[stale]

i would wait till the dog is over a year to actually work with the prong, but to "introduce" it, you can put it on him whenever (so long as it fits). just don't use the thing till later.

and bear in mind, a great number of dogs don't need a prong collar for correction.

that being said, i use one myself, and have for decades. though, i would like (hell, i'd like to insist) that you get yourself to a qualified trainer, and be shown how to position and use it properly. like any other training tool, it can be used wrongly, and cause more harm than good.

but, yeah, over a year for sure, to allow you some idea of the true temperment the animal is going to have, and what kinds of correction will be needed. any time before that (and really, even at 12-14 months) you really just have a puppy, who may not need anything harsher for a correction that a flat collar pop, and praise.

best of luck, eh?

stale