I've been watching videos and reading a lot these days. My understanding right now is that most dogs will not need the dominant dog collar). (Oops, I've ordered one for each of my dogs!) Most dogs need to be trained with prong collars. I think the most dominant dog we have is a little 8 pound mix who had been allowed to do whatever he wanted to do. Do I used a prong collar on all the dogs AND a dominant dog collar?

Can anyone help clarify what is needed for "normal" training?

Thanks!

George, it's very dependant on the dog. Many dogs will need only a well-placed flat collar to give an effective correction.

If you are going to be training with a prong collar, you will use the dominant dog collar as a back-up collar in case the prong comes apart. (not likely, but possible) You won't actually be giving a correction with the dominant dog collar.

Are you marker training your dogs?

Lynne...thanks for your reply. For some reason, I didn't get a notice that anyone replied to my post.

According to Ed's video on basic obedience, most dogs should be trained using a prong collar. Originally, I thought that a dominant dog collar was the way - so, I bought them for all dogs. But, now I know that not all of them need that one.

For the dog that continues to pull on the leash during walks I should use the prong collar? I have one little one who just gets belligerent when he sees another dog. I think the dominant dog collar is for him?

Marker training...I'm new at this but am using marker training now. I've ordered the marker training dvd

Edited by George Tate (10/17/2010 12:08 PM)
Edit reason: check spelling

George, even your little one probably doesn't need the dominant dog collar, other than as a backup to a prong.

Once you are comfortable with using marker training, and have taught your dogs the basics (loading the marker, so that the dog understands that whatever word you are using as the marker means that a treat is coming), you can use marker training to desensitize your little guy around dogs.

To do this, you need to be far enough away from another dog that he is not going ballistic. Once you have discovered where his comfort zone is, you can work on basic obedience using marker training. Over time, you will move closer to the other dog(s), as your dog learns to ignore the dogs and pay attention to you.

A good one to teach is 'watch me!'. I use this quite a bit with my dog-reactive dog and it works fairly well to keep her attention on me. It's a command that you can give while in motion, too, which helps to get you past the distraction.

Thanks, Lynne...I've ordered prong collars for all of my dogs. The collars should be here this week.

How do you know for sure that the marker word is actually working? You say the word and they look at you expecting a treat?

 Quote: George Tate

How do you know for sure that the marker word is actually working? You say the word and they look at you expecting a treat?

Yes, that is exactly right. When you are loading the marker, you aren't asking the dog for any behavior, you are just saying the word then giving him the treat so that he develops the association between the word and the reward.

I finally got the prong collars. I took each dog out for just a few minutes yesterday and that's all so far. Now the questions!

Should I use the prong when they go out the first thing in the morning to potty? when I watched the DVD on Establishing Pack Structure, it looks as though the dog just runs around on a long line. I got the impression that since it's potty time, it's "do what you want" time. On reflection, I'm sure that this observation is not true. At any rate, I need to cross a street and I don't need any of them running around being crazy on their way to pee.

Should I use the prong collars on all three when we walk? Or, do I need take each dog out separately while on the prong? Or, can I put a prong on one while the others wear their regular collars?

All three want to chase squirrels or other small animals such as cats. The other night I was changing hands with a leash and I, of course, dropped one of them at the same time the dog saw a cat. BOOM....the chase was on! The cat got up the tree but I had one dog running around chasing and two others really wanting to chase. We have some OB to do! But, on the walk is when I need the most help. It's also impossible to keep from running into cats, dogs, or squirrels in my neighborhood no matter which direction I go. Lots of people around here just let their dogs out. One Shih Tzu ran up and attacked us the other evening - she kept coming even though I got in front of my dogs, stomped my feet and yelled at the offending dog. What would I do if I had mine on prong collars and this happened? With regular collars/harnesses I had could just hold them back a bit without any harm. With prong collars it might have been different.

Thanks

The prong collar isn't going to hurt them, so no need to worry about that. In my opinion, you and the dogs are safer with them than without them--because you will have more control with all these distractions.

How about walking them (with prongs, walking nicely) to the field across the road, and then attach the long line so they can run around and pee?

As far as who wears a prong--you know better than we do who benefits from wearing it. If you have one dog that you can control and who walks nicely without it, don't use it. They don't have to be a matched set. If you find that all of them behave better with the prong, then prongs for everyone. It's just a tool in the dog-training arsenal like any other. It's not a torture device.

All four of the dogs in my signature picture are walking with prong collars. It's the only collar they wear. (Obviously, they only wear them when walking, not in the house.) BUT---each dog was trained separately, one at a time, HOW to walk nicely before I could possibly expect all four to walk together.

If you've got three that need remediation, I'd go back to walking one at a time for training before you expect them to walk nicely as a pack. If you just need to get them across the road to pee, then whatever it takes. Not every walk has to be a training session. They know the difference.

Good luck with your new prong collars. They really are a great tool.

Thanks, Tracy - I'll do some more one-on-one first.

"How about walking them (with prongs, walking nicely) to the field across the road, and then attach the long line so they can run around and pee?"

I didn't mean to leave out the fact that I was using the long line + prong when we go out to pee.

Thanks for the reassurance . . . I was just thinking that, according the video, prong collars tend to increase the drive. Or, was that referring to dominant dogs?

Well, I'll bite, and try to answer this to be best of my knowledge since no one else has yet.

In my understanding, when some (usually dominant?) dogs are in drive that a prong collar correction can be 'too much' stimulation, and amp up the drive- so a flat collar is used.

A well timed, fair, correction on a prong collar will be able to help you in re-training your pups NOT to chase small fuzzy things. You want to make sure you'll be able to give a correction, and stop the behavior before your dog would have the time to hit to the end of a 30' long line though! (that would hardly be fair, right?)