I took my dog to a professional for training. The professional hung the dog with a second helper. Now my dog shakes whenever I take the training collar out. Ideas?

Dear Mr. Frawley,

Recently, I decided that I wanted to learn competition obedience, and had a Schutzhund instructor recommended to me. I took two 4-year-old males that I had taken through several obedience classes. One male is extremely pain sensitive, and I have always been very careful since he would yelp with a light pressure pop on his choke leash.

My previous instructor had never taught me to teach my dogs to focus, and I wanted to teach my dogs this skill when heeling. I had suggested that I use a different word for focusing to my instructor since both dogs had been told for four years that they were good dogs for heeling without focusing. The instructor disagreed and said I should continue to use heel for this new skill. At about the third lesson the instructor took my tougher dog, and in the dog's confusion he refused to do what she wanted him to do, and challenged her. The instructor with a helper hung him a couple of times. This dog now will often shake when I tell him to sit and occasionally shakes at other times. (He never shook before this happened) My sensitive dog was yanked very severely with a prong collar (first experience with a prong collar for both dogs), but since he did not challenge her he was not hung. When I work with this dog, he now cowards when I gently correct him. Most often when these dogs see the prong collar they will try to hide or walk up to me shaking. My dogs are about 30 pounds, and they are of an old breed that were originally used for ratters, stable protection, and all around farm dogs with a terrier type temperament. Should the instructor have used a different word for teaching a new skill? The instructor says that my sensitive dog is a bag of nerves? Could the harsh treatment cause the shaking, and will they get over it? (My dogs had never been hit or mistreated, and I now have nightmares seeing my dog hung.) Thank you for your basic Obedience video and Tom Rose' Heeling tape. I wish I had known about the tapes before meeting this instructor. I look forward to you answer.

Barbara