I adopted a 2 yo Germain Shepard from the shelter about a month ago. I was the third owner of this dog. The dog has had zero accidents in the house and is generally an angel when inside. Once you get her outside, it's a different story. She pulled my wife to the ground when reacting to another dog and pulled me down a levey. In the past I will have never considered using a prong collar. They look like a mid eval torture device. But a watched a few YouTube videos on how effective they where and pulled the trigger. I almost didn't use the collar cause I was so riddled with guilt and thought it would ruin the relationship I had formed with the dog. Tonight I put the collar on and followed the suggestions on using them I learned from YouTube and oh my God. What a difference. The dog walked loose leash on the perfect heel position. We passed one dog and one correction put her back in heel. I would suggest this to anyone having problems walking their dog.

Best dog collar

Great quality, rounded spokes (the knockoffs have sharp ends). I do wish it came with some sort of fit guide, so that most people ordering could use it as a reference point.FYI to readers: The collar is supposed to fit very close to the head, not down on the neck (like a necklace).When removing/adding links, or taking the collar on/off, remove from a center link (with links on either end). It is very difficult to pinch the end links together to fit in with other links (not a design flaws, just the inflexible ends add too much resistance for an easy pinch).When correcting the dog while using this collar, pull horizontal to the dog’s shoulder, not up. A correction should be a slight tug, not a hard pull. You can hurt your dog by applying too much pressure, it should NOT be inflicting pain. It is unnecessary to give any more than a small pull, as the discomfort will be correction enough for your dog.

I have an 80 lb 9mo English Lab, Finn, who is (was) a terrible puller and we had tried everything to get him to walk properly. Nothing that worked with our previous Lab seemed to make any difference with our new furry beast. My petite wife hated walking him and my daughter stood no chance. Being out of options and getting more and more frustrated, I decided to look into prong collars - I was shocked to find that they aren’t the horrible torture devices some misinformed people make them out to be. The good ones aren’t sharp and they are safer because they don’t choke or damage the dog’s throat.After much research into how prong collars are fitted and used, I decided to buy the brand most recommended by trainers: Herm Sprenger. After removing two links to ensure a snug fit, I did about 15-20min of training in our backyard to acclimate my bud to the new collar. I immediately noticed that the collar allowed better communication between me and Finn. With the acclimation process done, I took him for a walk and ... well ... the results were nothing short of amazing. Here was a stubborn dog that zig-zagged, yanked, and lunged at people (in a friendly though inappropriate Lab way) who was now heeling with very little tension on the leash. This was on the first walk! The thing I noticed immediately was how little force it took to “correct” Finn and, most of the time, if he darted to sniff at something, the tension he created on his own was enough to bring him back to a heel. I cannot stress enough how transformative this collar has been and how much it has improved our enjoyment of walking Finn. No pulling, no choking, no stress.Finn is a stubborn dog and, in typical Lab tradition, had no issues hulking out and trying to drag us everywhere on other collars, regardless of the discomfort it caused him (and us). With the Herm Sprenger, and consistent training, Finn has become a pleasure to walk for the entire family. Finn gets so excited when he sees the collar, so clearly he doesn’t mind it either.Important take-aways:- Make sure the collar is fit snuggly around the upper part of the dog’s neck. I find our collar sits about an inch behind Finn’s ears.- Prong collars, when used correctly, don’t hurt your dog. I tried the collar on and even with a firm yank, there was no pain or damage to the unprotected skin of my neck. It’s a hard sensation to describe but it’s more like firm pressure that feels really odd...like if you were to take your finger tips, space them evenly around your neck, and press them firmly. It doesn’t hurt or choke.- The prongs are smooth and rounded. There is no way these can pierce your dog’s skin.- The Herm Sprenger Stainless Steel model is top-notch in terms of quality. No issues with it in the rain or with it getting wet.- You don’t need to yank on a prong collar for it to work. Most of the time you communicate with your dog by quick little pulls without using much force or you use even pressure-then-release. Even the occasional correction is just a slightly more firm “pop”. Watch some videos on YouTube to ensure you’re using this correctly. I highly suggest Solid K9 Training on YouTube.- Do NOT leave this collar on your dog all day or tie them up outside with it on. This is a training tool for walking and correcting inappropriate behaviour (e.g. jumping).- The collars can be a bit tough to clip on and off. You squeeze the arms of one of the links together to remove the collar. Smaller hands might find the links a bit challenging at first due to their thickness (3.25mm for this model). You can either buy the next size down (though will need extra links for a big dog) or get a Herm Sprenger with a quick release.- We’ve noticed a bit of very minor “greying” / discolouration around our dog’s neck when using this collar. I didn’t think the stainless steel version did this but, it’s not permanent nor excessive. It also doesn’t seem to always occur either. I believe Herm Sprenger makes another model (curogan) that supposedly doesn’t do this.- As noted, this collar fit our ~80lbs Lab (who will end up around 90lbs) with removing two links.I hope this review helps someone else who might be on the fence regarding using a prong collar. It truly made a huge difference in walking our dog.

