Would anyone recommend a pinch/prong collar?

Question

My dog is crazy when a car passes her on a leash. I figured this might help.

Answer 1

no, I wouldnt. I understand about the "love of a moving vehicle", especially a motorcycle, but, no, I think a strong, deep voice and saying "NO". Will evenually help.
The reason I say this is when I was a small child my dad had a choker collar on our german shepard/collie mix. It literally tore into his neck. And if you do not catch it right away it will go under the skin and cause a severe infection. I hope this helps and I wish you luck. Try a body harness, or teaching him to "Stop, Sit" until the car passes.

Answer 2

I use a Gentle Leader type device - minimizes pulling while dog is in training and will not damage a dog's neck like a "chokechain" can. The GL and prong collar (properly used) are both preferable to chokechains, but you cannot expect a collar to correct your dog's behaviour. EVERY dog should be trained. It will make life much more enjoyable for both of you! It's not overly difficult, and only requires of the owner consistency, patience, and an understanding of the canine psyche.

Highly recommend: http://4pawsu.com/pmdominance.htm
as well as reading: http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB752

Force is not necessary when training your dog, and avoiding it will make the process go much more smoothly. :) Using those two resources, you should have enough info to do some searching around to see what method of training is right for you. Good luck!

Answer 3

It sounds like your dog has a very high prey drive. I use a prong on my dogs during initial training for control. IF used correctly it is a very effective tool for control. People who have never used it correctly or read to much misinformation will tell you they are horrible torture devices-NOT TRUE. Do not leave it on your dog all the time. Only put it on for training & walks. A breakaway collar should be used any time the dog is alone. Also, focus on training your dog to sit when she see's a car. You will need to utilize the help of a friend. Find a quiet area (abandoned parking lots, parks) and have your friend drive a vehicle toward you. Before she gets out of control excited, have her sit and give a treat. Keep getting her attention, sitting and rewarding as the car gets closer. I did this with my border collie who went completely nuts when he saw a car. After much practice & consistency, he now sits anytime he sees a car. Have a trainer show you how to fit your collar and how to use it correctly. Good luck and happy walking!

Answer 4

You can use the collar along with training your dog to sit and stay when cars go by. Bring along good treats and use the collar to get the dog's attention and then teach the behavior you want. It's not enough to just stop the behavior you don't like. Have you tried using super good treats without a pinch collar? Does your dog sit and stay in other situations when it isn't distracted by cars? If not, you need to work on that behavior in a place without cars, get it solid and then start working around cars.

www.fearfuldogs.com

Answer 5

I had a friend with a lab who used one of those a couple years ago to control the dog, cause it would just take off with her. The dog actually got so useto to pulling with that collar on so it had no effect what so ever after a couple months. So basically what I'm saying is don't let her pull you around with that collar on or you be back here asking what an even more agressive collar you can be using. So teaching your dog to heel, if she doesnt all ready know is a big thing when using that collar. Your taking the dog for a walk, dont let her be walking you.

Answer 6

prongs are great. Just remember, you pop it, don't keep tension on it.
I have tried it on myself, it doesn't hurt at all.
Wussy people need to stop confusing chain slip collars with humane prong collars. They are one of the greatest training tools ever.
A gentle leader is meant to control pulling, not for giving corrections. When your dog freaks out because of passing traffic, she needs a correction. You cannot do this with a gentle leader.

ADD: Lisa G, hmmm, brief tightening, or bolting and being hit by a car, gee i can;t decide.....

ariel, your dad used a choke chain. A choke chain is NOT a prong collar, and they work differently.

Answer 7

Yes, they are no more cruel than a regular choke chain, they just look like they are. They actually help apply pressure evenly all the way around the neck instead of just in the back like a choke chain. They are much better for training and will probably help a lot. Keep in mind that the collar is only as good as the person on the other end of it, so make sure you are staying consistent with your training techniques and don't expect just buying the collar to fix everything. Good luck!

Answer 8

A lot of it depends on the dog - Both of them can be effective. I use a Choke on my Lab, but a Prong on my Aussie - A regular choke collar breaks off the fur around the Aussie's neck.

I still think what you need to do is get the dog into a training class so you can learn how to control it...

Answer 9

What will help is you training yourself to train her. When you walk do you keep her close and behind you? That tells her that you are the leader of the walk. If she leads then she is the pack leader.
When she starts to act up, IMMEDIATELY, snap the leash up. (and keep the leash right behind her ears)
Put her into a sit and wait until she calms down. DON'T GIVE UP. IF YOU DO SHE WINS. Be patient and be consistent and she will learn. Use the same treatment with other dogs you pass. Put her in a sit. Don't raise your voice just be calm and assertive.

Praise her when she does well. Don't confort her when she is being bad.

Answer 10

I actually prefer that pinch collars rather than the slip-chain style collars.

You can also try a harness. It slips over the neck and the body, and the leash clips to a loop on his back and you have WAY more control over the dog than what a traditional collar affords you.

Answer 11

Pinch/prong collars are a useful training aid when used properly.

Please seek a professional to at least show you how it should fit (snugly, like a watch does on your arm) and how to put it on (it opens up, do not try to push it over your dog's head) and how to use it to stop the behavior.