Prong Collars

Re: Prong Collars

Sarah Southworth RVN CertVNECC — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:03:29 GMT

[quote user="Phrin Vernon RVN"]

Sal's link from a related thread directed me here! Reading this thread I am firstly shocked, and am also thinking that we, as VN's should be calling for both prong and shock collars to be made illegal!!

Is there anyone who has encountered these first hand (I haven't), who would be willing to set up a petition or something?

[/quote]

i agree, tried to rate 5 stars but only did one hmm .

Re: Prong Collars

Phrin Vernon RVN — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:18:28 GMT

Is there anyone who has encountered these first hand (I haven't), who would be willing to set up a petition or something?

Re: Prong Collars

Nicola Smith — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:32:32 GMT

I stopped going to a training class that was using these and also recommending people to buy shock collars. They are a member of a large dog training association!!!!

Re: Prong Collars

Cat Woman — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:22:15 GMT

Most people don't even have a clue that there is a right way round to put a check/choke chain on & they can do enough damage. They look at me blankly when I say that the chain is on upside down, so I dread to think what would happen if these things were available at your local pet shops.

Re: Prong Collars

Steph Phillips — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:56:45 GMT

Amen to that!!

Re: Prong Collars

Fiona Leathers — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:32:22 GMT

I said dog handler - not dog trainer - they are 2 very different things. Dog handlers require their dogs to work with them, so pain & fear is not condusive to a good working relationship, therefore they would not be using them for the purpose they were designed. Dog handlers (usually) love their dogs and respect them, so again probably wouldn't be using such terrible collars, but at the same time if they had to use them - they would be aware of the pain & suffereing that they could cause.

Dog trainers can be anyone off the street, with little to no knowledge. A loud voice and a group of followers, can make anyone great - think Caesar Millan & Barbara Woodhouse

Re: Prong Collars

Kate Claxton DipAVN(Med)VN — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:10:55 GMT

I don't really think there's such a thing as the 'correct hands' for these devices - if a professional dog trainer needs one of these to be able to handle a dog, they're doing something very wrong!

Re: Prong Collars

Donna France — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:25:19 GMT

Thats the problem isnt it. they are a legal training device so we can only advise, I hope with this client it is a case of under educated with ideas of training and we can help him find much kinder methods, just by looking at some of the dog friendly websites it shows how easy it can be disillusioned into thinking they are great.

I remember Sarah Heath talking about them in her lecture at last years BSAVA congress, Im trying to think what she said, but it was on the lines of they should be banned for the reason of in experienced people using them.

I do feel they should just be banned.

Re: Prong Collars

Fiona Leathers — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:14:46 GMT

I'm probably going to get belted for this comment but..........

In the correct hands, such as properly trained dog handlers, these may not do any harm. Its when the f*ck wits, that we call the general public, get their hands on them that the real problems start.

I would like to say I'm not condoning the use of these but they're out there and maybe we should educate people in the correct way of training, instead of bollocking them......and then they don't come back to practice when the animal really needs help

Re: Prong Collars

Donna France — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:11:28 GMT

There the ones Sal the 1st. awful things.

It seems they are the training aid of choice in Germany, so waffle about trialing 50 dogs through out their lives, apparently only 1 every had injuries caused by the collar

Im not convinced.

Dont really know what the next step is, there legal so can only advise the client but im going to ring the RSPCA on Monday to see what they think.

They should be banned

thanks everyone

Re: Prong Collars

Katy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:46:14 GMT

Dear Lord! They look barbaric!!!

Who could put that on their dog???

Re: Prong Collars

Bethany Leonard - Williams RVN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:23:19 GMT

i have seen these before used by that ridiculous little man caesar milan! may have been an early program of his and he may have stopped recommending them now. Apparently its quite common in the USA as it apparently mimics the dog being grabbed round the neck by the dominant member of a pack as it is done in a wolf pack! totally brutal in my opinion!

