From: honig@cs.cornell.edu (Sue Utter Honig)
Subject: Re: Stop dog from making a lunge
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY 14853
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 17:06:36 GMT

In article <92207.110117ASOLOMO@auvm.american.edu> ari solomon <ASOLOMO@auvm.american.edu> writes:
>
>In article <=zhmb2h.sss@netcom.com>, sss@netcom.com (Small Systems Solutions)
>says:      [Advises J. Womack to get a prong collar to correct lunging]
>
>   Ummm...that sounds too severe for the described problem. Julie's
>   dog hasn't had an opportunity to respond to consistent correction with a
>   check collar; why rush straight to a prong collar?
>       In addition to the doubtful humanity of prongs on a non-dangerous
>   dog, it doesn't make sense from a training point of view: Which are you
>   likely to have on the dog more regularly: The prongs, or a simple check
>   collar? "Once in a while my owner puts those nasty pokers on my neck, and
>   I'm not allowed to lunge until she takes them off." Quoth the pooch.
>
>                                         ASOLOMO@AUVM

As one who has used both prong and training collars, I'd have to agree
with the first poster - I think using a prong collar would be a good
solution in this case.

Your main complaint with the prong seems to be that it's "too severe".
I've read that the prong is probably less likely to damage a dog than
a training collar, because the pressure of a prong is evenly
distributed around the collar, whereas all the force of a training
collar is concentrated in a smaller area of the collar.  If the area
is in the wrong place, you can damage a dog's trachea, etc.  Just one
aspect of the prong vs. training collar war - it's been discussed on
the net before.  Based on what I've read and heard from other
trainers, I think the prong is no more inhumane than the training
collar, if (like any other piece of equipment) used correctly.

The reason I think the prong would be very appropriate here is because
the correction (as sss mentions) is automatic - the dog will correct
herself when she lunges.  I've seen this myself on the one dog out of
my total of four that I use a prong on.  The original poster mentioned
that she constantly had to keep looking backward, because the
distraction might come from behind.  I think it would be difficult to
get in a good, solid correction with a training collar if you're
possibly inexperienced at making one, plus you're having to do one
with the dog swinging back behind you as you're moving forward.  Using
a prong, you don't have to be as aware of the distraction because the
correction is automatic.

As to your argument about having a training collar on more often than
the prong, my response is why should that happen?  The original poster
wanted help during walks, not during formal obedience training.  Why
couldn't the prong be used whenever the dog in question was walked?
Even if you don't want to do that, I've heard from many trainers who
successfully correct a problem with a prong, then transition back to a
training collar.

>>SHE WILL STOP IF YOU MAKE HER.  DO NOT HOLD TIGHT ON THE LEASH, AND DO
>>NOT ISSUE ANY COMMAND.
>>
>>Get a pinch collar.  Hold the leash loosely at all times, otherwise
>>your dog will pull against it constantly and think that that's okay.
>>
>>If the doggie lunges while wearing the pronged collar, she'll get an
>>automatic correction when she reaches the end of the leash.  That should
>>cure her...
>>
>>--
>>Small Systems Solutions                   1563 Solano Avenue, Suite 123
>>sss@netcom.com                                  Berkeley, CA 94707-2116
>>
>>The above-expressed opinions aren't necessarily


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