Ban choke and prong collars! There are plenty of other collars for you to use for your dogs! Let dogs be free and not hurt themselves trying to get free on a choke or prong collar. Here are some facts about prong collars and why they are unhealthy and bad for dogs.
1. They’re inhumane. Despite what your trainer or pet store employee may say, driving metal prongs into your dog’s neck hurts. That’s exactly why they so expediently stop a dog from straining at the leash, for example. Although eliciting pain may provide a quick fix, the effects are often short-lived.
2. They’re no substitute for a positive training style.
Too many pet owners employ this tool as a substitute for a more positive type of training. Inflicting pain is an expedient, inexpensive approach, but it's often less effective than the basic obedience training that too few dog owners are willing to undertake.
3. Few seem to know how to use them properly. Why are 90 percent of dog owners not trained to use the collars correctly? I see most people apply constant pressure when a dog lunges or pulls. A sharp tug, as with a standard choke chain, is what’s required.
4. They’re unsafe when misused. While regular choke collars can sometimes prove even more of a health risk when used inappropriately (compared to prong collars, the force of correction is over a smaller surface area with choke collars, which can place more pressure on the neck), misuse of prong collars through continual pressure or frequent pinching can lead to bruises and neck and even eye damage.
5. Some owners leave them on at all times. This is an especially uncalled-for breed of misuse. I can usually spot this particular sin when I see tags attached. All I can offer in these owners' defense is that at least they’re using tags!
6. There are better options. It’s not just about basic obedience training and teaching dogs to mind their manners in public — it’s that better options exist to manage on-leash misbehavior. Front-clip harnesses and head halters, for example, are safer, more humane alternatives that will typically suffice for unruly dogs.
7. Their use encourages more of the same among other dog owners. If it’s what everyone else uses, it must be OK, right? Indeed, the popularity of prong collars perpetuates the misconception that “big, strong dogs require big, strong tools.”
If owners resolutely defend their use of a prong collar because getting dragged down the block is a very real risk (when a dog bolts after a cat, for example), I’d urge them to rethink their choice of dogs the next time around. Big, strong dogs are awesome, but they’re not for everyone.
