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How to Fit a Prong Collar
How to Fit a Prong Collar
How to Fit a Prong Collar
by Ed Frawley
I train dogs with prong collars. There are very few dogs that I would not train with a prong collar. I recommend them to new dog owners, new trainers and people who own dogs with behavioral problems. While some think a prong looks nasty the fact is they are far more humane than a normal choke collar.
The biggest problem with prong collars is that new dog owners don't know how to put them on, how to size them or how to have their dog wear them. This article will address these issues.
Normal choke collars need to be ordered by length (i.e. 22 inches long etc.) Prong collars are ordered by size (small, medium, large or extra large). They all come in a standard length which is adjusted to fit the neck of the dog by removing or adding links to the collar.
Prong collars are meant to be put on and taken off before and after daily training sessions. Unlike a choke collar that is often left on the dog all the time (in some cases this can be a dangerous practice).
A common problem new trainers have is they don't remove enough links to get the correct snug fit. When that happens the collar hangs down on the dogs neck which results in the collar not working the way that it was designed. A prong collar should fit the way you see it in the photo below.
A Properly Fit Prong Collar on a Doberman
The correct position for a prong collar is to sit right behind the ears and up under the jaw line like you see in the photo above. The photo below shows how many people mistakenly let a dog wear a prong.
This photo above demonstrates a prong collar that was not properly sized
for the dog. The collar is too loose and riding too far down on the dog's neck.
It should be up where I have drawn the yellow line.
This collar is correctly sized and fits properly. The
rings on the leash are attached to the right place on
the side of the neck.
Sizing the Prong
Adding and Removing Links
Some people mistakenly try and put a prong collar on their dog by slipping it over the dogs head and then moving it down on the neck. That's wrong. Prong collars are designed to be put on and taken off by unhooking links and actually unsnapping the collar from around the neck.
The right way to unhook a collar is to pinch one of the links and pull it apart. Taking the collar off is always easier than putting it back on.
This photo shows how to pinch a link and take the collar
off the dog's neck.
This photo shows how to start reconnecting a link to put the collar back on the
dog's neck. Put one side of the prong of a link in one side of the connecting link.
Then squeeze the link with the thumb until the other side drops in place.
When both prongs are lined up (by using thumb pressure
on the link) the collar will go back together.
Problems develop if new trainers try to fit both sides of the link
together without using thumb pressure to squeeze the link together.
Unless the prong is pinched together it will never reconnect.
Proper Placement Once the Collar is on the Dog
Most of the time when a collar is put on a dog the handler connects the collar with the links behind the dog's ears - this is the easiest place to access the links (by the red arrow in the photo above). Once the collar is on the neck the rings to connect the leash to are under the dog's chin - which is the wrong place for them to be. You will have to rotate the collar so the rings are in the proper spot on the dog's neck. This is usually on the right side of the neck like you see in the photo below.
This photo shows a proper fitting prong collar - it is
sized properly, it is sitting in the correct spot on the
dogs neck and the rings are located in the correct spot
for the leash to be attached (right side of the neck).
Dead Ring vs. Live Ring
There are two ways to attach a leash to the prong collar. It can either be connected to the live-ring or the dead-ring. Which one you choose will depend on the dog and what you are trying to do.
Leash that is attached to the live-ring on the prong collar.
When the snap is on the live-ring the correction is amplified because more slack is taken out of the collar when the correction is given and the leash is popped. The live-ring is used if a dog does not respond well to the snap being placed on the dead-ring.
This photo shows how to attach a snap to the dead-rings
on the prong collar. Hook your leash to both sets of rings.
The first time a prong is used on a dog the snap should be on the dead-ring. When a correction is applied and the leash is attached to the dead-ring the correction will not take as much slack out of the collar as when it is attached to the live-ring.
A Leerburg-Recommended Safety System
for ALL Prong Collars
A perfect safety procedure is to use along with
a prong is a Dominant
Dog Collar™ I offer this advice to ALL those trainers who use prong
collars.
It is not unheard of (see the email below) for a mistake
to happen and a prong
collar comes apart when you need it the most. By having a dominant
dog collar on the dog at the same time as the prong this will never be
a problem. Simply attach the clip on the leash to both the prong and
the ring on the dominant dog collar.
The clip on the leash is attached to the prong collar and the Dominant Dog Collar™!
The Pull Tab is attached to the Prong AND the Dominant Dog Collar™!
