Prong Collar Training
WATCH ALL THESE: Wonder Dog Prong Collar Training Videos
Youtube Video Playlist of Other Trainers Using Prong Collars: Here
We talked about treats and how those work and now it’s time to talk about the Prong Collar. How does training with the prong collar work? How do we show it to clients and explain it? What do we use it for? We’ll cover all that and more in this section dedicated to the Prong Collar and training with it.
Intro to the Prong Collar
If you’re not familiar with the prong collar, at first glance, they look awful, don’t they? At first glance you may wonder if that is a medieval torture device or something. Or, like some clients, you may think “I’d never put that on my dog.” But don’t be alarmed. It isn’t as bad as you think. If it was as bad as you think, trust us, we wouldn’t use them either.
The prong collar is a communication device we use to communicate with the dog while they are on a leash. If you look really hard, you’ll see the prongs on the collar are well rounded and not sharp at all.
When most look at the collar, they think the collar “pokes” or “stabs” the dog. That isn’t the case. When the collar is pulled on by the dog or the human, the collar constricts and pinches the dog around the neck. It doesn’t poke the dog. Now why would we use such a thing in training?
Because it works wonders. We mainly use it for our on-leash program and for walking dogs on a leash. Some of us at Wonder Dog refer to it as a “Walking Dog Collar” because it’s primarily used for walking on the leash.
The reason the prong collar works so well is because it gives the dog a pinch when pulled on, either by the dog or the human, as we said above. The reason the pinch is important is because that’s a natural thing for the dog and something the dog understands. Why does the dog understand this? Because when the dog was a tiny pup, if it did something the momma dog didn’t like, the momma dog would give the puppy a quick nip (a pinch) on the neck.
This is the momma dog teaching the puppy what to do and what NOT to do. When we put the collar on the dog and start woking on loose leash walking, the dog learns really quickly not to pull and to follow us around.
How do we explain The Prong Collar to clients?
When we’re in front of clients, we explain it to them the same way we just did to you. Some of us, almost word for word! So when you’re showing a client, hit the highlights…
It’s a communication device. It doesn’t poke or stab, it pinches
Why we use it and what we use it for
How it works
When they can and can not have it on
Then after explaining it to them, you can size it to the dog and show them how to take it on & off and where the collar needs to be on the neck. To size the collar, you’ll remove links to make it size appropriate for the dog.
Sizing
We want to be able to put the collar on snug. When the collar is on and properly sized, we want to be able to put 2-3 fingers in between the chain and the dogs neck. If it slides up and down the neck too easily or it sits off the neck like a chain or necklace, it’s too big and needs to be re-sized and made smaller. The more snug the collar is, the more effective it will be. The looser it is, the less effective it is.
Lot of clients, pre-hiring us, have tried a prong collar and it didn’t work because it was on the dog and wasn’t sized properly. So size it well. Make it snug, but not tight. Then place it properly.
Placement
The collar should be on the upper half or at the top of the dogs neck. If sized properly, it should stay there for the most part. We want the chain part on the back of the dogs neck.
It’ll slide down as you use it, walk the dog, etc. When this happens, just scoot it back up. Sometimes, the leash will go under the dogs neck and this will rotate the collar on the dogs neck. When this happens, grab the collar on both sides and re-adjust and get the chain back on the top of the dogs neck.
The higher on the neck the collar is, the more effective the collar will be. If the collar is more effective it is, it will require less effort by the client or you.
Showing clients
Assuming you’ve explained it well and have it sized, you need to show the clients how to put it on their dog and take it off their dog.
Open the collar up, and explain it how we do in the Wonder Dog Prong Collar video. Then show them how to get it on the dog and place it.
What Do We use The Prong Collar For?
We sell two main programs. We sell On-Leash and Off-Leash. The prong collar is the main collar we use in the On-Leash program. We use it for all the commands. That’s because the training is done on-the-leash. We use it for the commands and to address bad behaviors when possible using a prong collar.
