Prong collars, also called pinch collars, are metal chain collars for dogs that include links of prongs whose ends press into the dog’s neck.
When a dog pulls on leash, moves out of position, or is “corrected” with a quick snap of the leash, force is exerted on the dog’s neck through the points of contact of the prongs.
Force is also exerted in these situations when the dog is wearing a flat collar. A correction applied to a dog on a flat collar can also be uncomfortable or even harm the dog.
But when we look at the physics, we can see why the prong collar is more uncomfortable, painful, and potentially damaging.
The differences between the pressure effects of a prong collar and a flat collar on a dog’s neck are due to the different surface areas. The prongs convey the same amount of force from pulling or a correction as the flat collar does, but the force is focused into a much smaller area.
We are aware of this intuitively every day. If you are walking barefoot through your house, would you rather step squarely on a Lego piece or a paperback book? Putting a good portion of your weight on a Lego piece hurts, even if the piece is not sharp enough to cut you. Why can you walk on top of the snow in snowshoes, but if you try it in spike heels they will punch through the snow and the rest of you will probably follow? Your weight is the same, but the force is concentrated.
Here’s why a prong collar works more like stiletto heels than like the webbing of a snowshoe.
Why prong collars hurt:
Because you put pointy things on the inside of a collar, which you then pull tight around the animal’s neck when it doesn’t do what you want.
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