January 29, 2025
My large dog has high prey drive and is selectively reactive to certain dogs and people. I have been using purely positive training with him. He pulled me down and dragged me going after a dog, is the prong collar appropriate for this dog.
Full Question:
I have a 4-year-old male large 80-pound dog that I tried to use Pure positive (I know better now) trainers and behavior vet. He has a very high Prey drive and is selectively reactive to certain dogs and people. He was pushed by a intact Samoyed at age 1 yr (he was intact at the time) dog got into his space he attempted to warn the dog to back off and a fight ensued. He has since been highly reactive with select Dogs and some people. He also has an insane high prey drive and has taken both myself 113 lb and 165 lb partner down. He was neutered at 2 I have worked with Markers (yes) and used distance to work on desensitization but he will only take the treat and fixate then lunge. We have worked on self-control We have tried harness and martingale but I fell and he dragged me 30 ft over asphalt going after my neighbor's dog. This has forced me to rethink my choice of tools and training and I have engaged a trainer who has recommended a prong collar. Is this an appropriate tool for this dog?
Cindy's Answer:
Many dogs do much better with a prong collar, but some become overly stimulated by the prong collar and react more intensely. Not all dogs, and it's impossible to know which dogs will do great and which will have a negative reaction. I use a slip collar for dogs that react negatively to the prong. Our dominant dog collar is my favorite because you can size it snugly enough that it doesn't slip down the dog's neck.
The key to making sure your dog is conditioned to the prong before you ever use it out in an environment that may trigger a reactivity episode is to do a lot of prep and training at home with it first so the dog understands leash pressure and the sensation on his neck.
We have a course on reactivity that you may want to consider, I've linked it below.
The key to making sure your dog is conditioned to the prong before you ever use it out in an environment that may trigger a reactivity episode is to do a lot of prep and training at home with it first so the dog understands leash pressure and the sensation on his neck.
We have a course on reactivity that you may want to consider, I've linked it below.
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