Leerburg's New
Patented Prong Collar Leash™
In this video, I will explain how I came to design what I think is the most functional dog training leash anyone has come up with in the last 50 years, which is about how long I have been training dogs.
I have been told that all I do is live, breath and think dog training and in a way I guess that’s true. A few months ago I woke up in the middle of the night and when I couldn’t sleep, I started to think about a better way to design a leash to work with a
prong collar and a
backup collar.
The result was
Leerburg’s patented Prong Collar Leash™.
September 15, 2003
Dear Mr Frawley,
I know you've heard it all before, but here's yet another thrilled dog owner who just found out - thanks to your site - just wonder fantastic this prong collar actually is!
You know, before finding your site I always thought that the prong collar was some sort of torture instrument for dog owners in countries like Turkey (I am reminded of their prisons)...
But it's just not so!! Today, after spending the last month or so reading and re-reading your entire site, I went out and purchased a prong collar. I was all sweaty and nervous as I handed over the money (thinking "what will the neighbors think?!")
Well, I got home and the first thing I did was to fit the collar onto my dog exactly as you instructed. Then I went out for a walk. I braced myself. But nothing came, no pulls, NOTHING!!! All I had was this well behaved "imposter." She pulled slightly ONCE, felt the tightening and decided there and then that it wasn't worth it. And I had it on the "dead ring!" For the very first time Baby walked beside me. Normally she'll pull so much that her eyes turn red and bulgy!
For me, you are the final word when it comes to dogs and dog training. I've had so many people give me advice on what to do. Nothing worked and I was getting frustrated.
Now, my dog is only 5 months old, but she is exceedingly strong; her father is an Am. bulldog and her mother is an Am. Staffordshire/Eng. bull terrier. Now, from what I've read on your site my puppy has a high prey drive, extremely mouthy and loves to run after toys and shake the life out of them. She's extremely friendly with everyone but will chase joggers and bicycles, anything that moves fast, really. She seems to possess nerves of steel - simply fears nothing! She's a wonderful cuddley, sweetly of a dog and I don't want to make mistakes in training her. I've been concerned about the chasing but she doesn't react with the choker at all. I am attempting to order your video on basic dog training (hope I can get it here to Denmark).
Anyway, I know I'm rattling on, but I just want to take my hat off to you and your site.
Charlene
Denmark
Question
Ed
I have a 110-lb Rottie/Siberian mix. WONDERFUL dog, definite alpha male. Has done extremely well with obedience training. No longer makes obvious efforts to challenge me as pack leader... except for walking nicely on a leash. Have tried EVERYTHING. Have used a Gentle Leader collar... pulls so hard on it that (even though properly fitted) nose loop tightens and cuts mouth/jowls,a nd STILL he continues to pull. Choke/slip collars.....has broken two of those..and today, he snapped his first prong collar. I know his ability... and need...to pull has a lot to do with his breed types, but this is unreal. I grew up with large dogs as my father trained them for the K-9 unit and personal protection and I have NEVER seen a dog that absolutely would not or could not learn to walk properly on a leash. I'm sure Jesse could learn to do this, IF I just knew proper steps to help him. I've tried everything I know and have consulted other trainers who have simply referred me back to the Gentle Leader head collar(they say prong and choke collars are barbaric and inhumane... although the Gentle Leader is actually cutting through his lip?), which is completely useless on this dog. Jesse has to master this skill, not only for my sake, but so he can get his CGC and join therapy dog program in our area. He's already working in an "unofficial capacity" and is wonderful with the groups he visits, but walking him to their location is another story.
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!
Shannon
Answer
I do have to smile at these instructors that recommend “gentle Leaders” – they are clueless. You and your dog are the PERFECT EXAMPLE. These people do not understand pack structure.
Your dog may love you but he certainly does not respect you. You ARE NOT HIS PACK LEADER.
If your prong collar popped off you were using the wrong prong collar. It should have been the extra heavy prong and it should have been put on correctly. I have an article on my web site )that explains how to size these – when they pop off they are almost always too loose. Fact is I recommend people back up the prong by having the dog also wear a dominant dog collar along with the prong and have the leash clipped to both the prong collar and dom dog collar at the same time.
Fact is if this were my dog it would be trained with a remote collar.
Last year I produced a training DVD titled Electric Collar Training for the Pet Owner. This DVD will teach you how to train with low level stimulation – I demonstrate how to deal with dogs that try and pull people down the street and how to deal with dogs that are aggressive to other dogs.
Regards,
Ed
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