Hello! I admit I was not able to go thru all posts, so my apologies if I'm repeating info already given. The original post "what do you think about prong collars", followed by the reason your trainer put your dog on one... "we are training for FR sport and my dog is kind of a knot head". Use a Halti or Gentle leader for basic obedience training for this dog for the added control that you do not have on a flat buckle collar. Secure a "sit", "down", "off" and correct heelwork on this equipment. When you're ready to move to FR training, you will use a chain common to this sport (very, very large link) less chance of collapsing a trachea or a harness, so your dog can put his weight into it with no correction to the neck. Undesirable to use a prong collar, especially in early stages of training as it will inhibit drive. You don't want to give conflicting messeges to the dog. This old school type of training, while it generally "works", is also the cause of some rather serious behavioral problems some owners experience with some dogs, down the road. Encouraging this kind of "drive", combined with adrenaline, and then pain, all at the same time, certainly requires an incredibly stable dog, to not backfire in some instances. I've had clients come to me with very nasty bite marks from their own dogs, these bites having occured during FR training while the dog was on a prong. Be aware, it can be very confusing for the dog. It can backfire. Use a head collar first for the added control this particular dog needs and make your dogs execution of obedience commands so solid, a prong is not nessecary when you move onto more advanced training.