For the Off-Leash program, the main collar is the remote collar (more on that later!). But we still use the prong collar in the Off-Leash program. We use the prong collar to start dogs commands and then layer in the remote collar. We also use the prong collar for walking dogs on-the-leash in the Off-Leash program.
Problem Behaviors with the Prong Collar
How do we address problem behaviors with the prong collar? What can we address with the prong collar?
In order to use the prong collar to address bad behaviors, the dog has to be on leash, or you have to have some way to pull on the collar. If there is no leash or no way to pull on the collar, the prong collar as a means to correct the dog is useless. So to address the problem behaviors we want the dog on a leash or use a tab leash and then to setup exercises where we can teach the dog what not to do.
A “tab leash” would be some sort of short leash (6”-12”) that the dog can wear around. Typically this will be a normal leash just cut down. The idea is that dog can wear it around and it won’t get caught up on things. And of course, we can use it to give the dog a correction for bad behaviors by giving him a tug when he isn’t on his “normal” leash.
What problem behaviors can we address with the prong collar? Simple. Anything where we are in the vicinity of the dog. Things that are done off-leash or away from us will likely require an off-leash communication device, like a remote collar.
Here are some of the things we can fix with a prong collar (this is not an exhaustive list, just some examples for you): Jumping on guests, getting on furniture, counter surfing (if the dog does it in front of the humans), pulling on leash, bolting, grabbing stuff he shouldn’t have, etc.
What would be harder to fix with a prong collar? Bolting off and running away off-leash, scratching at the door, digging in the yard, counter surfing when we’re not in the room, barking (excessively or nuisance), etc. Anything where the dog is off-leash and away from us is going to be hard to fix with just a prong collar.
Troubleshooting W/ THE PRONG COLLAR
As you work with the training collars, you’re likely to run into a few hiccups. You’ll have trouble with the dogs on the collars, you may have trouble with the collar sometimes, and lastly the client will have various problems with the collar.
Client Problems
Client is Having Trouble Getting The Collar On
Sometimes clients have some trouble getting the collar on the dog, sometimes they have trouble disconnecting the collar, sometimes their hands are weaker, sometimes they don’t understand, etc. All of these things are normal and fixable.
For pretty much all those problems the solutions are the same. Here are a few options…
1. Use a little prong collar for them because the metal is thinner which makes them easier to open and close.
2. Or have the office order you an EZ Clip. This clip replaces the center metal plate on the prong collar and snaps in like a normal collar.
2a. Use a prong collar with an EZ clip. This collar looks a bit different than the normal one and keep the center metal clip. There is a clip on the chain part of the collar that disconnects. This requires a few more steps when putting it on but is much easier on the hands and doesn’t require any finger strength.
3. Order a “Starmark Collar” off Chewy or Amazon for them. These collars are like plastic prong collars and they have a one clip and it is a leash clip. Very simple.
Client Does Not Like the Collar
We all know that the prong collar is not pretty and doesn’t look great at first glance. So, invariably, you will run into people who just don not like the collar, they don’t want to put it on their dog, etc.
But, the benefits of the prong collar outweigh their ugly looks by quite a lot. When showing the collar to the client for the first time, whether they like the collar or not, do your normal collar pitch. Tell them about the collar, why it works, how it works, why we use it, etc.
After all that, or maybe before, you’ll know if they don’t like the collar. From here, take some time to address and allay specific concerns and fears they have.
If after that, they still don’t like the collar, then…
1) See if they are willing to give it a shot.
Phrasing works like this: “Okay, I know you’re not a fan of the collar. But, would you mind if we tried it and gave it a shot? Best case, you love it, your dog loves it and it works well. Worst case, you don’t like it and we do something else. You cool with giving it a shot?”
We want to not be pushy and make it not a big deal. Above is an easy best case/worst case. No pressure. If they want to, we will. If they don’t, we move on,
2) Move down a rung on the effectiveness ladder and get a Starmark or a slip lead.
