an article that ran in the Seattle Times, a veterinary neurologist named Alix Partnow and a renowned force free trainer, Grisha Stewart, were interviewed about prongs. Dr. Alix Partnow advocates for prongs stating that she feels there is a time and place for prongs, like on dogs with a history of cervical pain for any reason, we advise against the use of head/neck leads in general. This includes not only prong collars but also soft collars and gentle leaders. We do not want to put any extra pressure on the neck and risk exacerbating an injury. Grisha Stewart says that there is NEVER a time and place for prongs because of the possible fall out. She says that some dogs who are exposed to the prong can start to associate other dogs with the pain the prong creates--the sensation of feeling bitten. She feels there are better training aides out there--Freedom Harness, Xtra Dog Harness, K9 Bridle, Halti, Comfort Trainer--that provide training assistance without pain. She also cautions that even if the prong is placed correctly, it can still be detrimental as the position is chosen primarily because it is the place that will cause the most pain.
There are many people who say that using a prong is a safe and effective way to train your dog and if used properly they are not painful. I challenge those people to use the collar on themselves. And I cringe when I see pictures of 4 pound Yorkies on a prong collar. I just don't understand.
We had a client who had a large pit mix on a prong because the rescue she got him from suggested it. It seemed no one told her how to use it properly and no one took the time to fit it "right." We asked her if it helped her and she said he still pulled--my guess was because he was a tough guy and the pain did little to deter him. We suggested that she try a Gentle Leader instead, and the next week, she was talking about the results she was getting.
Now, there are studies that say that the Gentle Leader is causing damage. I have yet to find one online that can substantiate those claims, but there has been talk of it a lot lately. Garmin's does rub his nose a bit, but nothing that is long lasting.
Bottom line is that I am never going to advocate for a prong or an electronic collar. Yes, Gentle Leaders may be more "adversive" than some methods, but if I have to choose between that and a prong, I will choose (and recommend) a Gentle Leader any day.
If you are interested in learning how to teach your dog to walk nicely on a leash without the aid of any device, you can check out KikoPup's Channel on YouTube. She has lots of ideas on leash walking as well as other behaviors. And all using positive reinforcement.
I know I can't get everyone to understand that prong collars are not the be all end all of training--but a girl can dream.
"Prong collar. Oh. and dominate your dog."
Sigh. We all know how I feel about the second thing, but the addition of the first thing has made me very upset. As a positive reinforcement trainer, I do not advocate prong collars. Some trainers do. And, unfortunately, so many people are gravitating to it. Some without any professional guidance at all. And for behaviors that could be adjusted without it. Would it take longer? Maybe, but...
I don't like the prong for a number of reasons. The main reason because it causes pain if a dog pulls or does something "undesirable." It goes against everything that I believe in.
Advocates for the prong say that the only way a dog gets any pain is if they do something they aren't supposed to. If they stop pulling, there is no pain, so the dog is in control of the correction. True--but why are we resorting to pain based techniques for leash walking, aggression and any other tiny thing?
According to a Michigan State University article, A prong collar works like this: The prong collar distributes the pull all the way around the neck instead of directly on the throat. When using a prong collar, you should use mild corrections or use the collar as a self-correcting collar. For example if you are in the heeling position and halt but the dog continues forward, the collar will tighten and self-correct the dog...The prong collar needs to be fitted properly to ensure you do not hurt the dog. It should be placed high on the dog’s neck just behind the ears and all the extra links should be removed so that it is snug to the neck, not drooping.
That same article goes on to say that no one should use a prong without the guidance of a professional. Unfortunately, with the availability of them in retail stores and pet stores, your "Average Joe" dog owner will most likely just grab one and slap it on the dog, possibly causing more harm than good.
In an article that ran in the Seattle Times, a veterinary neurologist named Alix Partnow and a renowned force free trainer, Grisha Stewart, were interviewed about prongs. Dr. Alix Partnow advocates for prongs stating that she feels there is a time and place for prongs, like on dogs with a history of cervical pain for any reason, we advise against the use of head/neck leads in general. This includes not only prong collars but also soft collars and gentle leaders. We do not want to put any extra pressure on the neck and risk exacerbating an injury. Grisha Stewart says that there is NEVER a time and place for prongs because of the possible fall out. She says that some dogs who are exposed to the prong can start to associate other dogs with the pain the prong creates--the sensation of feeling bitten. She feels there are better training aides out there--Freedom Harness, Xtra Dog Harness, K9 Bridle, Halti, Comfort Trainer--that provide training assistance without pain. She also cautions that even if the prong is placed correctly, it can still be detrimental as the position is chosen primarily because it is the place that will cause the most pain.
There are many people who say that using a prong is a safe and effective way to train your dog and if used properly they are not painful. I challenge those people to use the collar on themselves. And I cringe when I see pictures of 4 pound Yorkies on a prong collar. I just don't understand.
We had a client who had a large pit mix on a prong because the rescue she got him from suggested it. It seemed no one told her how to use it properly and no one took the time to fit it "right." We asked her if it helped her and she said he still pulled--my guess was because he was a tough guy and the pain did little to deter him. We suggested that she try a Gentle Leader instead, and the next week, she was talking about the results she was getting.
Now, there are studies that say that the Gentle Leader is causing damage. I have yet to find one online that can substantiate those claims, but there has been talk of it a lot lately. Garmin's does rub his nose a bit, but nothing that is long lasting.
Bottom line is that I am never going to advocate for a prong or an electronic collar. Yes, Gentle Leaders may be more "adversive" than some methods, but if I have to choose between that and a prong, I will choose (and recommend) a Gentle Leader any day.
If you are interested in learning how to teach your dog to walk nicely on a leash without the aid of any device, you can check out KikoPup's Channel on YouTube. She has lots of ideas on leash walking as well as other behaviors. And all using positive reinforcement.
I know I can't get everyone to understand that prong collars are not the be all end all of training--but a girl can dream.