There’s a lot of controversy surrounding prong collars to this day – are prong collars Ok for your dog or are they this inhumane torture device that dogs hate?
Simply put, no – prong collars are not a torture for your dog. At least not when you use them correctly. Can a prong collar do some physical harm and pain to your dog – yes, it can. But that’s not what they are designed for and that’s not what they do at all when operated properly.
A well-fitted high-quality prong collar is meant to fit gently on your dog’s neck and softly dig into the fur without hurting the skin. If this is done well, the prong collar will hurt your dog only when the dog misbehaves and even then it will be softly, without causing any actual damage.
If you train your dog well he will even be happy when you put the prong collar on him.
Check out this video if you’re not convinced.
When used well, a prong collar can help a lot in:
- Anti-leash-pulling training.
- Obedience training.
- Anti-barking training.
- Anti-chasing training
- Deaf dogs training.
- Training against bad habits in adult dogs.
Keep in mind, however, that prong collars are not intended for aggressive dogs. If a dog has been raised to be overly aggressive, a prong collar will not be enough to teach him not to misbehave. Instead, it will probably only irritate and anger the dog. If you have such a dog on your hands, it’s best to turn to a specialist.
And as far as getting your dog accustomed to the prong collar – the main rule is “go slowly” Similarly to how you get your dog accustomed to a new standard collar or to any new item, go slowly about it, use treats, and be gentle.
