Dog Community

Posted : 4/21/2006 8:00:16 AM

But aren't all anti-pull devices adversive to some degree, ranging from slightly uncomfortable (EZ Walk, Halti, GL) to painful (prong)? If you have a dog that is reactive or aggressive and overpowers you so that you don't have control and get pulled to the ground, what other choice do you have but to use an anti-pull device (adversive)? If you have a dog that thrashes around like a fish on a line when it sees another dog and while wearing a prong (for control) you teach "watch me" or "look" and treat the dog with high value treats, isn't it just as possible that the dog will associate seeing another dog with the yummy treats (+ association) as associate it with the uncomfortable feeling in its neck (- association)? Its a chancy thing and not undertaken lightly, I agree, but in some cases it works (has worked for me).

glenmar

Posted : 4/21/2006 8:05:47 AM

Quite true. But, when you have 90 plus pounds of dog pulling on you you have some choices to make. Thor is not agressive, he just wanted to get where he was going faster. And everything we tried was a bust. It was get something that helps or forget walking him Once the prong was in place, watch me took on a whole new meaning to him.

Julie Beveridge

Posted : 4/21/2006 10:56:38 AM

I guess I would need more of an explanation of "aggressive" I did use it on Toby last night and it was great, I would not call him aggressive at all so maybe it was a good choice. I have tried, harnesses, GL, halti, regular choke and none of them worked like this did last night.
Now for Dakota who goes nuts everytime she sees a person or other dog, I am now not sure that a prong would be for her? Is lunging, twirling and barking signs of agression? OH raising dogs is as bad as raising kids.

Julie

Mic

Posted : 4/21/2006 11:00:01 AM

Sounds like you found an effective tool.

Sandy

Posted : 4/21/2006 11:18:38 AM

My boxer/shepard (Tia) is also a puller. She weighs around 70 lb. and if she decided she was going to go somewhere, she could take off and pull me along. For a while, I just gave up on the walks. It was too stressfull both her and I. When I tried the prong collar - she is a totally different dog. She does the self correction and if I even gently pull back on the leash she automatically sits and looks at me (we taught both our dogs that they have to sit and wait for permission to cross the streets). She goes on walks all the time now. It is the only thing that works for us. She gets excited to see the prong collar come out!

Julie Beveridge

Posted : 4/21/2006 1:46:09 PM

ok, so which dogs do you NOT use them on?

glenmar

Posted : 4/21/2006 2:54:16 PM

Sheba is very fearful and can be a bit on the reactive side. I would NOt use a prong on her. Likewise a dog agressive or people agressive dog I wouldn't use one on, or a tiny dog.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 4/21/2006 3:16:34 PM

I would NOT use a prong on a dog that leaps, lunges, and barks at dogs and people. The correction of the prong is very likely to make the dog associate pain with the dogs and people it doesn't like, and worsen the dog's reactions.

I am a novice trainer.

It'd probably be FINE for Mic, or Anne, or someone with a bunch of experience and knowledge to use one on that particular dog, if they felt it was appropriate, but with MY level of knowledge, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it. I won't even use a Gentle Leader on my dogs, b/c I feel like it could worsen their leash issues, or cause them injury (Teenie's a lunge/barker, and Emma's extremely drivey, and occasionally bolts on the leash). I just use regular walking harnesses, or martingale collars, and work on attention constantly.

Jennie-Carra

Posted : 4/21/2006 3:19:39 PM

Mac isnt aggressive; he`s a very friendly dog. He just goes nuts and wants to play everytime he sees another dog. I`m positive it isnt aggression because he doesnt have an aggressive bone in his body towards dogs or (most) people. For instance, if he saw, God forbid, a man try to grab me and put me in his car, he would go beast mode on him. I love knowing that he would protect me like that. Also, when he sees a dog and his owner going for a walk, he starts barking and his tail starts wagging at 100 MPH.

The only problem with him is that, as gentle as he is, he is a big ox and EVERYTIME he sees a dog or another person, he started pulling me towards them. One time, It got dangerous. I was walking him and he saw another dog across the street. He starts pulling me into the street as a car is coming! It scared the hell out of me.

spiritdogs

Posted : 4/21/2006 4:21:03 PM

Just an FYI for the lurkers, please do not confuse harnesses that have the ring at the dog's withers with the Easy Walk. The Easy Walk has the ring at the dog's chest, so when you attach the leash there, it's a different form of leverage.

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 4/21/2006 7:46:34 PM

Max isn't aggressive either, but he used to jump and leap like a crazed lunatic every time we passed another dog. The first time he tried that with a prong, his jump was a lot less. Now I just say "no jumping" when we see a dog coming and 99.9% of the time he just greets nicely, licks a little and we go on our way. Squirrels *sigh* are another story.

mudpuppy

Posted : 4/25/2006 10:02:04 AM

motomany, that's not aggression. That's what's called "reactive". Dog seems to go nuts and misplace his brain in response to an exciting stimulus like another dog. Prong collars seem to work especially well on such dogs-- the self-inflicted pain distracts the dog from the stimulus so his brain starts up again.

Julie Beveridge

Posted : 4/25/2006 10:18:25 AM

Thanks for that answer. They are both doing soooooooo much better on them. We walk farther and longer now as I don't have to avoid certain areas. I am soooo very careful, could not stand it if I hurt them. I appreciate the feedback, it is still such a learning curve.

Julie

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