Common Misconceptions About Prong Collars: Debunking the Myths

Myth 1: Prong collars are cruel and inhumane.

Truth: The main myth that we always encounter is that prong collars are cruel and inhumane.

Many of these claims come from individuals who look at the prong and think "that looks scary," or have heard of made-up "horror stories."

The issue is that since the prong indeed looks scary, it's exceptionally easy to create false narratives and even easier for people who are not aware of how prong collars work to fall for these made-up stories.

A lot of owners think this tool is magic. Almost like they just have to put the prong collar on their dog, and everything will resolve itself. That has also caused a few stories.

You still have to teach your dog how to respond to the collar. Without the proper training on how to use the collar, the correct fitment, and the understanding of its use; the collar is as useless as any other tool that someone uses improperly.

This lack of knowledge leads to many owners using the prong collar in a manner that was not intended. For example, this is a training collar. It's only on for training. If you leave it on for hours or days, your dog can develop skin ulcers from the contact points being in contact with the skin for extended periods of time. I've seen photos of such injuries with the false claim that it happens all the time with correct usage of the collar, and it simply isn't true.

Myth 2: If you’re working with a skilled trainer who’s using positive reinforcement, you can teach your dog to perform nearly any behavior without the use of a prong collar.

Truth: This myth can go either way. If you have the time and expertise and the right dog, you can train a dog without ever using a training collar of any kind. But if you have a dog behaving in a dangerous manner, whether it be pulling you in whichever direction they want, or being reactive, you may not have the time it would take to train the dog using only positive training. I know amazing positive-reinforcement-only trainers who actually go out and compete against their peers. But and this is a big "but" - they don't get their routines ironed out until their dogs are about 4 years old. About twice as old as the average dog who has the routine ironed out. They also have to carefully handpick a puppy and have years of experience doing it, and years of experience training at a very highly competitive level. They are not the average dog owner. They're not even the average trainer. And these aren't your average dogs.

There are also certain dogs with very little food drive or motivation to play with a ball on a rope or a tug. Last but not least, some dogs would rather do what they want to do than maintain engagement during training because they can, and the reward they're being offered is of lower value than doing what they want.

Myth 3: With the prong, as soon as you take it off, he’ll go back to his previous behaviors.

Truth: A prong collar is a training collar used to correct undesirable behavior in dogs. The belief that removing a prong collar will cause the dog to stop listening is a common misconception. While the collar may aid in training, it is not the sole determiner of a dog's behavior. Consistent training and positive reinforcement are also key factors in a dog's willingness to listen and obey commands. Therefore, removing the prong collar will not cause the dog to stop listening if the proper training methods are being implemented.

Dog training is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and it encompasses several techniques that can be used in combination to achieve the desired results. Positive reinforcement is a critical aspect of dog training that involves rewarding good behavior to encourage its repetition. Corrections are also an essential part of dog training to correct unwanted behavior.

However, the most essential part of dog training is developing a bond of respect with your dog. Building this bond requires patience, consistency, and establishing clear communication, and boundaries, and it involves understanding the dog's body language and recognizing its needs. When all these elements are incorporated, the dog learns to respect the owner, respond positively to instructions, and become a well-behaved companion with or without the presence of training tools and equipment.

Myth 4: Trainers who are still using prong collars are using out-of-date, non-evidence-based training methods and end up doing more harm than good.

Truth: The prong collar is tried and true. Yes, they have been around for a while, but the evidence is there. Hence why even in most countries where prong collars are banned to appease animal rights groups, they're still legal to use on their police and military K9s. The irony of "prong collars are terrible so we'll make them illegal," yet saying that they're necessary for dogs the government owns so they can be well-trained and reliable is proof above all else that those governments have done research and find them to be effective training tools.

I'm not saying every dog needs a prong collar. Not every owner is competent enough to use one either. But they are effective when fitted and used correctly.

If someone is using a prong collar wrong, you'll know it in short order. The dog will either shut down and refuse to continue to train, or it'll be abundantly clear through the dog's body language that they're uncomfortable.

Myth 5: Even properly fitted prong collars dig into the sensitive skin around the neck, risking severe damage to the thyroid, esophagus, and trachea.

Truth: There has been no veterinary study linking prong collars to any of the three conditions mentioned. In fact, one study performed on the bodies of dogs trained with prong collars vs slip collars showed no sign of any damage in any of the dogs trained with prong collars, but interestingly enough, found soft tissue damage on the dogs trained with a slip collar.

The prong collar is one the safest collars you can have on your dog if you know how to properly use the prong collar. The design of the prong collar was created purposely to be one of the safest training collars compared to other collars.

For instance, when you look at other collars, such as flat collars, slip leads, and choke chains, you actually see that they can cause more harm to your dog than a prong collar is capable of. The reason for this is if you have a dog who is a heavy puller on a flat collar, you’ll notice that all the pressure is applied directly to your dog’s trachea. The same is true with a slip collar aka choke collar. Prong collars distribute that force equally around the neck and not just on the throat.

Myth 6: Prong collars cause pain!

Truth: Almost all anti-prong collar advocates will tell you that prong collars cause physical pain. But most professional dog trainers and the physics of how the collar works disagree.

It isn't the feeling of pain that is the correction. It's the prong collar's ability to provide equal pressure around the neck. That's why they work so well for pulling. It's a completely different feeling than pulling on a flat collar and the dog half-choking itself as it does.

We hope this clears up some misconceptions and answers some questions for those who had them. As always, please hit like and share to get these facts out there! Thank you.

You may also like: A Guide To Different Prong Collar Accessories And The Metals Used In Herm Sprenger Collars