Prong collars?

Question

I am a dog walker who has to deal with many poorly trained dogs. I like to use prong collars to begin what little training I can do with my clients, as I only see them half an hour a day so I can't spend any extra time training them (not my job anyway). However, some owners look at the prong collar and think that it's cruel to the dog. I know how to use it, so how can I explain to them that it's a training tool and does not hurt the dog.

To those who will come and say "How can you use prong collars, they're so cruel and you're so mean!!!!" I'm not listening to you as my opinion on how useful prong collars are can't be changed. I'm asking a question on how to speak to the owners to try and make them feel better, not on whether or not prong collars hurt the dog. Any thoughts?

Rest assured, I love my job and I love the dogs but I don't love being hauled around by a 150 pound Rottweiler whenever he sees a squirrel. The owners are very nice but they've never seen a prong collar before and don't know what to make of it.

http://forum.oes.org/images/prong_collar.jpg Picture of a prong collar. Like I said, doesn't hurt the dogs, the points are rounded, not pointed. It pinches a bit, doesn't hurt (I tried it to see what it felt like to make sure it didn't hurt).

Sorry if I was unclear: What do I say to the owners when they say that the prong collar looks cruel? How do I assure them that I know what I'm doing and won't hurt their dog?

I said a prong collar, not an electric collar. And I did indeed say that I put it on myself. And I do know how much electric collars hurt but I find them to be useful too.

Sorry for all the additions, but I always ask before I use it on the dog; hence the question I'm asking here.

I do like Gentle Leaders, but I find that they make the dog easier to control but don't stop the pulling problem. They still try and pull but just can't. The prong collar stops the pulling all together.

PLEASE READ - YES I DID TRY IT ON MYSELF!

schliepboy - oh gee, I'm so impressed by you. I'm not asking people's opinions on prong collars, and this isn't a stupid question. I'm a 21 one year old woman, of course it's hard for me to control a 150 pound Rott, hence the prong collar so I can control him. And I do work out on a regular basis. Think a little bit before you start spewing off.

I can't drop these people as clients, frankly I can 't afford to. These people don't walk their own dogs so they don't see a reason to have it trained differently. I'm good with the dogs I walk, just ask anyone but this Rott has required me to look into different training tools. Very few of you have been helpful in the slightest bit, you choose to preach and say what a horrible job I must do rather than answer my question.

Answer 1

I am a retired dog trainer and I have handled some of the largest breeds out there and I only weighted 104 pounds and there were times that I had to use "pinch" collars. They are very useful when used the proper way.

A 100 pound dog has a lot more power than a 100 pound person. This just gives you the edge so that you don't end up with a dislocated shoulder.

The way that I always approached the subject with a client was to have a prong collar the size of my forearm and I would ask them to put it on and give them demonstration as to it's use in the proper way. But, I also left it up to them whether or not to use this collar.

One client in particular was very much against it until I did this little exercise and then she wanted to know what I hadn't done it sooner.

So if you are experienced with using the prong collar the proper way then forget about the public opinion and save your shoulder joints and avoid other injuries that can happen when you are handling several dogs a day.

Good luck and just approach your clients with a positive attitude.

Answer 2

I'm not sure if I'm reading this correctly but.. I'm assuming you've asked the owners about the prong collar at some point in the past and they stated that they did not want it used on their dog? Am I right? If I were in your shoes, I would gather all the information I have on prong collars, how they work, why they work, why they are better than regular chokers, and even, if you have to, call a trainer and explain the situation to him/her and ask him/her to speak, even if only over the phone, to the owners, present them with the information, and just explain to them. Say, "Hey look. I don't want to hurt your dog, that's why I'm suggesting the prong collar, because your dog is too powerful for me to walk without a good way for me to control him, and this is the best way for me to get his attention." Explain to them that him dragging you around without a prong collar is risky.. it's dangerous. It is. He's 150 pounds, you say you're a 21 year old girl.. I'm an average sized-girl, I weigh 115. If I'm walking a dog, even if I have the leash wrapped around my wrist, if a 150 pound dog sees something he wants and lurches, he could get loose. And an untrained dog running loose could get hit.. he could run into someone else walking a dog and start a fight (or be accused of starting one even if he didn't, just because of his breed), he could run out of your sight before you can catch up and be picked up by someone and just be gone.. all sorts of things could happen. Make it clear to them that you're concerned, and you want to do this to ensure the saftey of their dog. If they still won't have it.. you are offering a service, and the customer IS always right (even when they're not).. I know it's frustrating but you might have to settle for second best, like the Gentle Leader or the Halti.

