I’ve previously written about 5 Myths About Shock Collars and have my free download 3 Reasons Not To Use A Shock Collar where I talk more about why not to use these tools, take a deeper dive into regulation and give you citations to research if you’d like to look at it for yourself. You can also check out the Shock Free Coalition and sign the pledge to never use shock.
But today I want to talk a little about the fallout effects of using a prong collar. Download my guide Say No To Prongs here. I see so many dogs on prong collars out in the world and despite it looking like a medieval torture device, so many people seem to think it’s just fine to use. It is patented and “designed to create pressure and tension on a dog’s neck to stop the dog from pulling.” By definition and design, it’s intended to hurt when the dog pulls.
But here’s the thing. If it works, it’s because it hurts and the dog isn’t pulling because they’re living in fear of pain. Or unsure of when the pain will happen so they dog shut down. I’ve even had some dogs resist going on walks or who used to be prosocial and friendly with people or dogs, but because they got pronged for being too excited or happy and pulling, they are now afraid of people or dogs. That’s how association learning works.
My friend and colleague Eileen has two great posts about the science and physics of prong collars. You can read them here and here.
There are absolutely fallout effects from using punitive and painful training methods, even if it looks like it only took one of two times for it to “work.” Electric fence and shock collar manufacturers or sales people will not tell you about the fallout effects of using these products but I see it in my practice time after time.
What are the possible fallout effects from using a prong collar or other aversive training methods?
- increased aggression or fear towards people
- increased reactivity towards dogs
- lost dogs because the dog busted through the “invisible” fence, often chasing wildlife and then never returns
- fear of going outside
- learned helplessness where the dog just shuts down in different situations
- suppression of warning signs and communication
- long lasting stress effects, beyond the use of the collar
And we know there are better, more effective and more humane ways to train dogs. Many countries in the world ban the use of aversive tools like prong or shock collars. Austria, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales, some parts of Australia, and the province of Quebec in Canada, to name just a few, yet in the US, these tools are still widely available and completely legal. There have been some attempts at legislation like the one proposed in NY and in 2020 Petco became the first large scale retailer to stop selling remote controlled shock collars but still sells prong collars, electric fence and containment systems. There’s also a class action suit against one of the manufacturers of a popular shock collar alleging they’re falsely marketed as safe.
We need to do better.
Learning shouldn’t hurt.
I get it. Your dog is pulling you down the street. Your shoulder is in pain, or maybe you’re afraid your dog will knock you over. You’re at your wits end and don’t know what else to do. Someone, maybe a friend or even a “trainer” recommends a prong collar. They say it doesn’t hurt, or suggest you try it on yourself. And maybe you see this amazing change in how your dog walks when you first start using it. But, there is no way around it. If they “work” it’s because they are hurting or scaring the dog.
The pain can cause not only psychological distress including high levels of stress,increased aggression and phobias but physically they can also cause neck wounds,trachea damage or even eye issues. Continual use of prong collars can cause your pet to habituate to the level of pain, becoming ineffective and is shown to cause increased aggression and fear-based behaviors. Aversive training tools also reduce or remove the dog’s natural communication and body language, making dogs more unpredictable and dangerous. (ref: Pauli et al. (2006).Pauli AM, Bentley E, Diehl KA, Miller PE. Effects of the application of neck pressure by a collar or harness on intraocular pressure in dogs. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. 2006;42(3):207–211. doi: 10.5326/0420207.)
There are better, more humane, more effective ways to get results and I can help you modify your dog’s behavior. Some people turn to things like prong or shock collars, thinking they will save money, we know from other research that aversive methods can (and often do) result in increased fear, aggression, or learned helplessness, and fixing those long-term issues properly will cost you more money in the long-run, not to mention the emotional cost to your dog and the damage to your relationship with him.
Merely using a prong collar to reduce pulling or lunging or barking or whatever your dog is doing, doesn’t address the underlying WHY he’s doing those things. Behavior Suppression Isn’t Behavior Modification, Fear Is Not Disobedience and that dogs very rarely “bite out of nowhere.” The common thread in these posts is behavior issues getting worse with punishment based methods of training.
Also worth noting, one study showed “there were no statistically significant differences in pulling between the the prong collar, and the other less aversive types.” Meaning, for a lot of dogs, the prong collar didn’t even work to reduce pulling…so we’re just hurting dogs for no reason?
When seeking advice and professional help, just know there’s a lot of muddy language around credentials and titles. Demand transparency and ask questions.
If you’ve fallen victim to predatory training methods or were convinced aversive methods are the solution, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. This is a symptom of an industry that doesn’t require professional licensure, with people posing as “professionals” with no recourse for consumer. But, you can change how you do things NOW.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou
Download my guide, Say No To Prong Collars now.
There are better, more humane, more effective ways to get results and I can help you. Contact me and schedule a session if you need help.
If you would like to support my efforts and make a contribution to allow me to continue to create free resources like blog and all of my other free resources, you can Buy Me A Coffee!
Happy training!
