At what age should you start using a prong collar? My GSD "Nikko" is 14 weeks old.

Wearing a prong collar, as soon as possible to get the pup used to it and not associate it with anything.

Using a prong collar -- when the pup is older, 6+ months, depends on personal philosophy if you wait beyond that, some people like to use a prong at 6 months, some people like to keep it as positive as possible till the pups 8-10+ months old.

Thanks after all the reading I couldn't find that info

doesn't it depend more on the pup than an arbitrary age-deadline? i mean, if you have a softer baby, that pees when you say "aarrgghh....", vs my particular alligator that (at 9 wks) just wants to kill whatever moves, irregardless of MY wishes.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

well--i think i'll be considering a prong before the guy with a plumb sweetheart...

i think that i might buy a prong just to get the boy used to wearing it, mike. BUT, how many links will i have to take out to fit him, and, can he carry it at his age? he thinks he can carry everything else <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I recently pm'd Ed about putting a prong on my 5mth boy. He said not to even consider a choker,don't wait to use the prong!

i have 4 different sizes/weights of choke-chains, and i don't have a problem with the idea of using a prong-AT ALL. as a matter of fact, it will not hurt my feelings to put all of the choke chains in the dumpster.
i'm just trying to make the point that "age" at which one starts using one is really dependent upon the temperment of the dog it's being used "on".

 Quote:

I recently pm'd Ed about putting a prong on my 5mth boy. He said not to even consider a choker,don't wait to use the prong!

Did Ed's statement imply using this on a dog
younger than yours?

My research, from all that I've read, agrees
with Mike (Hey Mike!) - and so I was waiting to use a prong
on my almost 4 month old female once she was about 6~8 months,
depending on her temperment at THAT time.

But, I haven't seen any of Ed's DVDs yet (I need to save at
least $140 for the 3 I need ASAP) - and if his quote to you,
Beth, is also stated in his DVD series about the use of a
prong at an eary age, then let's see if he can add his thoughts
to this topic - Ed, your thoughts?

Ofcourse it depends on the dogs temprement, that's implied, you never use a correction harder than you need to! If your dog is super soft and cowers with a stern "NO!" then I wouldn't bother with a prong, I've seen dogs that are quite capable of listening with just a firm tug on a 1" flat collar, n act like you're torturing them with a moderate prong correction. 6 months is the age I, as well as many other people, consider to be the youngest age at which you should use a prong if you're gonna use one. I like pups to be pups, but that doesn't mean "run wild and do what you want" either.

My boy is very strong and he pulls VERY HARD! Ed's advice was based on my description and circumstances. I never had to use a prong on my 3yr old female.I thought 5mths was young to use a prong, but Ed told me not to waste time with a choker.

I've been using a prong collar on my soft dog since she was 4 months old. She's the type that would 'crumble' after you give her a wrong look.

The reason being a prong won't correct unless you make it correct. Hence, I can give her a softer correction with just a tug compared to having to jerk a leather collar on her. She's a nasty puller. Using a prong collar makes communication clearer to us, rather than having us 'argue' ("I said DON'T DO THAT!" *dog cowers and forgets everything else*).

On the other hand, my hard GSD, I don't REALLY need to use a prong, but I do it anyway for safety's sake. The only time he ever pulls is if we're walking and he wants to go faster. I can put a fursaver on him and it wouldn't make much of a difference since he'll comply when I jerk the leash. He's 'hard' because correction doesn't bother him one bit, he just does what I ask him to do. (On the other hand, put a cat at the end of the street and I have my hands full even with a prong).

So, I think a prong is useful even for a young puppy, as long as you understand what level of correction to use, if at all. The prong is a very, very useful tool in conveying WHAT you want to the dog EXACTLY when you want him to do it. His personality dictates how you use it. At the very least, all it is is a collar that irritates when he pulls against it.