Prong collar and heel/here question

[dmac2681]

How long should I wait to start using a prong collar? I have a 9 week old Chessie who is doing pretty well on a lead but he gets a little hard headed. Also, is it too early to start teaching heel/here or should I just be focusing on the very basic commands? Thanks for the help!

[BIGINNER]

i wouldn't use the prong collar on a 9 week pup.. let her be a pup. has she been introduced to birds yet? i think you should start with "here" first, and work on heel later on. be patient. bond with the pup. she has plenty of time before she needs any "real" training. just my opinion though.

[DonF]

Why do you think nyou need a claw collar?

[dmac2681]

I don't necessarily feel like I NEED a claw collar, and certainly don't want to use one on a 9 week old puppy. I have read Butch Goodwin's book Retrievers, Inside and Out and he recommends a prong collar as a training collar. It doesn't, however, mention when this type of collar should be used. I'm not trying hurry things along but my dog will sometimes pull me the opposite direction or sometimes he will just stop walking. Most the time he does pretty well. He just seems so curious that he wants to control the walks we are on. I've definitely established myself as the leader of the pack. Maybe it's just him being a puppy and being so curious. Thanks for your help.

[Sharon]

I wouldn't use a prong ever but certainly not at 9 weeks. Come on too heavy with a Chessie and the dog will turn its back on you. Concentrate on bonding and socialization now.

my Chessie story;
We had a Chessie. It was my brother's dog. They tolerate others but tend to bond to one person. At 18 my bro went away after joining the RCMP. Everyday that dog would go to the end of the lane to look for my brother. This went on for months until one day Brownie was found dead at the end of the lane.

That's the kind of bond you want. It takes , patience , time and kindness.

[dmac2681]

Thanks Sharon! Yeah. I love this little guy! I'm sure he will be fine. He's doing great with everything! I just want to ask questions when something comes to mind.

[4dabirds]

look into clicker training youll never need one. check out the book culture clash by jean donaldson.

[RayGubernat]

I suggest you might want to look into a wonder lead instead of the prong collar, at least at first. It gets the point of the lesson across with much less pressure. I use it in conjunction with Paul Long's(Training Pointing Dogs) heel/whoa drill.

I cannot comment on using it with a Chessie or other retriever, but, I have used a waxed cotton rope on pretty young(16 wk) bird dog puppies with no apparent ill effects.

I do transition to a prong collar, but much later on(~9 months usually)... generally just prior to starting the steadying process. Oh and I use the larger size prong collar. The wire is much larger in diameter than the smaller prong collars and I feel the prongs are less aggressive.

RayG

[bumper52]

keep taking the dog for walks...you are on the right track.....allow the dog to explore, yet still maintain very passive control (at this young age) When the dog, gets stubborn, command here, quick tug, and start walking the other direction. When the the dog is 4 months old, begin putting on the pinch collar (may sure it fits properly) Begin introducing here, sit (on the whistle) and heel......light corrections at first. Because your pup will have been introduced to this during your walks you are doing now, this will be a piece of cake.....also, remember to take your dog to a safe place and let him walk without a lead (to develop his independence) With a chessie, they quickly catch on to that!!!!

[gonehuntin']

I suggest you might want to look into a wonder lead instead of the prong collar, at least at first. It gets the point of the lesson across with much less pressure. I use it in conjunction with Paul Long's(Training Pointing Dogs) heel/whoa drill.

RayG

Wonder lead is the real deal. I carry one with me all the time in my hunting vest. Don't waste your money on a prong collar; you don't need one. I've trained hundreds of dogs and have never used one.

What you WILL find useful is a heeling stick.

[Buckeye_V]

We use prong collars. They are called pwoer steering. 9 weeks is too young.

The wonder lead would not work for our issues. We only use it when everything else does not work.