Prong Collars???/

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Postby blayzeingsun » December 19th, 2006, 5:34 pm

Is this a good one to get? I want to use it with the 15 minutes to leash manners post above! I don't know anything about these collars however! Any advice would be appreciated

http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx? ... lyID=8062&


Thanks!
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Postby luvmyangels » December 19th, 2006, 6:18 pm

I own a prong similar to that one. Not sure of the name brand though. I had gotten mine through my trainer. I was trained on how to use it. But I am not sure how to give advice on how to use it. There are many people here that probably can. Good luck!!
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Postby JCleve86 » December 19th, 2006, 6:22 pm

I just use whatever house brand they carry at Petsmart. Works just fine for me. :|

I will say though that if you are at all doubting the quality of the product (some prongs will pop/snap open) to be sure to have a backup collar...either clip the leash to both the prong and the flat collar the dog usually wears or put on a choke collar too so that if the prong snaps open, you'll still be able to hang onto your dog. The choke collar is actually probably a better idea because it won't restrict the movement of the prong, but will still work perfectly fine to keep your dog on leash if the prong breaks whereas the flat collar, being fitted, is probably going to impede the ability to "pop" the prong to give a good correction. I hope that makes sense.
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Postby Marinepits » December 19th, 2006, 6:33 pm

On Tue, Dec 19 2006, 5:22 PM, JCleve86 wrote: be sure to have a backup collar...either clip the leash to both the prong and the flat collar the dog usually wears or put on a choke collar too so that if the prong snaps open, you'll still be able to hang onto your dog.


Great advice -- I use a choke collar as back-up when using the prong. Works very well for me.

All of our prong collars are the Herm Sprenger (sp?) brand and I've never had a problem with them "popping".
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Postby Marinepits » December 19th, 2006, 6:39 pm

This is a great webpage about how to properly fit a prong collar:

http://www.leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm

I don't necessarily agree with the author's training program, but the prong collar article is excellent and worth reading.
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Postby blayzeingsun » December 19th, 2006, 7:10 pm

How do I know what weight to get? I read that article but i couldn't find where it said specifically which weight you should get for your dog
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Postby mnp13 » December 19th, 2006, 7:34 pm

Riggs is VERY powerful, even for his weight. He uses a medium. You want to get the smallest links possible that will control your dog. Unless your dog is a 70 pound monster, you don't need the large.

Get some extra links so you can fit it properly.

ETA: Riggs is now in a small
Last edited by mnp13 on June 12th, 2007, 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby blayzeingsun » December 19th, 2006, 7:44 pm

She is 61 lbs and very strong!
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Postby mnp13 » December 19th, 2006, 8:03 pm

On December 19 2006, 18:44, blayzeingsun wrote:She is 61 lbs and very strong!


I'd still get a medium. once you have delivered a few proper level correction you usually don't have to use it a whole lot. Bigger collars are not better, the smaller the links the lighter correction you have to give to have the same effect.
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Postby ellie@ny » December 19th, 2006, 8:14 pm

I use the smallest one with Nico,and he's arround 75#.Works great!
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Postby IamaDick » December 20th, 2006, 1:01 am

The problem with the ones you get from petsmart or petco is that the prongs are much smaller in diameter which causes them to "poke" into the dog and sometimes on a hard correction will cause skin punctures. If you want a good one, here is one like i got.

Its a herm sprenger

http://www.dogequipment.com/products/co ... ollars.htm
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Postby blayzeingsun » December 20th, 2006, 11:24 am

okay i did get one and she is very quickly learning the 15 minutes of leash training manners! WOOHOO! BUT! the prongs keep sliding around to the front of her neck. I actually took 2 prongs out of the medium one and it felt almost tight on her neck but it's still sliding around River doesn't really have a super long neck or anything and she has a mound of muscle on the back of her head that might be the problem???? Any Advice?? Am i doing it wrong?
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Postby mnp13 » December 20th, 2006, 11:32 am

What do you mean they slide to the "front" of her neck?
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Postby brooksybrooks1 » December 20th, 2006, 12:20 pm

a lot of people (MY PARENTS) think that you should get prong collars big enough to slide over that dogs head, but here's the thing- they open up for a reason! they should fit nice and tight, not so tight that they are digging in with no pressure applied, but tight enough that they aren't sliding down the neck. i agree with michelle, the smaller the prongs the better, sprenger makes the best ones but that one should be fine, that's what i use, and i would see a trainer, even if it was just one class. basically it's the same thing as a choke except it works better with tough guys because some dogs could care less about the choke and you end up having to muscle them, and you'll lose! the prongs are just a little more uncomfortable of a correction for them, so you should have to do corrections less often and with less force, and you should use less force or you'll hurt the dog. i like them because tre has figured out how to move the choke all the time so that it doesn't work as well and the prongs stay in position better. i kind of like prongs more because i feel like the dogs end up getting less corrections and that's less stressful for them and you.
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Postby brooksybrooks1 » December 20th, 2006, 12:22 pm

oh yeah, and the prongs should be on the front of the neck, as in under the chin, with the chain and d ring on the back, as in behind the ears. if it's sliding around it's too loose.
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Postby blayzeingsun » December 20th, 2006, 2:13 pm

I suppose that's where I went wrong with it. It's not loose but it was moving because of the leash.. I just looked at the pictures on that website and it appears that sometimes the prongs are on the front and sometimes on the side of the neck?? I thought it was supposed to go on the back of the neck as in that picture it says "this is the proper palcement"

and it shows it on the back of the neck in that picture?
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Postby mnp13 » December 20th, 2006, 2:20 pm

the prongs go in the front, and they should be evenly placed side to side. the chain should move to accomidate the correction from the side. I'll try to remember to take pictures tonight if that would help you.
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Postby blayzeingsun » December 20th, 2006, 2:25 pm

Yeah I'm sure it will be a big help for River too lol. She was fairly annoyed at me. We are signed up for training class starting January 6th!

Please if you can explain a little more the "pop" . and how that goes. Thanks
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Postby mnp13 » December 20th, 2006, 2:42 pm

I'll try to explain it, but I can't video it... my dogs rarely pull now because they know it's coming! I don't use the prong for training anymore with Riggs and Ruby is 100% collar smart; so now prong collar = going for a walk or a run, not training.

A prong correction is a quick "pop" that is over as soon as it starts. Your dog should never be "dragged" by the collar. Unless you are actually using the collar for a correction, the leash should be in a J, or at least the clip of the collar should be laying on the dogs neck.

A correct correction often makes the dog yelp a little at first. You are not injuring your dog, but yes, it hurts. If you feel bad about that "hurt" put the collar on your arm or leg (or neck if you so choose) and give it a good pop. It is not exactly excruciating, but you do notice it. The skin on a dog's neck is much tougher than human skin, which is why you want the prong fitted right at the top of the neck because that is the most sensitive part of a not-overly-sensitive area.

When you learn the proper force for your dog, it should only take one or two corrections to get the point across. If you have to nag your dog you are not doing it right. Nagging is useful for some applications, but not for most.

You should put the collar on an hour before you plan to use it, and leave it on for an hour afterwards, that helps with the dog not becoming collar smart.

Many people use a backup collar, just in case. I prefer a nylon choke chain because it is silent and can hang loosly at the base of the dog's neck; not interfering with the prong at all.
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Postby ellie@ny » December 20th, 2006, 5:48 pm

Here is Nic before the walk wearing his prong.

Image
Image
Image
Hope it helps!
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