Wondering…hmmm are prong collars cruel? In my opinion, yes there are, and I will explain WHY plus give you a few better & safer alternatives, so watch below, or continue reading.
They can be physically harmful
Choke collars have been associated with:
- Spinal Cord injuries leading to paralysis
- Whiplash
- Crushing of the trachea
- Dislocated bones in the neck
- Damage to the skin on the neck
And even if you didn’t care about your dog, which I know you do because you’re reading this, your dog can develop Scar tissue in the neck and build a tolerance to the pain, causing your dog to pull anyway!
They can be emotionally harmful
The choke collar mimics the sensation of being strangled, which can cause anxiety and or aggression in your dog. It might not happen overnight, but you can actually create more issues or worsen issues like pulling and leash reactivity.
Put yourself in their shoes. If you were to get strangled every time you were taking a walk and didn’t really understand why you would probably get a little anxious and nervous right?
OK…
So now you’re probably like….ok I get that it’s bad, but my dog pulls and I’m not sure what to do?
Before I recommend a few training tools I use, I want to emphasize something.
No harness or collar will TEACH your dog to STOP pulling….you have to TEACH your dog to stop pulling. There are tools that will HELP with the pulling, but NO tool is going to teach your dog the skill of loose leash walking. If you’re interested in teaching your dog, I have a full 2 part series on loose leash walking which I’ll link to here; however, if you need immediate relief from pulling, I recommend a FRONT CLIPPING harness.
A front clipping harness clips on the FRONT of your dog and redirects your dog to turn around every time they pull. I personally love the Wonder Walker Harness that clips to the front because it doesn’t inhibit shoulder movement.
It’s a super helpful tool to have while you’re still working on your training, which can take time.
While front clipping harnesses are great, I think it’s important that we humans also teach our dogs the skills. The most challenging part of training is that we humans want instant gratification, and we SUCK at consistency. That’s why the weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry.
Make sure you watch my two-part series on Loose Leash Walking. I explain exactly what you need to do to teach your dog to walk calmly on a leash…but it’s up to YOU to show up for your dog and stay consistent.