Unsuspecting pet owners are being urged to avoid purchasing a line of “extremely cruel” training devices. Although metal pronged collars are illegal to import into Australia, they aren’t strictly prohibited in most states and are sold by “unscrupulous” dealers.
The metal collars control behaviour by pinching a dog’s neck with blunted points when pulled, but are considered by the RSPCA to be inhumane because they can cause injury, pain and suffering.
When a juvenile dog was surrendered last week in NSW, it was discovered to be wearing one of the devices
Pictures supplied to Yahoo News show at least 16 prongs on the short, metal, chain collar.
A woman with knowledge of the incident said the animal’s behavioural issues were so bad that it had gone through two owners, the second of whom had only lasted a couple of days.
It had been wearing the collar most of its short life, likely contributing to its ill temper.
“The dog had major problems, but when vets removed the collar, its behaviour immediately changed,” she told Yahoo News.
Curious about the collar, she placed it around her neck, but could only withstand the pain for any more than a minute.
“It’s excruciating pain — it actually stabs your neck,” she said.
“It can cause quite deep puncture wounds over time because it moves sideways and scrapes the top layer of skin away.”
MP reveals collars singled out in animal cruelty review
Because they train through negative reinforcement, the collars frequently result in pets fearing rather than trusting their owner.
The collars are prohibited for use in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania, but not in other states.
A simple search of major international retailers with a presence in Australia found them listed for sale at multiple online stores, with many manufactured in Germany and the USA.
However, Emma Hurst, an MP with the Animal Justice Party, explained that if a collar is being used and causing an animal to suffer, then it could be breaching cruelty laws in NSW.
The collars have been repeatedly singled out during a review of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in NSW, leading to hope within pet welfare circles that they could soon be further restricted.
“Experts in this space now recognise that they are extremely cruel,” Hurst told Yahoo News.
In 2025, dogs feel part of many Aussie families. Source: Getty
Pet owners urged to ditch pronged collars
The Christmas holidays are traditionally a time when people either spend more time with their pets or acquire new animals.
If anyone has unsuspectingly bought a pronged collar without realising how harmful they are, then Hurst advises them to dispose of it immediately.
“We need to make sure that people aren’t using them, not realising how much they’re causing a dog to suffer when it’s entirely unnecessary,” she said.
Most puppies require some sort of training, and Hurst urges their owners to seek out behavioural experts who use positive reinforcement, rather than “cruel” control devices.
“We recognise dogs now as members of the family,” she said.
“Causing them to develop pain and fear towards the people that are there to care for them is entirely unnecessary.”
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