What’s the Deal with Prong Collars?
If you look closely, you’ll see many balanced trainers using prong collars. Have you ever wondered why? Here’s what I’ve come up with after four years of using them to train dogs of all shapes and sizes.
Key misunderstandings
In my purely positive training days, I viewed prong collars as serious tools, only to be used on dangerous individuals belonging to power breeds like rotties and pit bulls. Without ever feeling them, I assumed they poked into dogs necks / hurt them, or were at the very least highly uncomfortable.
When I started exploring balanced training, I saw trainers and owners using prong collars on dogs of all shapes, sizes, and dispositions. And these dogs were not coming away with scars - they were just as happy as any other dog, and they were usually more well-behaved.
Now, do NOT try this at home - prong collars are for dogs ONLY, not humans - but being the crazy dog person I am, I had to try it on myself before I put it on my own dog. Underwhelmingly, it felt fine - no spikes poking into my neck, or anything inherently uncomfortable.
How they work
When dogs pull against regular collars, the pressure concentrates at the front of the dog’s neck. Dogs often learn that pulling against the collar gets them where they want to go, and they learn to keep pulling harder. In contrast, when dogs pull against a prong collar, the collar slightly constricts and the pressure is spread out evenly around the dog’s neck. Because prong collars distribute pressure in this way, they actually reduce the risk of tracheal damage, coughing, and injury. In fact, many of our clients find that switching to a prong collar immediately eliminates chronic coughing, gagging, and leash-related discomfort their dogs had on other collars.
Why are they effective?
The feeling of an activated prong collar - meaning, a prong collar with some tension on it - is mildly uncomfortable to many dogs. (I say many dogs because there are also some dogs who don’t care at all about the feeling.) It can be activated sharply in the form of a leash pop when delivering a correction, and it can also be activated super gently when you’re teaching a command with leash pressure. Many dogs care slightly more about this pressure than they do the pressure from a regular collar, making it easier for you to communicate with your dog while they’re wearing it.
Choosing a prong collar for your dog
If your dog is more than fifteen pounds, we recommend Herm Sprenger prong collars. Not all prong collars are created equal, and these are durable and well made. You can sometimes find them in stores, but you can find them easily online at retailers like Chewy (link here). We generally use the 2.25mm prongs on dogs 10-40lbs, and the 3.0mm size on dogs 40lbs +. If your dog’s neck is greater than the neck size listed on the collar, we recommend buying extra links, rather than buying the collar in a larger size. The links are super easy to add or remove as necessary.
If your dog is fifteen pounds or less, we recommend Kimberland Collars. They specialize in micro-prongs for teeny dogs in sizes small and ultralite! You can find a link to their page here.
Safety essentials
A few important safety tips to keep in mind:
Do not leave your dog unsupervised with a prong collar on.
Do not let your dog play with other dogs while wearing the collar.
Tools can fail. Use a backup when walking your dog with a prong collar. One way to do this is to attach a carabiner between the o-ring of the prong collar and your dog’s flat collar. That way, if you’ve put one of the links on incorrectly and the prong collar pops off, you will still have a hold of your dog.
Why we recommend them to our clients
Despite their tough appearance, prong collars are one of the safest and most humane tools you can use to help your dog walk better on the leash and learn basic commands. We recommend them because they work — and they work without causing pain, fear, or stress, like people in the ‘purely positive’ camp loudly claim.
Many owners struggle for months or even years with pulling, lunging, and general chaos on walks, trying every no-pull harness and flat collar without lasting results. With a prong collar, communication becomes clearer almost immediately. It allows even novice handlers to give gentle, consistent feedback their dogs understand, leading to faster progress and a stronger, more trusting relationship.
At the end of the day, we recommend prong collars because we’ve seen firsthand how much they help real dogs and real people. We’ve watched frustrated owners turn into confident leaders, and anxious, unruly dogs transform into calm, happy walking companions. It’s not about control or domination — it’s about clear communication, safety, and respect for both ends of the leash.
Want some help getting started?
Interested in trying out a prong collar on your own dog, but want some help getting started? If you’re in the San Diego area, we’d love to help you get the right collar, the right fit, and answer any questions you might have.
