# choke collar



## supaflyz (Jul 28, 2006)

What kind of choke collar would you guys recommend for my dog? She's about a year and a half old. I don't really like the idea of prong collars. I mostly just walk my dog at the park or around my neighborhood.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

I think prong collars are safer and more useful than a choke collar.

What is the collar going to be used for? Leash pulling?
If so I would try the sensations harness


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Prong collars are actually less dangerous than a choke chain. just an FYI. and the prong is a training/control tool. If fitted properly the prong collars can keep the dog from lunging. Choke chains have been known to damage the windpipe because MANY people misuse them. Damaged windpipes can kill. I would speak with an experienced trainer.


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## supaflyz (Jul 28, 2006)

Oh I didn't know about that guys. I thought prong were more dangerous by the looks of it. I just read on here a brand called HS. Thats the way to go huh.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

you will definitely want to make sure the prong collar is fitted properly which means you would want a trainer to help you fit it. they arent meant to be loose.


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## supaflyz (Jul 28, 2006)

Is this one good guys? Coastal Pet Products C Herm Sprenger Pinch Collar With Snap Large


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Check out one of the front clip harnesses like the Sense-ation harness or the Easy Walk harness. I've found them much more effective to help with pulling and no chance of making my dog yelp.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

Here are 2 threads you may want to check out 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...6989-what-your-reason-using-prong-collar.html

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...-what-do-you-use-other-than-prong-collar.html

If leash pulling is the only problem I would try the sense-ation (thanks for spelling it for me Ruth  ) harness

If you decide to use the prong and do not have a trainer to help you. Leerburg.com has videos on proper fitting. Herm Springer has a good quality reputation.

Prongs can still do damage if used incorrectly. I would not use one without the aid of a trainer if you have no experience.


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## StellaSquash (Apr 22, 2010)

don't think a prong is more confusing then it is... I didn't have 'official training' on using a prong with Riley. I didn't have to. I put her prong on (herm sprenger) and she self corrects. all I do is hold the leash. When she pulls, the collar tightens and she immediately stops pulling. I do not jerk or tighten the collar in any way. 

now if you're wanting one for correction other than leash walking, then I would recommend investigating the proper use. learning how to properly correct using a prong is a very good idea. 

for leash walking, I tried the head/halter style (two different styles I believe) and none worked as fast or as effortlessly as the prong.


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## ZebsMommy (Dec 4, 2010)

I had good luck with the Easy Walk harness and the Sense-ation harness. Gentle leaders tend to just distract them more than halp with pulling (my experience anyway) Stay away from choke chains - unless trained in them properly they end up causing more damage than harm since they can continue to tighten and tighten. A prong will at least only go to a certain point. I would try the top two I meantioned first though. Good luck!


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## Denali Girl (Nov 20, 2010)

How to fit a Prong Collar Here you go, this is the proper way to fit a prong collar. There is many articles on how dangerous choke chains are, broken discs in the neck, crushed wind pipes, etc, these will not happen if a prong is on the right way.


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## crisp (Jun 23, 2010)

I agree. I think a prong collar is the way to go. I don't like the collars with the snap(in your link), I usually put them on by undoing one of the prongs. Denali Girl put a good link up above. Just a plain old Prong collar is best IMO.


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## supaflyz (Jul 28, 2006)

So the fit in one is better than than snapping one. I will go to my local Petsmart to look for one.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

supaflyz said:


> So the fit in one is better than than snapping one. I will go to my local Petsmart to look for one.


The ones with the quick release can come undone when you need the collar the most. A PetSmart employee will discourage you from buying the prong and will not know how to help you fit it properly. Also, the collars sold at PetSmart can be cheap, make sure the edges of the prong are rounded.

I hope if you are set on the prong collar that you read the "how to fit a prong" article posted above.

I agree with others that if your only problem is pulling, a no pull harness and some training are the better way to go.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

my dog started on a flat collar untill he was 4 maybe 6 months old.
by then he wasn't pulling. i've never used a prong on any of my dogs.
i taught my dogs to heel on either side with or without a leash.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

teach your dog to heel on either side with
or without a collar. i've never used a prong.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> I didn't have 'official training' on using a prong with Riley. I didn't have to. I put her prong on (herm sprenger) and she self corrects. all I do is hold the leash. When she pulls, the collar tightens and she immediately stops pulling. I do not jerk or tighten the collar in any way.


The problem with this method, and the reason why people usually will tell you not to let your dog self-correct on a prong collar, is that you are not actually teaching your dog that you want her to walk nicely on a leash. You've only taught her that she can't pull as long as she has a prong collar on. 

So if you put her on a regular flat collar, she is probably going to pull you down the road just like she did before you introduced the prong collar. The better way to use the prong would be to introduce it as a training device with the goal of going to a flat collar once she has learned to walk nicely. That requires you to actively teach her HOW to walk nicely - by praising and rewarding her for doing it and correcting her for not doing it - and eventually transition to a regular collar.


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## rvadog (Dec 9, 2010)

Why?

Why not use the prong for every walk for the rest of the dog's life? It's not like its cruel or painful if used correctly.


