# At what age to start with prong collar?



## kitmcd

I have a 15 week old, female GSD puppy. Today I took her to walk in an Alzheimer's Walk. I was very proud of her as this was her first big, noisy event. 

She was fine with the cheerleaders, the running children, the babies grabbing at her, the balloons, the DJ, the wheelchairs and skateboards.

However, the other dogs she just HAD to see! I didn't let her pull me to them, but every time another dog was in sight she pulled and pulled on her lead. On the walk itself, she was so excited she was pulling constantly. I did stop and make her sit periodically, but the pulling would soon resume.

I know she is young and maybe I shouldn't expect anything different right now. On walks at home she is learning not to pull but there are not all those distractions.

So, my question is at what age should you start with a prong collar and under what conditions do you use it?


----------



## doggiedad

don't rely on a gadget. depend on training.


----------



## Jax08

Train her so she knows what you want. You are MONTHS away from needing a correction collar, if you even would then. There are several videos on teaching puppies to walk nicely on a leash.


----------



## Emoore

At her age, I'd use a front-connect harness like the Sense-ation harness, not a prong collar.


----------



## kitmcd

Thanks for the responses. We have been training every day and I've watched many videos and have several books. She is doing well in her home environment and even out in parking lots, stores, etc....as long as we don't meet other dogs up close. Even then with a "sit" and "easy" she does pretty well.

I was just wondering if in certain situations I might should be using something more? We will just keep on working like we have been. 

I had her to a K-9 handler/trainer to evaluate. His feeling was that she was "ahead of schedule" and to just keep on what I was doing.

I had just read through some other threads about the prong collars and how much people liked them and thought that they helped...but in those threads it wasn't clear how old their dogs were.

Thanks


----------



## Gracie's My Girl

I wouldn't worry about using any kind of correction collar on a puppy or even on an older dog unless it is really needed. To solve our pulling problem, we use an Easy Walk Harness on our puppy. It is a far easier and more comfortable solution for everyone.


----------



## Anthony8858

IMO, I think they get used to that prong collar anyway.
There are so many other ways to correct a dog, I'd get *yourself* fully trained, before considering a prong collar.


----------



## chelle

kitmcd said:


> I have a 15 week old, female GSD puppy. Today I took her to walk in an Alzheimer's Walk. I was very proud of her as this was her first big, noisy event.
> 
> She was fine with the cheerleaders, the running children, the babies grabbing at her, the balloons, the DJ, the wheelchairs and skateboards.
> 
> However, the other dogs she just HAD to see! I didn't let her pull me to them, but every time another dog was in sight she pulled and pulled on her lead. On the walk itself, she was so excited she was pulling constantly. I did stop and make her sit periodically, but the pulling would soon resume.
> 
> I know she is young and maybe I shouldn't expect anything different right now. On walks at home she is learning not to pull but there are not all those distractions.
> 
> So, my question is at what age should you start with a prong collar and under what conditions do you use it?


Well to actually answer your original question , it has been said to wait until 6 months or later.


----------



## RocketDog

Have you checked out the LAT game? If you can see the dogs first, you can try distracting her. Also, there's also just plain old stopping or turning the other way if it's feasible. No reaction. 

My pup is almost 21 weeks and he walks absolutely LOVELY on a leash with just his flat collar. I just stopped moving EVERY time he started to pull. He quickly figured out it took A LONG TIME to get anywhere if he pulled. He still wants to pull with dogs but we're starting the LAT game and if all else fails I just stop. Eventually he quits pulling. Good luck!


----------



## Stosh

I started Stosh on a prong collar at 6 mos while we taking an obedience class. The collar is really helpful but you need to know how to fit and use it properly. He hasn't 'gotten used' to it per se, but he does know that the times I put it on him he needs to pay extra attention and behave. Look at leergurg.com for free videos on how to use one should you decide to try it


----------



## zyppi

She's way too young for a prong.

Let her go to the end of her lead and then (you) turn the other way and walk on. She'll soon see that forging ahead leaves her behind and stay closer to you.

You'll get dizzy walking and turning for a couple of days, but it pays off.

Prong collars are great tools used with an older dog and properly fitted and used. 

When she's older, if you wish to get and use one, get a Herm Sprenger and fit it correctly. Then you need to learn the quick correction technique... never let a dog just tug on the prong.

Not a Leerburg fan, but he has some good info on prongs.


----------



## BlackPuppy

RocketDog said:


> Have you checked out the LAT game? If you can see the dogs first, you can try distracting her. Also, there's also just plain old stopping or turning the other way if it's feasible. No reaction.
> 
> My pup is almost 21 weeks and he walks absolutely LOVELY on a leash with just his flat collar. I just stopped moving EVERY time he started to pull. He quickly figured out it took A LONG TIME to get anywhere if he pulled. He still wants to pull with dogs but we're starting the LAT game and if all else fails I just stop. Eventually he quits pulling. Good luck!


My dog learned the LAT game in 10 minutes. It worked very well for him to calm down when other dogs are around. 

Look at That! A Counterintuitive Approach to Dealing with Reactive Dogs Dog Training for Dog Lovers Blog


----------



## RocketDog

BlackPuppy said:


> My dog learned the LAT game in 10 minutes. It worked very well for him to calm down when other dogs are around.
> 
> Look at That! A Counterintuitive Approach to Dealing with Reactive Dogs Dog Training for Dog Lovers Blog


Did you find you had to start a ways a way first? How far, would you guess, and how old was your dog when you started?


----------



## KZoppa

6 months at the earliest but if it were my dog, 8 months. The next day after bringing Shasta home we were practicing how to walk nicely on leash. She does very good but if she see's another dog, sometimes she just gets so excited she forgets. I have the prong collar on her because its an easier correction around other dogs. We've started working on flat collar walks in short spurts but i still dont take her out in major areas like pet stores without her wearing her prong collar. We have a ways to go before i'll be comfortable enough in her focus on me to stop using the prong collar. Shasta was 12 weeks old when i brought her home. I had her walking next to me 90% of the time on walks by the time she was 16 weeks. She's 1.5 now and constantly a work in progress.


----------



## kitmcd

Great ideas all. Thanks. No, I've never done the LAT game. Will read more on that and try to start it today!

Thanks for answering the question about the minimum age for the prong. The K9 handler I saw was putting a 5 month old lab on one. He saw me watching and commented that I would most probably need one at some point. So, that got me to wondering too.


----------



## LaRen616

I wanted to wait until Malice was 8 or 9 months old before I put a prong on her but she's a beast and pulls like a Husky so last tuesday was her first day on the prong, she's 5 months old.


----------



## Rott-n-GSDs

I started Luna on a prong when she was 4 months old... we took a "crank and jerk" obedience class and the trainer pushed chokes heavily... and if you didn't want a choke chain, he pushed prongs heavily. 

I wish I had NEVER caved and allowed her on a prong.. she was way, way too young and now I can't walk her without the prong. It is no fun relying on a tool (and that includes any of the other gadgets like ez walk, gentle leader, etc.).

There is no substitute for training.


----------



## Sunstreaked

Eva started with the prong at about 8 months (she's 14 months now). For "high stress" times we use the prong and for other regular walking we're using the regular flat collar. As she's maturing, she's learning much more easily what's expected on a walk. 

We had two incidents that pushed us into using a prong: The first, she lunged after a huge lizard and my husband was pulled to the ground, injuring knees, elbows and chin. The second was again a lizard and I got a black eye when I hit the gate post with my face. Enough was enough. 

Using the prong collar has actually eliminated the need for "correction" as she corrects herself. Now that we're phasing the flat lead back in again, she's doing wonderfully.


----------