Does exactly what it supposed to do but can be a little tricky to get on and off at first. You must pinch the prongs to put them in and pull them out of the loops. Our dog trainer is on board and we only use it when necessary (pull) or we don’t have treats handy. It’s comfortable on our 1 year old 45 lb dog. She’s fine with it unless we pull it. She’ll still pull some during walks but she’s still learning and my wrist and arm are no longer in pain. Now her 12-year-old can also take her for a walk without dragging her down the sidewalk. LOL

very good quality, obviously, if anybody is wondering about the size, i use it for my 90 lb german shepherd, the size of each individual link is perfect, despite the name says large, 3.2 is actually a medium, large is a 4, and that's way too big for most dogs, as for length, if i really wanted to put it on properly for training, i would take off 4, but it's not that convenient to put on and take off, and i walk my dog 3 times a day, so i usually just leave it at 3 off

I bought this for my 1 year old 90lb American bulldog x mastiff (power breed... who can easily drag me down the street!). It has totally transformed our walks AND her general behaviour outside. I don’t have to yank on it at all... just a slight movement with my finger is all it takes to get her attention and bring her focus back into me. I did watch a lot of YouTube videos to make sure the placement and sizing was done correctly and conditioned her to it so she understood what the pressure meant before going out on walks. After only a few training sessions under no/low distractions, I was able to walk her calmly through a busy farmers market with her in a beautiful heel position with her checking in and immediately sitting without asking when I’d stop. So many people were stopping and watching us in amazement on how well behaved and trained she was! It was great that I was able to show people that this “torture device” as many people view it as, to be the absolute opposite. She is no longer dragging me across the busy market to see another dog which is awesome. This tool is amazing IF you take the time to learn how to use it properly and condition your dog. Educating yourself is key and this tool will work well for you too.

Very strong and well made. I’m very conflicted about using this and put it on with a regular collar, using only when necessary. My very large 1 year old golden retriever gets very excited by blowing leaves, people and other dogs. This has stopped him from lunging and I don’t need it in those situations. Still working on the blowing leaves though, he would pull us under a truck without a second thought! It doesn’t seem to bother him but still I think it is a training tool not a permanent solution. Recommend watching videos on how to use properly.

After reading a few of the other reviews about making sure it was the genuine Herm Sprenger, it seems to be the right one. It works really well to help train our growing German Shepherd/Lab mix puppy. He really hated it at first, but caught on very quickly when he started pulling on his walks that he didn't like the pinching around his neck and stopped his pulling behavior instantly. Good quality and has held up to him trying to pull without causing any injury to the puppy or myself.

I have a 7 mo German Shepherd and she can be a bit of a puller. I have been walking her with a harness that does ok but on the way home from our walks she would drag me back to the house. I bought this based on people saying to get the herm sprenger vs. a store bought brand because the way they are made is better on the animal and it is better quality, which they were right. There’s no sharp points. The prongs are rounded and my pup does not seem to mind that it’s on her. I was a bit concerned to buy such a product but was also concerned about not being able to control her while training her to walk with me. I was also concerned about not being able to take it on and off her neck but it’s actually not that difficult. So glad I bought it. We’ve came a long way in our training since we bought this collar.

It does help with my dogs pulling urge. But not perfectly. Being malamutes their fur prevents a really solid correction. I took links out, it's now tough to get two fingers under the collar, but still so so. They get a correction by I'm being pulled on pretty hard before then.

***Be very careful of cheaper imitations of this original design. Other prong collars have pointed ends which inflict unnecessary pain and potential injury to dogs!! I'm all for generic medications and store-brand items, but with this product, Herm Sprenger is definitely a name to be used and trusted!! It was recommended by our dog trainer and works very well!!***The item description is accurate and it is a perfect fit for my dog. I can't believe how much easier it is to walk her without her pulling against the leash! She is a large chocolate Lab (~77 lbs) and, before this collar to help train her, my arm felt like it was being pulled out of its socket! Not anymore! The gentle prong reminders keep her next to me; if she doesn't pull against the leash, there isn't any discomfort. But, if she does see a person, cat, another dog, bird, etc. and wants to run, the blunt-ended prongs remind her to stay at my side. Well worth the price for comfort, durability and preventing injury to my beloved pet while training!

You can see the great quality in this collar. It is a little heavy and too my pup a couple of days to get used to. It's definitely working for my over reactive german shepherd. The only thing I don't like about it is that with my dog's very furry neck, the hair gets tangled in the prongs, but I guess you'd get that with any prong collar.