OK I am really confused about this one.

I walk my 2.5 year old, 65 lb male Catahoula with a prong collar using a dominant dog collar as a backup collar. He is very strong and without the prong collar he easily can (and has) pull me off my feet. He still pulls with the prong collar but I can control him and he doesn't jerk the leash out of my hands.

But, he is very reactive to it. What I mean by this is let's say he sees another dog and decides to get feisty. If I correct with the prong collar he will turn and bark at me - I call it swearing heh (he has never threatened to bite me, but the prong definitely amps him up). He does not like being popped.

Ed is VERY straightforward about using the prong on an aggressive dog for this exact reason. He says a dominant dog collar should be used instead. (My dog isn't truly aggressive - he's not dominant with people and he's never bitten or attacked another dog. He just gets "amped up" - makes a lot of noise and gets his hair up).

I have the Dominant DVD and it shows the dog using either/or.

I can't walk this dog with only a DD collar on. He needs his prong collar too.

So.. how should I be doing this? two leashes? Or is there a way to control him on walks with the DD collar that I am not aware of. What do you guys do?

Thanks.

Edited by Angela Burrell (04/04/2008 04:03 PM)
Edit reason: clarify

Angella, I went to using an e-collar with the prong. That helps me control him when he sees another dog better than the prong alone.

But that's just me. Look to others with more experience

I had a similar situation with a foster dog. A second leash on a DD collar worked well - as long as he wasn't being stupid I kept this second leash slack in my hand and we just walked along using the leash on the prong collar. Calmly lifting his front feet off the ground using the second leash and DD collar worked well when he reacted inappropriately to another dog. I only had to do this a few times before he figured it out.

One small problem was figuring out where to position each collar on the dog's neck - I ended up fitting the DD collar highest, just behind the jaw and ears, and the prong collar a bit lower than where it would usually go. I'd be wary of using an e-collar for something like this unless my timing was really good and I was sure the dog wouldn't get more revved up in response to the stim, but that's just me.

Thanks for the replies.

I should have specified, sorry. This dog is a foster and the rescue has a strict policy against electric collars of any kind. So e-collar is out. Not to mention I'd probably use it wrong.

So.. two leashes? anyone else?

Also, How do you lift the dog's feet UP when he is pulling FORWARD? Or is it easier than I think it is? I just want to make sure I have it right so I can be prepared.

Two leashes sounds like a good idea, as long as you can keep the leashes from wrapping around each other.

 Quote: Angela Burrell

How do you lift the dog's feet UP when he is pulling FORWARD? Or is it easier than I think it is? I just want to make sure I have it right so I can be prepared.

Pull him up, back and toward your body at the same time, pulling him real close in to you, into a sitting position, keeping the leash tight enough to calm him down. It may not be necessary to pull his front feet off the ground at all. You'll know if it is if just pulling his head up isn't enough.

 Quote:

pulling him real close in to you

What??

While that will probably work with this dog by the sound of the above posts, this is not the correct way to do it with a more serious dog, unless you don't mind getting bitten in the hip. A tough dog won't just be hanging around going "lalala I'm being choked, this is fun!"

For the benefit of anyone reading this intending to use it on a more elevated dog, the goal is to keep your hands, arms and hip away from the dogs teeth at all times.

I defer and stand corrected. What I wrote is what my dog's first trainer told me to do and it worked with my dog. Of course he was younger at that time and I've not had to do this in quite a while. I defer because (besides you being right) if I had to do this now, I hadn't thought about it at his current age but I would hold him away from me.

Thanks for the correction, Mike.

I've been pronged

DD collar, when used properly requires physical strength (IME),holding the dog out and away. And like Mike said, of course the physical demands of the human vary depending on the dog.

I've been told too much hanging can stress a dog. Did not think to inquire at the time, and conversation was in pm's, what is "too much hanging" exactly?