Pros & Cons of a Pinch Collar

Pinch collars, which are also known as prong collars, are a type of training collar used with dogs. In some ways, a pinch collar is similar to a choke collar except that the inside of the collar is lined with prongs. The prongs will pinch the skin on a dog's neck when the collar is pulled tight,. This discourages unwanted behavior such as pulling on the leash, excessive barking or aggressive behavior.

  1. Pros

    • Some dogs will ignore traditional training collars such as choke collars because choke collars only apply pressure to the dog's trachea. A pinch collar, on the other hand, applies pressure equally all around the neck. This approximates what it is like when a mother dog places her mouth over a puppy's neck to discipline or correct it. The pinch is also sudden and occurs when the collar tightens, so that in the case of a dog pulling on the leash, the dog can stop the pinching itself when it stops pulling.

    Cons

    • Because the pinch collar has metal prongs on the inside, it can cause irritation or even injury if improperly used. If too much pressure is applied, the prongs can actually pierce the skin and cause wounds. Those wounds, if untreated, may lead to infection. Pinch collars may also exacerbate behavior problems in dogs that are fearful and/or aggressive.

    Tips

    • If you use a pinch collar, you should know how to use it correctly. As with any training collar, it should only be used during training sessions, so remove it when you are not training your dog. The collar should also fit correctly since a poorly fitted collar can cause injury. A properly fitted collar should be snug on the neck but not so snug so that the prongs are constantly digging in. If the collar is too loose, it can cause irritation. Lastly, when using the collar, give a quick pop to the leash if you wish to correct a behavior, but do not apply constant pressure to the leash.

    Alternatives

    • Other training collars can be used as an alternative to pinch collars. Perhaps the most common of these is the choke collar that hangs loosely on a dog's neck and that you tighten with a pop on the lease to correct the dog. Another is the shock collar that delivers a shock to the dog when it exhibits unwanted behavior such as unnecessary barking. A third is the gentle leader, which is a harness similar to a horse's bridle that is placed over the dog's head. When you or the dog pulls on the gentle leader, a loop tightens around the dog's snout, similar to how a mother dog will place her mouth over a misbehaving puppy's mouth. These all have pros and cons as well.