I'm okay with them as long as they are used properly. I didn't really think I was using it correctly with Finn, so, I took it off of him after only a couple of days. But, I will say that I tested one at the pet store on my own leg, and, it didn't hurt at all! I figured if it didn't hurt on my bare skin, it wouldn't hurt Finn, either. And, he wasn't bothered by it at all. I tried the chain collar (choke collar) on my leg, too, and, was bruised for about a week. That sucked, so, I'll never use one of those. If I was trained properly on how to use the prong collar, I'd use one again, if it was necessary.