How to Fit a Prong Collar

A prong collar is an essential tool for many dog owners. Also known as a pinch collar, this type of collar is used on dogs that pull or require more obedience training. Made of metal, a prong collar consists of links with small metal prongs facing inward that sit against the dog’s neck. When the lead is pulled, the metal links come together and apply pressure to the dog’s neck. A prong collar is neither painful nor cruel when properly fitted and used.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the size of your dog’s neck with measuring tape. Normal dog collars are ordered according to the length of the dog’s neck, but prong collars typically come in sizes such as small, medium and large, so choose the right range based on your dog’s size.

    • 2

      Open the prong collar to fit it to your dog. Squeeze the ends of one link together and slide them out through the opening in the other link.

    • 3

      Hold the collar up under your dog’s chin. A properly fitted prong collar sits at the top of your dog’s neck rather than down toward the dog’s shoulders.

    • 4

      Remove enough links on the prong collar to allow the collar to rest high on the dog’s neck. Pinch the ends of the open links together and slide them off of the remaining links. Put the loose links away in a safe place in case you need to expand the collar in the future.

    • 5

      Close the collar around your dog’s neck. To reattach the ends of the collar, slip one end of the prong through the next link in the collar. Squeeze the remaining prong with your fingers and slip it through the other end of the link.

    • 6

      Check that the prong collar fits well. It should sit high up under the dog’s chin without sliding down. If it is still too large, remove one link at a time until you reach the proper fit.