Hey Robert here,

I get more hate mail on my prong collar videos than almost anything I post. People tell me I should be arrested. Trainers say I am setting the industry back. Dog owners leave comments calling it a torture device.

563,000 people have watched my most-viewed collar video. Half of them left angry.

Here is what I know after over 20 years training dogs: the people making the most noise have never seen one of these tools used correctly. Not once.

The controversy is not about the tool. It never was.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Reading time: 4 minutes

Walk into any dog park and look at the prong collars on the dogs there. I will bet you most of them are the wrong size, sitting in the wrong position, with unfinished / sharp prongs that should not be on any dog.

A prong collar sits high on the neck, right under the ears and jaw. Not down on the throat. Not flopping loose halfway down the neck. High and snug.

The collar I use on my 60-pound Malinois is a Herm Sprenger “3mm short ultra prong”. Not a medium. Not a large A short. The smaller the prong, the more precise the correction. The bigger the prong, the more force you need to get any response at all.  ANd it’s nearly impossible to get a proper fit!

If you are putting a prong collar over a dog's head to get it on, it is the wrong size. A correctly fitted prong collar gets pinched open at the link, placed on the neck, and snapped shut. Unless you’re using the quick clasp, in that case you use that!  That is it. The dog barely notices.

One more thing: every link and ring on a quality prong collar should be welded. Also, run your finger along the prong tips. If they are not polished smooth, take it off your dog.  This is why I have always used the Herm Sprenger collars and became a brand ambassador for them.

Many European countries have banned E-Collars. The argument was that untrained owners were using them wrong, that they are inhumane and cruel. They were right about the misuse. They were wrong about the solution.

Here is how I introduce an e-collar. I put the collar on myself first. Then on the person working with me. Then on the dog. Everyone in the room knows what level 1 feels like before it goes on the animal.  

The starting point is always level 1. I work up until the dog just notices. A flick of the ear. A glance around. That is the working level. With Max the Akita it was a 4 or 5. With a more sensitive dog it might be a 2 or 3. You find it. You do not guess.  Some higher, some lower, but it always depends on how THAT particular dog responds.

The people who give e-collars a bad name skip that entire process. They start at a level that gets a visible reaction. That is not training. That is a different thing entirely.

Not when they bite someone. Not when the vet asks for one. Now.

Most people think a muzzle is for aggressive dogs. It is not. It is for any dog that ends up at an emergency vet visit, an evacuation, or in the hands of a stranger in a situation you did not plan for.

A dog that has never worn a muzzle will panic when someone puts one on. That panic gets dogs and handlers hurt, and it induces unnecessary stress in the dog. A dog trained to accept a muzzle will hold still, breathe, and wait.

Introduce it with food. Let the dog put their nose in voluntarily. Build the duration up over a week. By day seven most dogs walk up to it on their own.

Before I put any equipment on a dog, I run through this.

Prong Collar Sits high under the ears, not low on the throat. Snug enough that it cannot rotate freely. Links pinch on and off without pulling over the dog's head. Prong ends are polished smooth. Backed up with a second collar on the same leash.

E-Collar Contact points touching skin, not resting on fur. Starting level is 1. Working level is the lowest point where the dog flicks an ear or looks around. Remote confirmed working before the collar goes on. Collar off after every session.

Muzzle Dog can open mouth to pant while wearing it. Dog puts nose in voluntarily during introduction. No pressure on the eyes. Dog holds it 30 seconds without pawing before you increase the duration.

Which of these three does your dog accept and which one do they fight.

Until next time,

Robert

P.S. Here’s a link to my prong collar fit adjustment video.

HERM SPRENGER COLLARS

I personally use the 3MM short link / medium in black stainless.

Official Herm Sprenger Canine Partner – Learn More

Use code Cabral10 to save 10%
The VERY Best in the World!  Made in Germany and the collars I’ve used for 20+ Years.