# Bye Prong collar...Hello Martingale



## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

This weekend marked our use of the prong collar. I bought her a new Martingale and plan on starting to use that instead of the prong. 

Any tips? 

I did use it on our walk Saturday night and she did _okay_. She walked ahead a little, but did not pull. I would like her to heel as well (or better) than she did with a prong collar. I plan on spending about 1.5 hours a day this week doing nothing but walking around with the martingale collar to get her used to how it feels. She has a buckle collar that we use as a tag holder and when we are at the dog park or out where she would need a collar on if the prong happened to undo, so she is used to wearing a collar much of the time.


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## weber1b (Nov 30, 2008)

I don't think you need anything special. The walking behavior should not change, or at least your expectations shouldn't. Personnally I love the martingales. My wife still uses the Gentle Leader easy walk harnesses, but I like the martingale collars better and they are easier to deal with getting on/off etc.. We have a new foster and he showed up with a martingale on that I like even better than the ones we bought for our two so I'm on the prowl to find the same collar for them.


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## KohleePiper (Jun 13, 2007)

I use the personalized martingale collars for my crew...then i don't need chokers, noisy ID tags, and can keep them <ahem DIESEL> in check if a correction is needed. 

http://www.pikodapets.com/collars/martingale.html


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## lukes (Aug 7, 2009)

** removed by Admin**


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## Ucdcrush (Mar 22, 2004)

One thing I've found that helps with forging ahead is walking into them when they do it-- i.e. if they are on your left, step with your left leg out in front of their front legs then take a step or 2 in that direction. It's basically cutting the dog off using your body. Based on my experience, they interpret it as abrupt/annoying and tend to stay back rather than get cut off every 2 steps.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

If you used the prong correctly, it's basically the same. You'll give a quick little pop and provided that you bought a good quality Martingale, it will release quickly, and Mandalay won't feel the chain around her neck as long as she isn't pulling. 

The key with a Martingale, (like a prong) is that you can't let her pull at all because once she gets used to pulling on it, then the collar is basically no good for training. It's just another collar your dog pulls on. I assume you've taken classes and know all about turning into and away from your dog, shuffling into her, etc, to manage her with your body (as opposed to with the leash) when she's really starting to pull (usually when there are distractions around)? 

UCDCrush gives an example of a way to manage the dog with your body.









Do that. 

If you don't know how to or it's been a while, a private lesson with a GOOD positive trainer will be useful.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I taught Halo left turns by doing pretty much what Ucdcrush describes. It's easiest to do before they get too far ahead of you - slightly past heel position vs half their body out in front so you're bumping into their rib cage. 

I'd say "turn" and then step in front of her. (I use a different command for right turns). By doing this often, she will now stop and immediately turn to the left as soon as I say the word rather than wait for me to cut her off by stepping in front of her.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Bodyblocks rock! Great technique for teaching a dog to not forge ahead on lead!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

A martingale is not a correction collar and I would not dog leash pops with it. If a dog pulls, I either stop or I switch directions, if the dog's martingale gets tighter, oh well its the dog's fault. But I do not try to correct with the leash/martingale. The martingale is my tool of choice. But not for correcting, my voice and tone is what I use for corrections. If they start to forge, I say Back and maybe give a hand signal, as though I am going to make a left turn into the dog, and just do not do it, the moment she is back in place I praise. It works for me.


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