There are various types of collars for training your puppy. John Rubin, a dog trainer and president of John̵7;s Natural Dog Training Company, does not advise using a prong on any puppy younger than 14 weeks old. The prong collar can cause pain or harm if not fitted and used properly. Prong collars can come apart so it is important to use a nylon slip collar as a back up with it. The prong collar has two rings, a live one that will make the collar tighten up and a dead one that simply pulls.
Things You'll Need
- Buckle collar
- Nylon slip collar
- Leash
- Prong collar
Instructions
Training
Begin training your puppy after it is 8 weeks old using a buckle collar and leash so the puppy understands that pulling will put pressure on its neck. Stand on the right side of your puppy and practice walking slowly until the puppy learns to follow without pulling.
Measure your puppy's neck when it is at least 14 weeks old, and purchase a prong collar with extra prong links to add as your puppy grows. The prong collar should fit loosely around the top of our puppy̵7;s neck. Purchase a slip style or nylon choke collar to use with the prong collar.
Place the slip collar on the dog. Put the prong collar around the top of your puppy̵7;s neck, prongs turned inward, and then pinch one link to fit it into and connect with the other to close it. Do not pull the prong collar over your dog̵7;s head to put it on or take it off. This can cause injury to eyes and ears.
Attach the leash to the prong's dead and live rings, and to the nylon live ring. Place the prongs high on your puppy̵7;s neck with leash and rings on the right side of the neck.
Stand to right of your puppy and start walking slowly, holding the leash in your left hand. Do not snap or jerk on the leash. Allow the natural resistance of the puppy against the prongs to give corrections. The feel of the prongs will generally encourage the puppy to follow. Use praise when the puppy is walking without pulling.
Attach the leash to the slip live ring and the prong live ring when your puppy is at least 5 months old. Attaching to the prong live ring will close the prong collar tighter and provide more correction if needed. Author and dog trainer Susan Clothier writes that when a dog understands what it expected, the prong collar provides a clear stimulus to let the dog know when it is doing what you want it to do.