Cathy, meant to add before that if i don't get the desired effect from the triple crown then i will purchase the prong collars and take my chances with the do-gooders and thankyou for your opinion on them. Finally, I know you're not me but if i was in your position I'd walk them out on a flat collar, turn the corner and then put a prong on-if you really like them <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Lisa,
I'm in the UK as well, I use prongs (with great effect) on My 2 GSD's. Even with their short coats the collars go unnoticied. I've converted several people at my local obedience class. Personally I would order the prongs.

All the Best

John

Good to see someone else from the U.K. and using corrective stage of training- couldn't get away with it on my Dane, you'd see a piece of cotton on him <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I just went to the 1st obedience class with my pup last night(well 2nd, 1st was just registering and stuff). I had him on a prong, and a couple other people had prongs, everyone else was on choke chains. Unbelievable difference between the behaviors of dogs on prong compared to on choke. I sure am glad my pup knew the commands before going. I was there to start proofing. Last week she said there were two ways to train, with treats or "popping your dog", well it was all "popping your dog". Most those people there didn't have a clue, but that's why they were there. She crammed sit, stay, heel, and watch into one class, more like the first 15 min. of class. Then tried at the end to get everyone all squished up to get the dogs close to each other, I stayed back of the circle, not for fear of my dog, but the others. I didn't need any setbacks with having him getting pounced on. One gal had a young black lab, under a year,on a choke chain, that dragged her the whole class. It constantly lunged, in play, at all the other dogs and people, barked the whole time while she constantly tried to pop him. She was embarrassed and miserable the whole time. Several other retrievers were similar, just not quite as extreme. I told the gal with the black lab that was why she was here to learn(by the end of class I realized a person wasn't learning much) and I told her to buy a prong collar you don't have to work that hard, and if you don't want to buy one I have an extra at home you can borrow. I wanted to talk to her after class, but she left too quick. Wasn't anything like the last OB class I was at 10 years ago. Everything was happy, positive, motivational, with "popping" coming later. I was pretty disappointed for the newbies. Too bad a person can't make flyers of Ed's marker training article and hand them out at the end of class. People would learn more in one article than they are going to learn in 8 or 10 weeks of class.
Sue

And over here it's the complete opposite - treat, treat, treat, NEVER CORRECT- IMO these classes do have their purposes- for socialisation and BIG DISTRACTIONS and thats about it! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />