2RescuedDobies

Gary Patterson recommends using a prong over a choke because of the damage a choke chain can do. He's got a picture in his book of a choke chain cutting into the flesh of a melon. Very graphic. Another consideration you don't want to be jerking on a Dobie' s thin neck. Correctly fitted prong collars allow you to make a precise correction with just a finger or slight twist of the wrist instead of jerking ineffectively. I used one with my girl and it has made a huge difference. Fit is important though. It needs to sit up just behind the ears and it needs to be snug.

DobeSpell

I used prong collar but switched to gental head leader.
This one doesn't cause flakes (my dog developes flakes easily) and does the job. I have more control over him with head collar.

triciakoontz

Right up behind the ears is a very sensitive and tender portion of the neck, much more so than the middle of the neck which has more muscle mass. There is also the potential for much more torque to be applied to the neck when the collar is fitted just behind the ears. Although some trainers (Leerburg, most popularly cited) recommend the high position, many other trainers do not. The quote below is from TRAINING WITH THE PRONG COLLAR
by Suzanne Clothier:

When properly fitted, the prong collar should be at roughly the mid-way point on the dog's neck, with the chain portion flat, not sagging. Beware those who recommend fitting a prong collar (or any collar) up high, near the dog's ears - their intention is to cause pain by putting the collar in this nerve rich, muscle poor area of great sensitivity.

My initial set up is ALWAYS with the leash hooked to both rings, so that there is NO tightening action whatsoever. For most dogs, this is all they ever need. The collar's effect may be further altered by: enclosing the entire collar in latex sheeting (available in any horse supply store), covered in material or slipped through a hair band, wrapped in silk (excellent for finely textured hair coats). Altering the number of prongs facing inward toward the dog also changes the collar's effect; for some dogs, I have used the prong collar inside out.

NEVER let the dog "self-correct" by hitting the end of the lead. Engage the dog verbally & physically, asking for simple tasks like walking with you. Give subtle, fluttering signals - often a mere flexing of the fingers is sufficient. Praise the dog for responding. If the dog bolts away from you and tries to pull, do NOT pull back or sharply check him. Go with him, offering repeated gentle tugs until you have him back under control. Then pay more attention so that doesn't happen again.

Link to this article: Training With the Prong Collar - article by Suzanne Clothier

I use the smallest HS prong on my 9 month old Dobergirl. I use it in the middle neck position just as advised in this article. After initial BRIEF training she does not ever pull when wearing the prong. She pulls like a freight train on a flat collar. I will continue training classes with her but right now I am really pleased that I can walk easily with her anywhere with no stress or strain on her neck or my arm.

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* Bella, Amazing Dobergirl
* Zen, Super Doberpup
* Bailey, Wolf Hybrid, Adopted, Therapy Dog
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* Leo, Sweet Cat, Adopted

"Whatever may come, think that it is a part of the Divine Will, the Cosmic Law. That way, you won't lose your peace."

BlackandTans

I dont know if this was in response to the comment that I made but I was taught by vets and trainers that I talked to that yes you want the prong collar to pull tight around their necks like I stated but you dont want it staying really tight around their necks when they are not pulling... Is that not the correct thing then?

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BlackandTans

FYI I was just asking not trying to be sarcastic or anything...

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hrd2gt

I actually tried the prong collar (did wonders for my GSD long ago) but the problem I ran into is dobies have such a long sleek neck... that it slides down and she didnt feel it. Since then I found a slip collar made out of leather... it works great, it kind of sticks to her fur, and if you keep it high up, it stops pulling and really keeps her under control. May want to look into that too..

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woghead

ok cheers for all the advice, gonna look more into it b4 buying them as ive been told they are illegal over here in the UK..........

voodoolizard

WOW are they really illegal ?? i just thought you couldnt buy them cos all english people have a fear of anything different LOL.

good job i didnt order one from ebay !! dont wanna get arrested !!!

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Zucker

Don't jump the gun... I had some hysterical half brain tell me the same in a dog park here and they certainly are NOT illegal. Some people are just very close minded about them.

There are still a lot of people around here who have a big problem with prongs. Majority of them have never used or even held a prong collar and are just regurgitating what they think is the in thing to say. Unfortunetly perpetuating this are all the "positive methods only" trainers who will just as hapilly use a head halter as if those worked on any different sort of a principle.. riight. I think it's all an image thing.

I always believe the best tool is the one that works best on the dog. Dogs can be so very different even within one breed, you really can't generalize that one tool is better then another. It's like debating what's the best ice cream flavor. I love using prongs becaue they are so versetile. You can use them on soft and little dogs, or big massive stuborn brutes. You can communicate a correction with the least amount of force necessary. Ironically, dispite of how they look I think prong collars are probably the gentlest and most humane of the training tools out there.

Zucker

Here's something for any one who wants to use a prong collar and not get harassed by the yahoos. You can get a nylon cover/protector for the collar which actually makes the collar look very much like just a regular nylon flat collar.

I bought this collar and ordered the cover under the extra options. It works and looks great:
Dog pinch collar with nylon loop and quick release buckle - 50004 nylon (3.25mm)

They don't show you a picture of the cover but it looks like this:
http://www.sprenger.de/hs/abt_hund/k...und_06_s19.pdf