Prong collars

[Roxibear]

Are these legal in the UK, my trainer is using one on his Rottie and it makes a difference. Never seen them in any pet shops here, was thinking of getting one. Whats the pros and cons with them. BTW he got his on a visit to the States.

[braxenburg]

Ya i was told by my traning school to use a prong collar in stead of a choke chain onn my 6 month old rottie, Riga! i thought prong collars were worse but i think the choke collars rub against there neck and can cause long term affects. But im not sure.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by braxenburg

Ya i was told by my traning school to use a prong collar in stead of a choke chain onn my 6 month old rottie, Riga! i thought prong collars were worse but i think the choke collars rub against there neck and can cause long term affects. But im not sure.

I don't think a 6 month old pup should have either a choke chain or prong collar on. A 6 month old pup should be learning how to walk nicely on a flat collar. I think I would run the other way from a training school that was wanting me to use one on my pup.

As far as prong collars, I do think they are a good training tool for a full grown Rottweiler. Many here use them and find it gives them alot more control with their dogs.

Gina

[Judi W]

I usually start using training equipment by 6 months. The difference between the slip and the prong is that the prong does add authority when called for. You should ask your instructor what the UK laws are. Wouldn't know. I'd rather not wait until the dog is full-grown adult before introducing it to corrections. Seems to me much easier to do it when they are younger and it requires much less compulsion.

[RottiMomCT]

If your dog is strong/large enough to pull you with force and walking him is not fun for either of you, it is time to use a training collar such as a prong.

I had a 4 month old HUMONGOUS lab pup (60 pounds at 4 months and he was NOT fat) in my last groups of students and we put a prong on him in the second week of classes...1000% improvement in his manners and his owner was thrilled.

With a prong collar make sure you are properly instructed on how to use it.

[Roxibear]

Thanx guys, shes already had a wee go at training and it worked a treat, but I'll neddd to get my own. Walking her isn't really a problem, its at training she is sometimes full of carry on and difficult to settle.

[jas'smom]

I had my Jas on a prong early in her training, she was 10 months. It is IMO, much kinder in the long run than a plain choke. She now walks beautifully on a plain flat collar with no problems.

[Ironbark]

Originally Posted by Roxibear

Are these legal in the UK, my trainer is using one on his Rottie and it makes a difference. Never seen them in any pet shops here, was thinking of getting one. Whats the pros and cons with them. BTW he got his on a visit to the States.

Not sure if they're legal here or not, they are banned in some European countries. I've not even seen them at Crufts, where you can buy practically anything under the sun for dogs.

[Judi W]

Well, they might be flying under the radar in hopes that the ASPCA doesn't get wind of them. With correct use and instruction the slip collar is perfectly fine. It is when someone doesn't know how to use it properly that there are difficulties.

[Roxibear]

Originally Posted by Judi W

Well, they might be flying under the radar in hopes that the ASPCA doesn't get wind of them. With correct use and instruction the slip collar is perfectly fine. It is when someone doesn't know how to use it properly that there are difficulties.

As I said I only used the prong collar once and it did work. I found holding the leash firm and letting my dog decide it had enough was the best way. Is that correct. Advice on the correct usage would be appreciated.

[Judi W]

No, that is not correct with any kind of training collar. With the pinch many dogs quickly learn to set their neck and simply absorb the pressure and soon to ignore it entirely. The same with the choking pressure on a slip. Either collar should be used to pop a correction. A correction is just that. A quick pop of the lead and immediate release of the pressure. You do not want a dog to learn to deal with a tight lead. That leaves it up to them how hard they are going to pull or how much pressure they are willing to take. Training should be active on the part of the handler, not passive. The goal is a loose lead, not a lead that has as much pressure as the dog can absorb. A proper correction gets the dog's attention to the point where the dog wants to avoid it. The amount of that correction will vary with the dog. All corrections are immediately followed by praise.

[Roxibear]

Originally Posted by Judi W

No, that is not correct with any kind of training collar. With the pinch many dogs quickly learn to set their neck and simply absorb the pressure and soon to ignore it entirely. The same with the choking pressure on a slip. Either collar should be used to pop a correction. A correction is just that. A quick pop of the lead and immediate release of the pressure. You do not want a dog to learn to deal with a tight lead. That leaves it up to them how hard they are going to pull or how much pressure they are willing to take. Training should be active on the part of the handler, not passive. The goal is a loose lead, not a lead that has as much pressure as the dog can absorb. A proper correction gets the dog's attention to the point where the dog wants to avoid it. The amount of that correction will vary with the dog. All corrections are immediately followed by praise.

Thanks Judy, will take that on board.

[Judi W]

no matter what collar you use, your trainer should be coaching you as to how and when and if to correct.