Re: Prong Collars

Sally Seddon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:23:02 GMT

perhaps next time a client with one of these on their dog comes in we should have print outs of the above pictures to show them!

Re: Prong Collars

springer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:18:14 GMT

I've seen these collars there awful, my boss has spoke to clients & taken them off patient & tried them on the client, both times this happened they gave them to my boss. The pics are horrendous!

Re: Prong Collars

Sal the 1st — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:17:19 GMT

just checking this is what everybody means by a prong collar

http://leerburg.com/prong.htm#880

have seen a couple of dobies that wear these - unecessary in my opinion as both dogs seemed very well behaved but I think the owner thinks it makes them look fierce.

I have asked about these in the past and certainly at the time of asking they were legal which suprises me

Re: Prong Collars

Mrs Dot Dot — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:10:32 GMT

I've never heard of these before either...... how can people use them?!!!! They are disgusting! The more I learn about people the more I dislike them!!!!

Re: Prong Collars

Sally Seddon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:58:59 GMT

ive never heard of these before, what an awful thing to put on a dog! pretty much a torturing device

Re: Prong Collars

A Little TLC — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:57:24 GMT

Or even this - crikey!! if this is not a good enough put off, i dont know what is........

Re: Prong Collars

BengalcatRVN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:55:21 GMT

Had a guy come intot the clinic I used to work at asking for a prong collar, told him I'd never order one i as they were crueler than all chain chockers (I had half chocks, but not metel chocks)

He told me I had no idea what I was talking about as he was a German Shepard breeder from Germany and that was the best training method for these animals. He said I could order them from Hunter (one of my German-based petshop suppliers, which I checked and he's right). Was very to-the-point when I said I didn't care if I could, I wouldn't on grounds they were cruel.

Re: Prong Collars

A Little TLC — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:51:29 GMT

shows the damage it could do, take this and show them!!

Re: Prong Collars

Steph Worsley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:41:37 GMT

we had a dog come in with one of these collars on and people were wondering why she was fear aggressive, once we got the collar off she was much better - still not great but much better, us nurses considered hiding the collar and pretending it had got lost (these things happen in such a big building!!!)

Re: Prong Collars

zookeeper — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:41:03 GMT

A client came into the clinic this week (a 93 yr old man) asking us to have a look at his dogs neck as he felt the dog was sore in this region.

This Dog a little jack Russell had one of those collars on. It turns out that the Dog was not sore it had a bald patch where the collar has been on for 5YRS!!!

The QVN asked him questions like '' why has the Dog got one of these collars on? he was like she runs away, so when the Dog runs a little past the fence it gets a shock!!

I could not believe what I was hearing. We explained we do not agree with this method of going about things. I did say try without the collar, as the Dog may have got used to not going past the no go area? he just laughed.

I felt like getting an electric prong and zapping him

Re: Prong Collars

Donna France — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:12:19 GMT

I presumed they were banned but as they are not then it's very difficult to advise the client, Im hoping he will listen, but i feel doubtful. Im guessing he uses it for the dog pulling but its a westie and he was a 6ft bruiser!

Just had a look on ebay and you get get them for a fiver, its making me mad reading 'why to use them,

1-small person with large dog!

2-Disabled people with limited strength to snap the dog back

3-Bouncy puppies! (isnt that normal?)

4-walking more than one dog at a time

and the one that makes no sense- dogs with damaged tracheas or colapsing tracheas!

OMG

Re: Prong Collars

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:55:53 GMT

One of the nurses at my place had a dog in for one of the clinics with one of these on, I persobnally thought they were not allowed here but now I am beggining to wonder.

It's the same with shock collars, I thought they were illegal also but apparently not, as long as the shock is below a certain wattage it's ok. WE had a GSD that had been brought in by a memeber of the public that had been wearing one, the dog was chipped so we traced the owners, When I told the vet, she said they were not illegal, so there was nothing I could say to the client about it.

Re: Prong Collars

Donna France — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:52:53 GMT

p.s Thanks for all your advice feel abit better now.