# Herm Sprenger Broke!



## unloader (Feb 16, 2010)

It didn't just come apart, a small link broke near the base of the live ring(see photo)!









We used this prong for two short walks (10 minutes each) and while on the second walk, Remy barely pulled and it just popped off! He darted across the street to greet another dog. Luckily the cars that were coming were far enough away. If it happened 5 seconds later, it would have been very very very bad!

Lesson learned, I will never leave home without a backup ring tab to connect to his flat leather buckle collar (hopefully that won't break). 

This experience makes me question the Herm Sprenger products. Is their manufacturing/quality control process declining?

Has anyone had this happen before?


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

Wow. I can honestly say that I have never had this happen to any of my Herm Sprenger products. I have had two prongs and one fur saver from them over the years and never an issue.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I also have a herm springer prong collar and never had an issue.

Sorry this happened-glad to hear your boy is ok-how scary!


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## Stogey (Jun 29, 2010)

They probably moved their manufacturing division to some sweat shop in China ...


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## unloader (Feb 16, 2010)

Is there a difference between Coastal Pet Herm Sprenger and Herm Sprenger?

I assume Coastal Pet is the distributor for the USA, or am I wrong?


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

%(@&@(& happens. I also have not had an issue with their products.

You should contact Herm Spenger and/or the place you bought it from with your story and picture. Who knows they just might surprise you and offer to replace it. Wouldn't hurt.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

You should look into getting something like this as a backup if that ever happens again. Just use this along with the prong and you won't have to worry about this ever happening again.

Leerburg | Dominant Dog Collar


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## unloader (Feb 16, 2010)

Kayla's Dad said:


> %(@&@(& happens. I also have not had an issue with their products.
> 
> You should contact Herm Spenger and/or the place you bought it from with your story and picture. Who knows they just might surprise you and offer to replace it. Wouldn't hurt.


Did both immediately after the incident as well as sent photos. No surprise that Bridgeport is sending me a new one considering I just purchased it less than a week ago. 



Lucy Dog said:


> You should look into getting something like this as a backup if that ever happens again. Just use this along with the prong and you won't have to worry about this ever happening again.
> 
> Leerburg | Dominant Dog Collar


Yup, ordering this from Bridgeport.








I'm guessing that will do the same thing as the dominant dog collar you listed. I plan on securing it to his flat leather buckle collar.

---
And just so my question doesn't get lost in the replies:
(Copied from my above post)
_Is there a difference between Coastal Pet Herm Sprenger and Herm Sprenger?

I assume Coastal Pet is the distributor for the USA, or am I wrong?_


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I have a broken HS prong collar right now too. First HS prong collar I got (my others were pet store brand with smooth rounded prong tips).

I'm not sure about Coastal HS vs. HS but it seems like if it carries the HS brand/name than it should be representative of the quality otherwise why would HS allow it to be labeled as such?


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## Sigurd's Mom (May 12, 2009)

I have a HS collar and lately when Sigurd is wearing it the prongs come undone. Even when I pick it up to put it on him, it seems to just fall apart. Hmm.


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

I've not yet had a problem with ours. We have several prongs and fursavers. I would say that's an anomaly.

Eventually, with use the prongs will get loose and you need to replace them which is why they sometimes seem to fall apart.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Sigurd's Mom said:


> I have a HS collar and lately when Sigurd is wearing it the prongs come undone. Even when I pick it up to put it on him, it seems to just fall apart. Hmm.


The fact that the links of a prong collar can come apart is well known, and most people that advocate the prong also tell everyone that you need a link to a flat collar as a backup. The link actually breaking is another thing entirely of course!

I have had the prong come apart three times in about 2 years of use - the first without a backup (don't ask!) and the last two with the flat collar in use. All three happened on a sigificant correction.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Sigurd's Mom said:


> I have a HS collar and lately when Sigurd is wearing it the prongs come undone. Even when I pick it up to put it on him, it seems to just fall apart. Hmm.


That is how mine is. The prongs are very loose in how they connect (like you barely have to pinch them at all or use any effort to disconnect them), and it's not because I've loosened it over time because mine has a quick release, so until recently I've never put it on/off with the prongs. I have had to recently because the quick release is what broke, but it was loose before that, and has come off several times just from Nikon shaking or itching his neck. I like my collars fit tighter than the average Joe and even asked someone to check the fit and he said it was perfect, not fit too loose. I checked a few HS collars at a vendor table at a recent trial and they were similar. They must just be made to come apart easier than the brand I used before. The reason I got the quick release HS was because my old prong collar was so hard for me to put on/off.

Luckily it's never come undone when actually being used. The prongs and links are not broken, they just come apart very easily when slack, but generally there is not enough slack when I'm using it for corrections during work or during protection.


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