Chris, I dread saying this but I for the most part agree with you on the prong. The only difference being I would not let the dog hit the end of the leash. A quick "pop" before the leash actually gets tight will deliver a much more effective correction. Once it is tight you have lost the effect of the "pop" you need for the quick correction and many people will end up just jerking the dog back which is not the effect you want at all. We tell students regularly that a flat collar, if the dog continues to pull, is certainly going to cause considerable trachea damage. The problem you are going to find in here is if you consider any type of physical correction or hands on approach with a dog you are in the wrong forum, you truly don't want to open that can of worms.
That being said, anyone taught the correct technique with a "training" (which is the correct term for a choke) or prong collar knows pulling can be solved quickly with minimal correction. My daughter's dog is almost seal-like in confirmation and she slipped out of flat collars and escaped a halti/gentle leader on a regular basis. She literally spent years trying to be more "humane" than dear old mom. One trip out on a prong collar and problem solved. Much easier on owner and dog. The "properly fitted" prong that rides on the neck as it is supposed to and used with a quick "pop" is a wonderful tool. I have even put it on a student's arm and "popped" it so they feel what their dog feels. It is amazing to me that stores like PetSmart will sell these collars if they are so cruel and inhumane. Can they be cruel and inhumane, of course, but so is a flat collar that the dog is allowed to pull against. I have been told that these other methods "just take time," all the while the dog is pulling your arm out of the socket and causing the very damage evryone is worried about. Several years ago I had a Brittany and if she saw a rabbit or a squirrel she was not going to pay one bit of attention to a clicker or anything else. Every walk was a battle. What did work was to teach her that pulling was just not acceptable...period. She and I both were much happier. I know this is not a popular stance in this forum but I also know what has worked for multiple dogs in my household over the years and students with difficult dogs. Do all dogs need this, of course not, but for those individuals that do it is a great alternative.
That being said, anyone taught the correct technique with a "training" (which is the correct term for a choke) or prong collar knows pulling can be solved quickly with minimal correction. My daughter's dog is almost seal-like in confirmation and she slipped out of flat collars and escaped a halti/gentle leader on a regular basis. She literally spent years trying to be more "humane" than dear old mom. One trip out on a prong collar and problem solved. Much easier on owner and dog. The "properly fitted" prong that rides on the neck as it is supposed to and used with a quick "pop" is a wonderful tool. I have even put it on a student's arm and "popped" it so they feel what their dog feels. It is amazing to me that stores like PetSmart will sell these collars if they are so cruel and inhumane. Can they be cruel and inhumane, of course, but so is a flat collar that the dog is allowed to pull against. I have been told that these other methods "just take time," all the while the dog is pulling your arm out of the socket and causing the very damage evryone is worried about. Several years ago I had a Brittany and if she saw a rabbit or a squirrel she was not going to pay one bit of attention to a clicker or anything else. Every walk was a battle. What did work was to teach her that pulling was just not acceptable...period. She and I both were much happier. I know this is not a popular stance in this forum but I also know what has worked for multiple dogs in my household over the years and students with difficult dogs. Do all dogs need this, of course not, but for those individuals that do it is a great alternative.
