This page has great illustrations for proper measuring. Hope it helps.
http://www.2houndsdesign.com/How-to-Measure-for-a-Martingale-Collar.html
Martingale vs Harness
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Lysh: the picture you just posted of your r/w looks exactly like my Shaye - she has managed to get out of the Easy Walk harness if it isn't really tight. I've always recommended the Easy Walk for control while walking, but running her with it is not a good idea because the rubbing makes her sore in her "armpits."
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Think those prong collars are illegal in most of Europa, and I'm also happy glad that that is the case. We don't live in the middle-ages anymore… there are lots of more dog-friendly ways to teach a dog not to pull on a leash. As you have to use a prong collar for that, something must be wrong with your insights on how dogs work if you ask me.
@Lysh: In Belgium we are allowed to have 5 dogs without a permit, and we don't have to pay dog-taxes.
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Please can somebody tell us ignorant ones what is a prong collar? Sounds a bit nasty!
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Thank you Voodoo. It looks horrendous and I think I'd rather my dog pulled.
Surely there are far better ways to train not to pull? It looks as though if a dog persists it could do damage? In my experience a Basenji with strong prey drive who sights prey would pull on the leash to get there despite any pain.
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In fact, it looks worse then it is. The prong collar works on the concept that evenly applied pressure is gentler and more effective on a dog's neck than the quick jerk and impact of a choke chain. And it's self-limited to as far as it can close, like a martingale, so in one way, it's better then a slip collar wich can be pulled much tighter.
But still I don't like it, and in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use it, it can easily and quickly ruin a dog. That's the main reason why those are illegal over here, together with the fact that you can easily learn a dog not to pull on the leash all the time with much gentler methods. Just takes a bit more time and patience.
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yuck! those prong collars look SO uncomfortable. i would hate to have that around my neck! i think you can just about get the same affect by using a martingale like this one and your dog will learn how to not pull.
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Prong collars indeed look nasty, and I personally have never used one, but know people who do. They are actually less likely to injure a dog's neck than a choke collar or even a "gentle leader". Dog anatomy is not the same as horse anatomy. Pulling the head sideways can cause problems. With a little dog, like a Basenji, pulling is less of an issue than it is with one that outweighs you…..
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Thank you Voodoo. It looks horrendous and I think I'd rather my dog pulled.
Surely there are far better ways to train not to pull? It looks as though if a dog persists it could do damage? In my experience a Basenji with strong prey drive who sights prey would pull on the leash to get there despite any pain.
Those collars look quite medieval, but they look worse than they are. They can cause far less damage than a regular slip (choke) collarnot only because they're limited slip but because they apply even pressure all the way around the neck, not in one place on the neck as does a slip collar.
They don't work by causing pain. Those prongs don't jab into their necks, turn the collar inside out (prongs pointing out), it'll still work, it works because it applies even pressure around the neck, sort of how mommy dog disciplines baby dog. It's like power steering for your dog, it take very little strength to be effective, that's why many service dogs wear them.
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We use martingales for our 2 b's, (www.halsbanden.com) - similar to those worn by whippets and greyhounds.
They work fine, and they can't pull out of them.
