Prong leashes

[~Tucker&Me~]

I would stay away from prong collars. They have their place in training, but for a dog you haven't tried anything else with... Why make them your first choice? You could use loose-leash training as an opportunity to really bond with your dog and create a great team-work based relationship. Look into other options first!

I love this method and recommend you give the video a watch. This method will help the dog learn to associate you with good things, and your dog doesn't need to be administered discomfort/pain. Additionally, I know sometimes dogs learn not to pull on the prong collar but as soon as it is removed they go back to their old habits. Instead of teaching your dog that not heeling is painful, let's teach him heeling is FUN

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRZa5o2_6eo&feature=plcp

[Barbara!]

I like prongs if used correctly but NOT for your breed of dog. A no pull harness would improve him, but it sounds to me like his problem is his attention span. I can find you a link on it, but you've already been given good advice.

[Saeleofu]

i have used prongs in the past when necessary and probably will again on future dogs. You must, however, understand that it's a training tool, not a long-term solution. Dogs that pull constantly and pull in a prong just learn to ignore it, and then it's useless. You have yo actually train as well.

A prong LEASH could be a bit uncomfortable...though probably quite useful in teaching handlers not to constantly keep a tight leash

Originally Posted by Kayota

As an aside, if you do get one, don't let your vet staff handle the dog with the prong on--the tech I was shadowing was constantly leash popping that dog and yelling "sit, sit!" I took the dog's head in my hands and looked at him and said "Hey, you. Sit." and lo and behold, he finally sat. Didn't even touch the collar. I wanted to say "hey, look what I can do that you can't!" and smack the tech.

Had you done that where I work you would have been dismissed on the spot. we don't let shadows touch animals for liability reasons, and grabbing a dog's face is definitely out of the question, especially when you stare at him as well. Granted popping a prong and giving a dog a command it clearly doesn't know is stupid as well, but not as dangerous and likely to get someone bit as taking a strange dog's face and looking directly at them in their face.

[PlottMom]

I agree with a dog you haven't had long, it's probably best to try other training methods... Rage was 2 1/2 when I got her and wasn't really required to walk on a leash politely up to that point... I just kind of let her slide for a while, a few blocks into our walk she'd stop pulling so hard...

I love our prong. It's made our walks & yes, our relationship, so much more pleasant. As of the past week, I switch from her prong to her flat collar once we're done with our Couch25K workout, and she walks about the same. Is she a PERFECT walker? No, but my hand/arm aren't sore anymore, and she's a joy to walk with, rather than having walks be something I dread.

ETA: yes, it's definitely a TOOL, not a SOLUTION - I use the prong on Bear whenever I have him because he's not with me that often, and has no leash manners... so the prong hasn't fixed or taught him anything, but he weighs half of what I do and it's nearly impossible for me to control him otherwise.

[Kayota]

Well... What I said came off the wrong way and I do actually agree with what you are saying. I'm sorry it sounds like I was grabbing or staring at a strange dog, but I assure you I was very gentle and he was definitely giving me kisses the whole time. I know canine body language fairly well... So I'm sorry that I sound like I put myself and the dog in a bad place, but I assure you I did not do things the way it came off. I admit I don't know everything... But I learned and got the point the first time someone called me out. I don't really feel the need to keep defending myself over the same issue, so I'm going to back out of this thread now.

[Kat09Tails]

I use a prong now with Willow because sometimes she forgets good manners and my poor shoulder just can't take much pressure anymore before it falls out of the socket. So I use either the prong with a leash or the e collar and no leash and life is pretty awesome for both of us.

Without a doubt it's a tool and it can be a highly effective one used properly like just about anything.

[Cthulhu7]

Originally Posted by Kat09Tails

I use a prong now with Willow because sometimes she forgets good manners and my poor shoulder just can't take much pressure anymore before it falls out of the socket. So I use either the prong with a leash or the e collar and no leash and life is pretty awesome for both of us.

Without a doubt it's a tool and it can be a highly effective one used properly like just about anything.

What's an e collar?

[Kat09Tails]

electronic collar.

Originally Posted by Kayota

Well... What I said came off the wrong way and I do actually agree with what you are saying. I'm sorry it sounds like I was grabbing or staring at a strange dog, but I assure you I was very gentle and he was definitely giving me kisses the whole time. I know canine body language fairly well... So I'm sorry that I sound like I put myself and the dog in a bad place, but I assure you I did not do things the way it came off.

I "know canine body language fairly well" myself, and let me assure you, you wouldn't want to do what you did with that dog to (for example) my AB, in any possible way I can imagine you doing it. Some dogs give off a whole lot less body language than you might think.

Originally Posted by Kayota

I didn't grab at him... I was very gentle. Just for the record. If he wanted to pull away he could have. I don't think it was very fair to the dog to yank on his collar repeatedly when simply getting down to his level would do the trick.

...or make the dog suspicious of you and cause problems that you're now in too vulnerable of a position to remove yourself from easily. I don't think anyone was necessarily worried about the dog pulling away.

[Greenmagick]

Depending on the situation, I can see the point I think that was trying to be made. I have seen a lot of overfriendly outgoing dogs (think the stereotypical golden) who when a bit nervous respond by being even more friendly. You could pop them all day and the just keep wagging and kissing. But, do a couple slow calm pets, connect, and calmly ask for something and they sit.

I didnt see where she said she grabbed the dogs face, gave him a hard stare and growled at them...that would be totally different.