For users of prong collars, what for/why do you use the prong on your dog(s)?

How many people use it for corrections vs. stopping pulling? Or another reason?

Something I've seen Mike Schoonbrood write a few times is that instead of using prongs to stop dogs from pulling, people need to teach their dogs to heel or walking appropriately (apologies if I'm mis-paraphrasing).

I no longer use the prong with Luc (I did for a period, and to stop him from pulling, though I've moved away from that approach).

I used to always have a prong on Teagan, but Mike's comments inspired me to work with her harder (Teagan was also collar-wise and obedient on the prong, less so if not wearing the prong. She randomly went after a guy once when I tried her last winter on a flat collar - didn't get him, I don't know what set her off, since it was snowing and I didn't have my glasses on, so the guy looked like a giant blob to me. Anyways, after that, I went back to always using the prong with her.).

Lately, Teagan has been excellent outside/walking with me while wearing the prong. Perfect heel, nice control....but I started trying to work with her just using the martingale. I like having the martingale b/c she will not be able to ever slip it, though I've decided I should get another back-up collar in case it ever broke.

Anyways, it surprised me, but she stopped heeling as well when I moved away from the prong. We've been working on it, and she's almost back to her picture-perfect self.

One thing that the martingale doesn't match the prong on, is corrections. Teagan is dog-aggressive, and fairly hard - I don't think I ever caused her to balk on the prong but certainly I could get her attention. It's a lot harder to correct at that level on the martingale. B/c of her aggression, this has been some concern for me. She started to not mind me (and she'd been doing pretty good) without the prong when another dog was within view. We've worked on that, and have a ways to go, but I've worked really hard on how I carry myself, and I've found what seems to be a good solution.

Yesterday, for example, we saw 4 dogs in 5 minutes - first dog, large, she watched but was good. The next 3 dogs were all small. She was excited at the first, pulling at the second, and spazzed out at the third. Not our best moment. If she'd had the prong on, she would've stuck in a heel with me instead. What I did, and it worked, so I'm hoping to use this in the future, is that I am stronger than her, so I lifted her up but kept heeling/moving forward. She wasn't able to spaz out b/c I was controlling her body, and eventually she calmed down and we went back to regular walking/heeling.

Anyways, just curious why people are using prongs. I don't think I'll ever stop using it for Teagan, but I am trying to change how and why I use it.

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

Something I've seen Mike Schoonbrood write a few times is that instead of using prongs to stop dogs from pulling, people need to teach their dogs to heel or walking appropriately (apologies if I'm mis-paraphrasing).

I would agree with him. The prong is the tool used to get to the no-prong level. Some make it some don`t. It`s a training collar and not an all day everyday collar. My goal is train to the lowest level of correction necessary.

Teagan sounds similar to Shabbado. We use the prong not for pulling, but for control on walks when she reacts to dogs, or some of the strange things she reacts to, such as skateboards or the odd person, although I've been marking desired behaviours with some success. For the most part she stays right by my side unless I allow her to wander and sniff a little, and even at that she doesn't pull until we get close to home. When she flips out it's due to walking to close to a yard with a dog in it, and only if the other dog is flipping out too. With the prong she self corrects and recovers quickly once we are past the yard.

We have various collars, some on recommendations of trainers, gathering dust. A Halti, a Gentle Leader (useless things they are). We have a martingale collar as well. Nothing beats a properly fitted prong collar though. I envision that if we can get her reactiveness under control she might not need it, but until then she will always wear it on walks.

I use the prong because I'm 5'2" and my dog is 98 pounds . He's very good on leash for the most part, but has an intense prey drive, is still only two years old and nowhere near what I'd call 'finished'. I rarely need to use it for obedience corrections at this point, but he's still distractible under some circumstances. It wouldn't be safe for me to walk him without it because I lack the physical strength to hold him on a flat collar should it ever come to that.

Though I'm finding that I rely on it less and less, for safety's sake I would probably keep using it, especially now that I live in a fairly populated area.

Fair enough Kristel, I've got 6 inches on you, which I'm sure helps That and a smaller dog, Teagan being a smallish GSD.

Ron, Teagan also gets excited by fast or erratically moving things. She's a lot better on walks with her DA than in our yard, b/c it's not matter of another dog approaching our territory (or so it seems to me). Small dogs seem to cause her to react on a couple of levels, though Neb is 17lbs and she is fine with him, but she's always been like that - fine with the dogs of our pack, not so fine with other dogs. Working with her using obedience and positive expectations when she gets reactive or aggressive has been a lot slower than when I used to just correct her, but it's a lot more rewarding. Obviously though I have to take precautions for safety.

I tried a gentle leader on Luc, back when I first had him, didn't know much about dogs, and thought prongs were cruel. We'd already gone through a few other collars and 'no-pull' harnesses (heh), and even with the gentle leader basically completely undone, he'd pull so badly he'd clamp it tight and cut off his air. I couldn't stand it, it was awful. Never again will I use anything like the gentle leader. Eech.

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

For users of prong collars, what for/why do you use the prong on your dog(s)?

How many people use it for corrections vs. stopping pulling? Or another reason?

During training, I use one on my Malinois for tracking. It's useful in slowing her down in the track, in a similar manner as someone using it to stop pulling during walks.

I also used it in teaching her to hold the dumbell steadily for the retrieve.

As Roger said, I agree with as little correction as necessary.

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

We'd already gone through a few other collars and 'no-pull' harnesses (heh)

We've got one of those too! Forgot all about it! She used to go mental with it on. It was worse than nothing at all. No control whatsoever.

John, how did the prong help your girl learn to hold the dumbell steady? Just curious

Ron, Luc wears a tracking-type harness now for trail runs and hikes, and people are always asking what he's got on. Ummm....a harness? Apparently it's an odd piece of equipment, but I think people are used to those stupid little harnesses.

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

I think people are used to those stupid little harnesses.

I see then everywhere here. Especially on small dogs.

Lynch (new addition to the house) hasn't worn a prong. Yet. We'll see how he adapts to our household and the big crazy Shabbado though. The people we got him from use nothing but slip leads with their dogs.

I use the prong primarily to stop the pulling. Which doesn't happen much anymore. I haven't tried walking Hans on the flat collar yet.

I also use it to correct when he is dog aggressive. If I catch him in time, before he goes into drive, a leash pop with the prong works. Or a light stim with the e-collar. If I don't catch him in time the prong is ineffective and I have to crank up the stim on the e-collar.