rich14622

IMO it really depends on the dog. Some dogs are very "HARD" where even with a prong collar it seems like they have nothing on at all and some that are very soft where a little jerk of a flat collar they act like you have just hit them with a brick. So it really depends on the reaction of the dog.

AnneMarie

Well if not for the prong collar i would be on the moon right now and not talking to anyone.lol Xander doesnt even feel the corrections,i just dont get it.I adopted him and he had no real training so i am doing it all now.He has taken me down on the ground twice with a prong collar,imagine if i didnt have it.I feel sorry for me right now,not for him lol.
I love this boy and he is going to get trained.He also is not treat or food motivated !! He is a tough nut to crack.

Burns

Yes, I do use a prong, and yes, I do pop it if Red deliberately ignores a command that he knows.

For example, we went to a new park today and Red was all excited and not paying much attention to me. I told him to sit, he ignored me. I repeated the command (I know I shouldn't repeat but I gave him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he didn't hear me) and he ignored me again. I gave a firm pop on the leash/prong and he sat immediately and focused on me. After that, he sat each and every time I told him.
I agree with Rosamburg - nagging the dog doesn't do any good (and actually just intensifies the problem). Correcting the dog when he is ignoring a behavior that he knows well will get your point across much quicker. I have to be in control of my dog at all times - he is 90 lbs of muscle and could easily drag me if he wanted to. It is my responsibility as a dog owner to have a dog who listens to me in public. He needs to obey when I tell him to sit - and by giving ONE firm collar pop on the prong, I ensured that he will listen to me no matter what is going on around him - quickly and effectively correcting the misbehavior without causing pain.

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DOB 2/17/07, red/rust, male neutered Doberman

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Luvbirds59

Petey pulled me down twice this past winter...the ice had something to do with it.....but I went down hard and got hurt both times...so I can sympathize with you! I think some dogs just don't feel pain the same as others....Petey is one of them, he never cries out in pain...EVER. I've never owned a dog like him before. I have never corrected him hard with the pinch, I am a complete whimp most of the time, but....after reading this...I may start! I have started using an Ecollar for recall and to stop him from chasing things that can get him killed, like motocross bikes.


Carol & Petey!
ox

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If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
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AnneMarie

How is the ECollar working?? Xander wont come when he is called either.Carol he just does not feel the correction with the prong collar either.Like i said before,i have a tough nut to crack here.

AnneMarie

Well i will give you Xander for a day and see if you can pop him.It doesnt faze him at all.

waiting

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with using a prong collar, I have used them for years. Like anything else if the end of the lead is being held by an idiot and the human is using it incorrectly or with force that is when problems begin, whether it be nylon, leather, choke or prong.

Dobemom2b

I don't think there is something wrong with it or I would not own one. I did put it up when he was younger and pulled with it on and went to a front loop harness until I made sure that it was correctly fitted and I used it correctly.

I was mostly curious as to what level of correction the different users of the forum found needed to be used for any dobe they had or have had. I know they are all individuals and how soft or sensitive each may be is based on multiple things. I just wanted an overview of the average on the board. And for those who have found they have to use harsher corrections whether it was consistantly required the dogs entire life or for certian stages like doberteens etc. Whether getting a pup at a younger age makes a dog less likely to need harsh corrections or if this is something typical for the breed and that 2 that I have had were freaks of nature. I also know I expect more out of him than the rescue I had in the late 70s and lex although only a couple of years old was a more like a lab in a dobe skin most of the time.

My shepherd wore the same prong he used originally but a slight correction is all it usually took with her unless her prey drive kicked in which she usually had very good control of.

thea2003

One thing I hate about correcting especially on a prong is that people look at you like you are beating your dog or at very least "being mean" you should have seen the look i got when i was walking my dog downtown and ladies eating lunch at the window...it was embarassing and starts making you feel less confident and therefore you slack on your training and worry you are making your dog worse.

DreamDoby

IMO there is a difference between popping the prong or any collar in that case for correction and pulling a dog off of their front legs. You are hanging your dog and that to me is more on the side of abusive and not training. The prong is meant to pinch all around, not dig into the neck to cause damage. If you are lifting your dog off of the ground, it will more likely dig into the neck and can cause damage. That is improper use of the training tool. Some dogs do need a firmer "pop" to get their attention, but never such a hard pull that they are getting dug into by the collar. I would have left then and there.

My need for strengths of corrections depended on the distractions around. A lot of distraction training and focus lessened the need as we went along with our training. Certain things caused more of a distraction and such.

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