# How do i get my 6 month old gms puppy get used to a prong collar ?



## Jovanelpelirojo (Jun 28, 2020)

Hey everyone, I’ve got gms puppy before quarantine started and training is a bit rough. He is super sweet, and likes to bite at times, but mainly he is really loyal and will do what i say sometimes when he feels like it. Basically on walks he constantly tugs, zig zags, goes to other dogs and it’s pretty annoying. He has never had a collar on but instead we’ve used a harness for walks instead. Recently i looked into prong collars and how amazing the results come so i purchased the Herm Sprenger 2.25, surprisingly it was small so i had to order like 3 extra links. Well when i trained walking him and training him to get used to it, he constantly scratches and lays down. I can’t get him to stop this at all countless of times, any tips anybody? Id greatly appreciate it


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

what is gms?


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## Jorski (Jan 11, 2019)

Sounds like you were using the wrong tool - the harness.
Maybe jumping all the way to a prong collar is too big of a leap.
I have taught all of my dogs to walk on a leash at first with a flat collar, then a choke chain only once they know what I want to fine tune things.

A prong collar might be a great tool, but I have never used one.


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## iBite (Jun 24, 2020)

Do you have a reward for him on your walks for when he does what you want? If you offer no reward, his only two options are to miss out on the thing he wants to do or be pronged... of course he’ll want the collar off 😉
With the harmess, the reward was going his own way and having fun, now walks are no fun and he knows it’s because of the collar... so he stops walking.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Put a Martingale collar on him, and stop waiting for the tool to do your job! If a dog/puppy is misbehaving let him know that in no uncertain terms. Show him what you want, and praise him for adhering to that.

This failure is on you and the harness. Ditch the prong and up your game! Just my humble opinion...


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Fodder said:


> what is gms?


Guessing that 
Gm= German
S= Shepherd


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

A harness is for pulling, so using that taught him to pull. I would buy a good flat buckle collar, get him used to that and then clip a leash to the flat collar. Don’t try to go anywhere until he is used to the leash. Take a few steps and guide him into a walking position. If he pulls, stop walking, then turn and go the other direction so he has to pay attention to stay up with you. Keep changing direction. Reward with praise or a treat each time he is close to you without pulling. If he lies down, stop, don’t drag him or pull. Be very patient. Don‘t expect to go anywhere until he knows what you expect and follows your direction. You can’t teach him to walk on a leash until he knows how to wear one and that he can’t pull. If you use a prong now he will not learn to walk calmly on a leash. You should have done this when he was young but it’s not too late.

Edited to add the video I posted be says just the opposite. Watch it. He is better at it than I am.


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## ins0ma (Feb 17, 2020)

Intro to prong collars

Prong collar heeling

I’m sure there are many, many vids out there which could help, but these helped me think about how to use the collar differently. The key is that you never yank or jerk the collar, it’s smaller wrist-flick kind of motions.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

This video gives different information than I posted. Watch it. He explains why dogs pull on the leash and what makes them walk nicely on the leash. It’s only 15 minutes.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Heeling. It’s 6 years old and his training has changed but it’s still useful


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## 2020palm (May 30, 2020)

Jovanelpelirojo said:


> Hey everyone, I’ve got gms puppy before quarantine started and training is a bit rough. He is super sweet, and likes to bite at times, but mainly he is really loyal and will do what i say sometimes when he feels like it. Basically on walks he constantly tugs, zig zags, goes to other dogs and it’s pretty annoying. He has never had a collar on but instead we’ve used a harness for walks instead. Recently i looked into prong collars and how amazing the results come so i purchased the Herm Sprenger 2.25, surprisingly it was small so i had to order like 3 extra links. Well when i trained walking him and training him to get used to it, he constantly scratches and lays down. I can’t get him to stop this at all countless of times, any tips anybody? Id greatly appreciate it


In my experience GSD are very smart and mine have all been east german breeding which makes them VERY independent. I personally would NEVER use a harness on any dog. I use a choke chain only because if used correctly it is a very good tool and rarely need to be used except for a quick correction. I also train horses and I find the same things need to be addressed. If they don't respect you they will do whatever they want. Bad habits start early and you better get control right away or you'll have a big dog that you can't safely take out. This is my opinion and experience, but you have to establish dominance and respect with a GSD at a very young age. Otherwise they will assume the leadership role and will not listen to you. If he's scratching you might want to look into what you're feeding. We went with california natural salmon and sweet potato and all the scratching and ear problems stopped. Good luck and have fun!


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## coolgsd (May 1, 2010)

It sounds like you haven't trained a GSD before and if not a pronged collar is not the right choice for you. It is a tool that you need to learn how to use. Once you know how to used it, the pup/dog will shape up quickly. It may never "get used to it" but it will accept the terms of your authority in training.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

you have some great advice here but also keep in mind, why would your dog want to walk nicely next to you? What is in it for him? Imagine walking with a friend every morning and always going where your friend wants to go, talking about what your friend wants to talk about and walking at the pace your friend is comfortable with. Pretty soon you'd loose interest in walking with your friend. You and your pup are still learning and it will take consistent consequences, pleasant and unpleasant, to develop the habits of a nice walk. So find that balance between "because I said so" and "look at the cool thing you get to do when you walk nicely". A Because I Said So, is perhaps stopping and waiting before you cross the street, or not stopping to visit another dog. A Cool Thing might be a fun run around a tree or a fun trick at the fire hydrant or jumping up and walking on a low wall, with treats.


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