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## StellaSquash (Apr 22, 2010)

AbbyK9 said:


> The problem with this method, and the reason why people usually will tell you not to let your dog self-correct on a prong collar, is that you are not actually teaching your dog that you want her to walk nicely on a leash. You've only taught her that she can't pull as long as she has a prong collar on.
> 
> So if you put her on a regular flat collar, she is probably going to pull you down the road just like she did before you introduced the prong collar. The better way to use the prong would be to introduce it as a training device with the goal of going to a flat collar once she has learned to walk nicely. That requires you to actively teach her HOW to walk nicely - by praising and rewarding her for doing it and correcting her for not doing it - and eventually transition to a regular collar.


well.. it works for us.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Why not use the prong for every walk for the rest of the dog's life?


Because the prong collar, just like a head halter, front-clip harness, e-collar, clicker, etc. is a TRAINING device. It's a tool to use to attain your goal (a dog that heels nicely on a regular flat collar), not a permanent solution. It's like keeping training wheels on your bicycle for the rest of your life because "they work".


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I also use a prong collar. I had mine fitted by a trainer and he showed me how to use it properly. Besides all the links already posted, you can go to Leerburg's Dog Training DVDs and Free Dog Training ebooks and there's some information there, plus you can buy one from them.


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## Denali Girl (Nov 20, 2010)

supaflyz said:


> So the fit in one is better than than snapping one. I will go to my local Petsmart to look for one.


 
I wouldn't go to petsmart I would get one online, the brand I think you should get is Herm Sprenger and if you just google the name you can find the best price.


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## Denali Girl (Nov 20, 2010)

AbbyK9 said:


> Because the prong collar, just like a head halter, front-clip harness, e-collar, clicker, etc. is a TRAINING device. It's a tool to use to attain your goal (a dog that heels nicely on a regular flat collar), not a permanent solution. It's like keeping training wheels on your bicycle for the rest of your life because "they work".


 
This statement isn't accurate, if you do Schutzhund, do you remove all TRAINING gear once the dog knows what he or she is doing? No. Any collar that you put on a dog (even a flat collar) is a training device so when you do go into a store or for a walk are just walking with no collar on at all?


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

I've never seen it cheaper than here: PetEdge: Herm Sprenger German Steel Prong Dog Collars

I recommend one of the two smallest link sizes. I use the 2.25mm on Raven but her fur isn't very thick in the neck area. Many people use the 3.0mm. In the case of the prong, bigger is not better.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Any collar that you put on a dog (even a flat collar) is a training device so when you do go into a store or for a walk are just walking with no collar on at all?


I guess it depends on what your training goals are.

IMHO the goal of obedience training should be to have a dog that will walk nicely next to you without any sort of device, whether that's a flat collar, or a prong, or anything else. I walk my dog without anything at all all the time - but I live on 74 acres, too. I can heel her down to the mail box, have her sit, and then call her to me and walk back, too. Without a collar and leash.

Isn't that the whole point of training, to have a dog that will do something for you because you ASK him/her to, not because you have some device on them with which you can control them?

IMHO there's a big difference between using a regular flat collar and leash because you are required to have them (due to the law, for example) and using a prong collar as a permanent solution because it's an easier fix than actually training your dog to listen and walk nicely.

In Schutzhund, too, there's a lot of off-leash obedience - nice heeling, calling a dog off from a bite and back to you using your VOICE, not tools.

I also have to say that it drives me NUTS when I see police have to choke their dogs off the bite all the time because they have NOT trained a reliable out (or are not keeping up on the training) and are dependent on physical equipment, such as a choke or other collar, to remove the dog from the bite. K-9 Cop magazine had a nice article on that (and why it's an obedience failure) a while back.

Don't get me wrong, I like prong collars. I think they're an excellent training tool and I definitely prefer them over using a choke - although a night Fursaver makes a good, strong "flat" collar when it's not used as a choke - but I think they're just that, a tool to use for specific things, such as training a dog to heel nicely or a tool to ramp a dog up when you do bite work. 

I just don't like them used as a permanent solution to nice walking, because there is no actual training taking place and the dog never learns what you want them to do, nor do they ever get rewarded for walking nicely - only corrected if they don't.


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## Denali Girl (Nov 20, 2010)

I guess your right by the way you put it in that thread. I have had trained dogs in the past that were realy great but I always put a prong on in public just in case. You put a lot of trust in your dogs and that's a great thing.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

Don't get me wrong, if I don't feel I can trust a dog - of if I feel that I am not strong enough to hold a particular dog without a prong collar - I don't have any problem using one. But my goal with training has always been not to need one. To me, that's the point of training - getting to know your dog, being able to trust your dog.

I've used a prong collar on Abby for some time but always worked with her to try and get her off the prong. (And even when she was walking nicely with me off the prong, I would let my hubby use the prong on her because he didn't have the same control as I.)

I've never used a prong with Ronja because ... well, for one, she's only 55lbs and I can easily hold her on a flat collar even if she's lunging or really overexcited and ready to go-go-go.  And she's also very easy to re-focus on me by just saying her name.


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