How Should You Place a Prong Collar on a Dog?
Dogs love to go for a stroll. Most dogs start jumping with pleasure when the parent picks the leash to go out. Well-trained pooches know how to spend quality time outside the home without causing any trouble. Things get daunting when you have an untrained dog.
Pets are not familiar with leash manners. They love to move freely and test everything they find on the street. It troubles pet parents because they find it quite difficult to control the pet’s movements.
A special collar is designed to teach dogs leash manners. It is the Prong Collar and it is quite effective when it comes to controlling overly energetic pooches. Continue reading to learn what a prong collar is and how to place it on a dog.
What is a prong collar?
A prong collar is a dog training tool. You will find it one of the most maligned and misunderstood dog training tools. It is also called the pinch collar and several misinformed people think it’s a cruel way of training dogs. People only assess the looks and make their minds, which is wrong.
A prong collar is designed to apply gentle pressure evenly on the dog’s neck to prevent its movements. Unlike a choke chain, it assures your pet is comfortable and under control while walking.
Flat collars literally choke the pooch when it is pulling away. Pet owners pull it and hurt the pet’s neck if they try to control it with frustration. Prong collars are different due to their self-limiting tightening action. These are much safer alternatives to ordinary collars if you got a strong-pulling dog.
Many pet parents chose the prong collar because it stimulates natural correction. The dog will feel a bit of discomfort in the beginning if it tries to pull the leash. That discomfort will prevent improper behavior of the dog and it will learn how to walk properly. You can replace the prong collar with an ordinary one once your pet learns leash manners.
Does your dog need a prong collar to learn leash manners?
Being a widely-chosen training tool, the prong collar has surprised many pet parents. Its regular use has helped them in controlling some powerful and energetic dogs. Does your pet need a prong collar to learn leash manners? It depends on your dog’s actions and behavior.
You are probably searching for a prong collar because you have spotted a dog walking with this tool in the park. If you believe in anti-aversive training, it might not be the right pick for your dog. You should try it only if you want quick results without hurting the pooch.
Many dog owners consider the prong collar a less irritating solution to train the dog. It works on all sorts of pets. Suppose your pet is quite energetic, it won’t take interest in learning new things. A prong collar will quickly remind the pooch that it has to behave in a certain way when the leash is on.
Anxious dogs also behave perfectly and then quickly get comfortable with this tool. The dog will get more depressed if a flat collar is choking its neck. A prong collar will force him to follow your instructions. Thus, it won’t feel any kind of discomfort after a few walking sessions because it will walk straight.
Your dog needs a prong collar if it continues to wander at its will. Such pooches can trouble other walkers and pets and you won’t like that. So, get a prong collar, use it for a few days, and then you will see a quick improvement in your dog’s behavior.
When should you buy a prong collar for your dog?
Some pet parents stop walking their dogs because they can’t control their powerful dogs outside the house. Unwanted troubles and embarrassing moments can make you keep the dog at home.
Is keeping an energetic and powerful dog at home a solution to control its behavior? No! Your dog needs to socialize and exercise to stay fit and healthy. Try a prong collar when other tools do not work. This aversive training tool will quickly teach your pooch what to do when the leash is on!
You can also consider other training methods if you can follow a long-term training program. The dog will eventually learn to walk straight, but a prong collar can make this training short and effective!
How to choose the right prong collar for your dog?
Choosing the right prong collar is important if you do not want to hurt your dog. Following the below-given tips to buy the best prong collar for your pooch:
Consult with a certified dog trainer
A prong collar is not ordinary equipment. It is designed for aversive training and picking the wrong tool can be pretty dangerous for your pet’s health. You need an expert’s opinion to ensure it is the best training tool for your pooch.
Meet a certified dog trainer and take his opinion on the best prong collar for your dog’s breed. The trainer will use his expertise to recommend a perfect training tool that won’t hurt your pooch.
Make sure it doesn’t hurt the puppy
A top-quality prong collar is designed to cause a little discomfort. It should not hurt the puppy otherwise it will severely affect your pet’s behavior. Consult with someone, who has experience in training pets with a prong collar. Whether it is your neighbor or a trainer, use their help to find the most effective prong collar.
Check the build quality of the collar
Top-quality prong collars gently pinch around the dog’s neck. It affects the loose skin around your pooch’s neck to correct its movements. This negative reinforcement training tool causes a little discomfort so that your pet won’t go out of control.
Assess the build quality of the training tool to ensure it won’t hurt badly. Poor quality prong collars may cause excessive pain and you won’t like that!
Pick the right size collar!