Answer 3

I would simply explain to the owners that it is for the good of the dog. If you are walking their dog and the dog is poorly trained and takes off running after something and gets away they could be badly injured or killed. Reassure them that you know how to use the prong collar and it will not injure their dog but only help so that they can get their exercise in a safe way.

Answer 4

Tell them it doesn't hurt the dog and if they don't believe you, then have them try it on to prove your point.

Tell them that it is better for both you and their dog, because not only does it help prevent damage to the trachea that is often caused by dogs that pull while wearing a regular collar or chain, but it also keeps your arm from being injured while the dogs when the dogs try to pull.

You could even print them up some info on prong collars, or have them call a vet and ask if they think prong collars are cruel.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Prong collars are used to trigger the idea of being disciplined by another dog, but it shouldn't hurt the dog.

Just thoroughly explain the use of prong collars. Or you could just use a leash and choker collar on the sensitive upper part of their neck if the owners won't listen.

Answer 6

Prong collars can be an effective training tool. IMO it is not appropriate for a dog walker to be instigating their use on a dog.

It is a tool the owners should be using and training the dogs--not just having you put it on them for their daily walks.

You are right, it is not your job. It is your clients' responsibility to work with their dogs so you can walk them without having your shoulders dislocated. Give them the names of some trainers. If they don't work on this, drop them as clients.

Answer 7

You’re not going to be able to explain the collar. They pay you to walk the dog not to train it conflict of interest and you’re going to lose clients. It's your decision to continue to walk the dog even if it's untrained. It's obvious why you can’t answer you own question; I guess that’s why you walk dogs. I wouldn’t try to explain just stop using the collar before you end up with a lawsuit.
I’ll represent you in court if you’re in the tri-state area, your yearly salary should cover it. Why even walk dogs if you’re just going to ask stupid questions. Solution, tell your clients that you use a prong collar and if they have not problem with it then use it. I’ am sure you’ll see a trend once you start telling your clients about it. That’s when you might see why everyone will say no, I’ll have my dog walked by someone else.
Tip hit the gym if you can't hold back150lbs dog

Answer 8

okay, I'm not really sure what u are asking, you never got around to the question, but Prong collars aren't cruel if you use them correctly, They are safer than chain collars, they just pinch th dog a little bit, instead of permanently damageing the vocal chords of the dog like other collars

Answer 9

The prong collar is much better than a choke collar, because you can use much lighter correction and the dog basically corrects itself. Even tho it doesn't hurt them, it gives them the impression that it's going to hurt. You don't have to repeatedly correct them for pulling ahead, they get a light correction and quickly learn that they should walk nicely. The choke, people continuously yank their dogs around on it, it's hard on the neck, and you have to correct over and over and over again.. Takes must more work to correct with a choke, or even a flat collar. More effective, and less corrections.

Answer 10

Talk to your clients about getting their dogs trained. There's a reason it stops the pulling, it hurts. It may not hurt much, but it does hurt.

Have you tried a harness, some attatch to the gentle leads.

I'm not a fan of using pain to control animals.

Instead of trying to convince the owner that they aren't going to cause too much discomfort, try convincing them the importance of training. A little training goes a long way. If they are concerned about the animal give them the option of taking their dog for training. Or perhaps you could make a few extra bucks with working to train their dogs and teaching the owners how to follow up with the training.

If someone was using a prong collar on my dog I would not be swayed to allow them to use it. But that's just me. I still believe your best option is offering an alternative to show the owners you only want what's best.