After they use this and if is hard on them to walk their dog/get results, you can re-try getting them to use the prong collar if it would be a benefit to them
Collar Problems
The Collar Won’t Constrict
If you’re having trouble getting the collar to constrict the way it is supposed to, here are the likely reasons…
1) The collar is tangled
2) You clipped the leash to the wrong ring
3) The collar is on too loose
The Collar, Once Pulled isn’t WORKING
If you’re having trouble with the collar not being effective, when when not tangled and the leash is right, AND the dog is STILL pulling… there are some possible reasons for that!
1) Collar is on too big. Sometimes the collar isn’t sized correctly. It could still use a link or two or three removed.
2) User Error. If the collar is sized properly, on the dog correctly, and placed in the right spot and the dog is having issues, it’s likely user error. The handler of the leash is pulling the leash and doesn’t understand the popping of tension concept. If this is the case, get better at training dogs and ask for help.
OR the handler is doing it right and the dog is just really strong. If this is the case, switch the dog to a 2.25mm prong. The smaller the prong collar, the more effective it is. Why is that? The more links and contact points, the more pinches the dog gets, therefore making it more effectiive.
What Do We Think About Harnesses?
We must talk about a very common piece of dog walking gear and why we don’t use them. That piece of gear is harnesses.
All the pressure is on the chest
When a dog is in a harness and on a leash and then pulls, all the pressure from the dog pulling forwards leads to the dog feeling pressure on his chest. The problem with this is that as the harness pulls back into the dogs chest, the dog wants to pull harder into the harness. Dogs have a thing known as “opposition reflex” meaning that when they are pushed on or pulled against, they go the opposite way. So when the harness pulls against the dog, they pull even harder. This makes walking a dog on a harness for most people incredibly difficult. This makes harnesses almost worthless as well when it comes to walking a dog nicely on leash.
No control over the dogs body
Next, when a dog is on a harness, we have no control over where the dog goes. We can quite literally change direction and go a different way, but harnesses make controlling the dog incredibly difficult. When a dog is on a leash and collar, we can guide the dog left or right because we can control which way their head goes. On a harness, we have to turn the dogs body to get the dog to turn. It’s way easier to steer and guide a dog if we can control their head. If we have to move a dogs whole body, this is much harder.
Harnesses were created for dogs to pull
Lastly, harnesses were actually created to get dogs to pull. Harnesses were originally made for sled dogs to pull loads on snow and ice. So when a dog pulls in a harness, it is really doing what the harness was designed for. Dogs pull like CRAZY in harnesses and we wonder why they pull so hard not knowing that they were originally created to teach the dog to pull!
So… What Are harnesses good for?
With all that being said, is there a reason to use a harness at all?? There are a handful. Harnesses are great for working dogs. Dogs like police dogs, personal protection dogs, tracking dogs, service dogs, etc. need harnesses in some cases to do their work. If you need your dog to send a certain message, a harness can be helpful too. You may have a service dog, therapy dog or you may just not want people to pet your dog and a harness can signal that through patches on the harness. Lastly, if you’re into cute gear for your dog, harnesses can be good for that too. But for practical everyday pets, aka the dogs we work with, there are not many good reasons to use a harness.
Hierarchy Of Collars
FAQs
“When can I stop using the prong collar?” // “Does my does my dog have to wear the collar forever?”
You’ll get this question all the time! So it’s best to be ready for it. Here are some possible replies…
When you’re walking your dog and you’re not having to use the collar much, you can start to ween it away. How long will that take? It really depends on the dog, but it also depends on you as well. If you’re consistent, you can work the collar away sooner than if you’re not consistent.
Once your dog has learned the two positions (HEEL & their PW), you can try alternating between the prong collar and a flat collar. If you can walk your dog for 1 week without the dog pulling, you should be in the clear! (It’s always a good idea to have it available just in case- especially when taking the dog somewhere new or where there can be lots of distractions!)
“When should my dog wear the collar?”