The size matters a lot when you decide to put on a prong collar around your pet’s neck. You can pick the right size collar by assessing your dog’s weight. The manufacturer should describe what size’s dogs can use the endorsed collar. If it is designed for pets of your dog’s weight, you can buy it.
Suppose you choose a loose or tight dog collar, it will hurt your pooch. So, never buy a prong collar without assessing the size and weight of your dog.
Choose the right shop to buy the collar
It is important to buy the prong collar from an experienced seller if you want to ensure it is pet-friendly. You can choose a website established by a certified dog trainer. You will find products designed perfectly for training purposes and not to hurt pets. Other websites also provide quality products, but it will take hours to find the right tool for your pet’s training.
Avoid rubber-tipped prongs
You will find several prong collars with rubber-tipped prongs. Numerous pet owners think it is a more ethical tool to train the dog, but it’s not! Such prongs rub against the pet’s hair and cause excess pain when it pulls away. A regular prong collar only pinches to cause a little discomfort. It corrects the pet’s motion and doesn’t cause further discomfort!
How to place a prong collar on a dog?
Prong collars are not designed for long term training routines. These training tools take just a few walks to control the dog’s behavior. It will pinch around your pet’s neck whenever it is pulling the leash to move away. The dog will feel a little discomfort and come under control.
The dog learns pulling the leash is inappropriate when prongs pinch around its neck. It stops and stays close to you throughout the walking session. The dog may try to pull away a few times before it learns this action will hurt him. Thus, it will stop running wildly and you will always have control over your pet.
Follow the below-given tips to place a prong collar on a dog:
- Unlock the collar. Assess the collar and you will find a link where it unlocks. Open that link and the collar will be flat like a straight belt.
- Put the collar around your pet’s neck. Take the opened collar and place it gently around the dog’s neck. Lock the open link so that the collar does not slip out of your pooch’s neck.
- Make sure it is a perfect fit. The collar should not be too tight or too loose around the dog’s neck. There should be a 20-30cm gap between the dog’s skin and collar.
Note: A right size prong collar will sit right behind your pooch’s ears. Its leash connecting rings should be behind the dog’s neck. It will hurt your pet if leash rings are positioned around the dog’s throat!
You should never try to slide the collar because its prongs may activate and hurt your pet’s eyes and ears.
Place the prong collar on your dog only when you are around to attend the pooch. Remove the collar as the training session is over. Do not leave this collar around the pet’s neck because it can get stuck in nearby objects and hurt your pet.
Tips for using a prong collar on a dog
In addition to teaching your dog good manners, a prong collar can also help stop them from jumping or pulling on you while walking. The best way is by using it correctly and ensuring that they don’t get too excited around other dogs in case there’s some sort of retaliation with snarling etc., but this should not be an issue if handled properly!
Remove the collar after an hour
Never treat the prong collar as a regular dog collar. It is designed only for training purposes. Certified pet trainers strictly prohibit the prolonged use of prong collars. Do not consider it a primary collar otherwise it will be quite dangerous for your pooch.
Plan a 30-40 minutes’ training session and take your pooch out on a walk. Remove the collar once the training is over. Your pet will not dare to move too far because the memories of those prongs are still fresh for him!
Suppose you start using the prong collar as a regular pet collar, it will cause wounds around the pet’s neck. Negative reinforcement works quite well when it comes to training aggressive and energetic dogs. Use prongs to control the dog and not to hurt it!
Short tugs are enough!
A short tug can work perfectly to control a defiant dog. It will activate prongs and pinch around your pet’s neck. That pain will force the pooch to stay still and it won’t dare to misbehave.
You should never pull the leash too hard if the pet is trying to run. A gentle tug will remind the dog who is under the control. Give your pet once it stops and gets close to you. It will quickly change your dog’s behavior and you will be able to control the pooch quite conveniently.
Do not use the prong collar if you want to train a puppy!
You should never buy a prong collar to train a puppy. It is a training tool for adult untrained dogs, which are not familiar with leash manners. Buy the prong collar only if you have adopted an untrained adult dog and want to control it like a well-trained pet.
Puppies do not need a prong leash because they are so tiny and easily controllable. Puppies learn much faster and they will do anything too much with their favorite treats. Suppose you place a prong collar on a puppy, it will hurt the dog quite bad. The dog should be at least 6-8 months old if you want to use the prong collar.
Final thoughts
A prong collar has been quite an effective training tool because it mimics dog biting. The uncontrollable dog feels like another dog is biting him around the neck when it tries to pull the leash.
Even though it only pinches, the dog feels uncomfortable. It quickly learns that it should never pull the leash. So, your dog becomes a well-mannered pet when you put it on a normal leash. That’s the benefit of prong collars and that’s why many pet owners like it!
