
11/07/2025
Excellent post by Legend K9 Dog Training. Prong collars, ecollars, clickers, etc are all great training tools that when understood and used properly can create a well mannered, less stressed and happier dog.
Let’s talk about prong collars.
Prong collars are 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 used to communicate with your dog. This tool should not be viewed as a negative. Anyone who is mentally blocked about this being a negative aversive tool does not understand how this tool is intended to be used. Think of it as a tool for simple redirection and reinforcement. This is a training aid that can create very clear communication between you and your dog when used properly and humanely. Anything can be abused and misused. It is not the collar itself we should be questioning, but the person on the other end.
Quality prong collars are designed to distribute pressure evenly around the dog’s neck. This pressure is not a constant, but is given with small snaps and releases. We should not be battling with our dog’s at the end of our leash.
𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑼𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑵, 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑼𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑭𝑭.
Unlike a dog who pulls against a buckle collar, where you cannot give and release pressure, who is constantly bracing against their trachea or larynx, a dog on a properly used prong collar will learn to respect your leash (and you), focus, impulse control, learn obedience, follow leash pressure and redirection with ease, and learn right versus wrong. Used correctly, this is a safe and very effective training tool.
Utilize this tool to create a balanced approach to training with clear communication. There 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐 be a balance. Life isn’t rainbows and butterflies all the time. We need to balance the good with the bad, set boundaries and create structure. We need to show and teach our dogs what the expectations are and what the rules are. Those rules will need to be reinforced somehow. Redirect and correct what you disapprove of, through your training aids, and reward and praise what you do approve of. This is the beauty of effective balanced training.
Having the right training tools to help you communicate more clearly with your dog will not only teach them manners, obedience and respect, but, most importantly, done properly, it will teach them how to be in the right mental frame of mind. With that, you can tackle any and all of life’s curveballs. ☺️