Your dog should wear the collar on walks and when training. And if you need it for daily life things during training, then your dog should wear the collar for those things. For example, if we’re using the collar to teach your dog not to jump, we need to have the collar and leash on when your daughter/husband/friend gets home/comes over. This way we can address the jumping.
“When should my dog not wear the collar?” //“Does my dog have to wear this all the time?”
Your dog CAN wear the collar when you’re home AND awake. Your dog CAN’T wear the collar when you’re not home and not awake. So if you’re here and awake, the collar can be on. If you’re gone from the home or asleep overnight, the collar needs to be off. It definitely shouldn’t be on in the crate and needs to be off when he is crated.
Tips
There is looooots to learn about the collar and reading about them is great, but using them is even better. As you use the collars in training, there are some tips you should know and we added them here.
Safety
But first, safety. We care about dogs and want them to be safe and want our clients to have a great experience with us. So keeping their dogs safe and happy is the best place to start in the tips section.
Here are some safety tips:
Size the collar properly. Size the collar where you can get 2-3 fingers in between the chain part of the collar and neck of the dog. If the collar is too tight (this is different than a SNUG fit which is what we aim for) AND worn for too long, it can harm the dog.
Make sure they know when to have the collar on and more importantly, when to take the collar off. Remember, the collar can be on when they are home and awake. This means the collar can AND may be on for hours at a time… This is why is it important to have the collar fit snug but NOT tight. If the collar is on tight AND on for extended periods of time, it can harm the dog. A snug fit won’t harm the dog but a TIGHT fit will (once again, if left on for long periods of time). Make sure they know the collar MUST be OFF when they are not home and not awake. If they are gone an extended period of time, the collar needs to be off. If they are asleep overnight, the collar needs to be off.
No crate. The collar needs to be off in the crate. Particularly if they have a wire crate which is what most people use these days.
Send the On-Leash Content Email. To make sure your client knows all they need to know, send them the On-Leash Content email by tagging their account in our database. They should know all this info by the time you leave the lesson you introduce the prong collar, but to cover your bases, make sure to send that email (it’s on the checklist)!
The Higher The Collar, The More Effective it Is
The higher the collar is placed on the dogs neck, the more effective it will be. So make sure that the collar is on the top half of the dogs neck. It’ll slide down when you’re walking and heeling with the dog. So make sure to keep scooting the collar back up on the dog. We said this in some of the content above, but it’s worth re-iterating here.
Small collars on hard pullers
If you have a bigger dog that is a hard puller and you start the dog out on a bigger (3.0mm) prong collar and you’re still having trouble, you can swap the collar out for a smaller one. Before doing this though, make sure you have sized the collar properly, when you’re using the collar it is positioned right on the dogs neck and it isn’t tangled. If those things are right and you or your client are still having challenges, trade the collar out to a smaller (2.25mm) prong collar.
Pair collar w fun stuff
When using the prong collar in training, you’ll eventually run into a dog who doesn’t like the collar. This is pretty normal and fairly common. In order to make the dog like the collar, as they should once the pair it with fun stuff, we need to pair the collar with fun things!
Have your client let the dog wear the collar around the house, even when not training. This will get the dog used to using it. On top of that, have your client feed your dog with the collar on, play with the dog with the collar on, take the dog on car rides, etc. with the collar on.
The idea is to change the dogs mind about the collar by desensitizing the dog to the collar through fun things. If we do this over and over and long enough, the dog will pair the collar with fun things like going on walks, going on outings, etc.
Facts & Interesting THings About THe Prong Collar
You can’t choke a dog with a prong collar
Some people worry about their dog walking because the dog pulls so bad the dog chokes himself. This can’t happen on a prong collar. The reason for this is that the collar makes many contact points, but unlike a flat collar/slip lead/etc. the prong collar doesn’t go all the way around the dogs neck. So, even if they pull, they can’t choke themselves on it.
UNGRADED STUDY QUIZ
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