So what is a “Training Tool” and why is it important to be educated before using them safely
Believe it or not, a training tool is anything you use to train your dog, including a leash, a collar, harness or even treats. All training tools have a different purpose. Some collars are flat fabric, some collars are prong collars that help the dog recognize when they made a mistake, some collars are remote and can help your dog listen even if you are not next to them. There is always a different tool for different dogs. Some dogs may be introduced to a prong and shut down because its too much mental pressure to perform well. Those dogs would do better with a regular flat collar. Other dogs choke themselves badly pulling and completley ignore the sensation. These dogs need something extra to help make sure they dont accidentally hurt themselves. Picking the right tool for your dog is essential to their learning process, and Paws that Heal is here to help you learn how to use them properly and safely.
Many people believe that certain training tools such as prong collars or E-collars are inhumane, but we disagree. These tools are designed to be safe and designed to put the least amount of pressure on your dogs neck. Used improperly, any training tool can be used to hurt a dog, but when used as it should be they are amazing tools to further our communication with our dogs. The sad fact is that 670,000 dogs are put down in the US every year, many due to behavioral problems deemed “unsolvable.” It is our mission to use these tools properly and teach others how to use them properly, so this number can go down significantly.
Prong collars
Prong collars are designed to mimic the feeling of another dog nipping at your dogs neck. This may seem strange, but this is how dogs communicate! Dogs talk through body languange and a big part of their body language is neck biting! Using the language our dogs best understand helps us to quickly communicate what we want with them. Of course prongs will not work for every dog and each dog is evaluated to see what tools will work best for them. Prong collars are one of many tools we have to easily help our dogs improve. It is important when looking at the purchase of a prong collar to buy a “Herm Sprenger” instead of your local pet store prong. Why? Herm Sprenger is the original design of the prong, and its made to be safe for the dogs neck. The prongs face opposite directions half way through the collar, helping to cause even distribution to the neck and avoid trachea damage.
E - collars
Let’s start with brand. Our trainer Alaina uses the “Mini Educator” with our dogs. Why does brand matter? A good quality E-collar uses the same technology as a TENS unit. A TENS unit is used in physical therapy to help stimulate muscle function. So the collar does not in fact shock, it just stimulates the muscle. This stimulation goes from a level of 0 to 100. Most dogs work between an 8-10. A cheaper E-collar purchased at your local Petsmart will unfortunately not use the same technology and it will be more uncomfortable than it is supposed to. In addition there is virtually no adjusting the stimulation level, so it will be harsher than your dog needs to get the message. This can over time cause fear or anxiety for the dog which is not the goal. Our goal is ease of communication by using the dog’s body language to our advantage.
Placement matters
An oversized prong collar is dangerous, there is no getting around it. The prong collar is made to give EVEN distribution to the neck. An oversized prong is not capable of doing this and will end up only giving trachea pressure which is unsafe. Instead the collar should fit high and snug. The dog will not feel the effects of the prong until you give a leash correction. This “high and snug” principle applies for any and all collars, especially E-collars and prong collars. Prong collars have been proven to put the least amount of presure on your dogs trachea out of any other collar, but only when used properly. General rule of thumb, if it seems more like a necklace than a collar, it’s too big.
Use the link below, or code “PAWSHEAL” for 5% off your next e-collar purchase from PetsTek
Mini Educator ET-300
