Why we use prong Collars?

The Herm Sprenger Prong Collar is an amazing tool, and one I choose to train all dogs with. Some people don’t understand the need for it because they have never used it but the change in the dog is absolutely amazing and almost instant. It’s not magic, it’s dog training with the best tool! But why so much controversy about it online? Well, here we go again fighting against the same narrative.

If you go online and just type prong collar for dog training surely you will find many articles and photos of people preaching about how bad the prong is and how harmful it can be. The curious detail about all those arguments is that you just see those comments from people that have never held the tool in their hands let alone use them.

Ever since I was introduced to the prong I saw amazing results right away. I was amazed when I noticed how much easier it is to use and how soft it is on the dog, even considering the appearance of it. Yes, when you look at it it may scare you but once you touch it and feel it it’s a different story. The tool is amazing because it requires much less strength and skill from the handler, contrary to what most people say. Soon enough it became one of my first go to tools for guidance and training specially when it comes to walks and movement with the dog in general.

I always liked to show and share everything I discover in the dog training world so everyone else can benefit from it. Once I started to share my work on social media I understood why so much controversy appears when it comes to balanced training in general. The dog training world (like any other business) is filled with secrets and manipulations. A lot of trainers don’t want their audience or clients to know how the dogs are actually trained. They reel people in with soft messages and well curated videos only to portrait an image of good loving people that never correct dogs. That is simply not true. Most of the trainers that sell themselves like that use all the other tools in the background but never admit to it publicly.

A lot of trainers will also never document their work in fear of being exposed since they never talk openly about corrections and the difficulties we encounter while training. That was always a red flag for me because without transparency there is no trust. I would never leave one of my dogs with a trainer that refuses to show the progress online daily and open to the public. I’ve been in the dog training business for 15 years and I’ve seen it all. I met many trainers and I’ve seen what happens behind the scenes. The best trainers out there show everything, because they have nothing to hide. They speak openly about all the ups and downs of the training process and they never sugarcoat anything. They’re objective and very effective because they’re confident about their own abilities and they have no problem facing, and dealing, with the questions and possible attacks that may come their way.

I believe in all that and I also believe a good trainer should be able to sell their services with honesty and transparency and that includes information and clarification about all the tools and techniques that will be used with all dogs throughout the training.

The Herm Sprenger Prong Collar is just another tool that I use to help the owners and the dogs achieve a better life. Like all the other tools, the prong collar is not the last resort, but the go to tool to start in the right path. Never believe prong collars, e-collars and crates are just for difficult dogs, that is just not true. Whoever says that is only trying to appease you with a softer dialogue. They know you will need it and the longer it takes for you to acquire it, the more money you will loose with the tools and techniques that will never take you to the results you need.

If you are unsure about any tool to use on your dog, do your own research and find a trainer that has documented success with multiple dogs using that tool. Look for public videos showing multiple examples and then either hire that person or try the tool yourself. There’s nothing like your personal experience to define your perception and notion of what you can do with the right tool and the right guidance. Don’t believe the online gossip! See it for yourself.