To make sure your dog’s prong collar is a good fit and won’t pinch his skin or slip off, you should be able to insert two fingers between the collar and your dog’s neck. If it’s too tight, the points on the collar may press into your dog’s skin instead of applying pressure around his neck. If it’s too loose, it won’t function properly and may fall off.
The prong collar should sit above your dog’s trachea when he’s in a calm state. When your dog pulls on the leash, however, gravity will pull the prongs down around his trachea which will tighten when he pulls back against it.
Your dog’s collar should be a snug fit.
It should fit like a choker chain. It shouldn’t be tight enough to choke your dog when you pull on it, but it shouldn’t be loose enough that it can slip off over their ears or head.
Generally speaking, two fingers should fit between the collar and your dog’s neck. If you can only fit one finger between the collar and your dog’s neck, the collar is too tight; if you can fit more than three fingers, the collar is too loose.
A prong collar should be worn high on your dog’s neck.
To make sure your dog is comfortable and the collar is providing appropriate correction, you want to be sure it fits just right. A prong collar should be snug, but not too tight. It should sit high on your dog’s neck, between his ears and under the jawline. If you can fit more than one finger under the collar, it’s too loose. If you can’t fit one finger under the collar, it’s too tight.
A prong collar shouldn’t be used to correct every single behavior.
- Use a prong collar as a training tool
- Use the prong collar to stop your dog from pulling on their leash
- Use the prong collar when you need to correct an off-leash behavior
- Keep your dog and others safe
The prongs shouldn’t pinch the skin.
If the prongs are pinching the skin, it’s too tight. The prongs should be snug against your dog’s neck, but they shouldn’t be digging into the skin at all. If you can fit a finger between the collar and your dog’s neck, it is too loose.
you want the right amount of slack so that when you do pull on a leash for correction, the prongs pinch/pinch and release/pinch as you tug on the leash
Don’t use a prong collar with an extendable leash.
If you’re training your dog to walk on a prong collar, don’t use an extendable leash. This combination can cause injury for both you and your pup. When your dog bolts, the snap of the prong on the metal bar can cause him to yelp or squeal in pain. He could also be injured by his head being snapped back when the metal rod hits him in the face. And while trying to keep control of your dog, you could easily be hit in the face by the extending part of the leash as well.
When using a prong collar, be sure to keep it paired with a fixed-length leash that’s not going to snap back at either of you—and remember that it should only be used as a temporary measure until you’ve trained good behavior!
A properly fitted prong collar can give you more control and keep your dog safe.
A properly fitted prong collar can give you more control and keep your dog safe. Here’s how to fit yours.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, here are a few things to know. First, the purpose of a prong collar is to train your dog not to pull on the leash. As such, it should only be used during training sessions and never left on your dog when he is off-leash or unattended. Second, all tools have their limitations – which means that if you are having trouble keeping your dog from pulling on the leash despite using a properly fitted prong collar, it may be time to call in a professional trainer or behavioral consultant for some help with this training issue.