Quote Originally Posted by shepgirl View Post
I'm still discussing the issue that Bckrazy mentioned with our trainer and she's looking into it since she said no one had thought of that but the possibility is there depending on the dog. By the way, she said to thank you for that genius moment....lol.
Oh jeez. I don't deserve any thanks! Just googling "prong collar issues", tons of websites with information & studies from knowledgable people come up. When you are using pain-based tools (I don't mean severe pain, just discomfort, of course) there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Even when implementing positive reinforcement training, you can accidentally reward bad habits, or use food or toys as a crutch. There are flaws in everything. It's just, some of the effects of using training tools and punishment are pretty serious and can be dangerous.

I totally agree with you, about trainers using correction collars... every single educated behaviorist or trainer I've met is vehemently against chokers, prongs, etc. I'm far from being skilled or experienced, but I know quite a few awesome trainers, and I trust their judgement. My trainers do approve of sensation harnesses, as a total last resort. They are a lot safer, gentler, and overall there is little room for error. And I've seen them work wonders with intense pullers.