Hi POB Family,

We’ve recently received some feedback on our upcoming event, Understanding Prong, Remote, and Bark Collars with Balanced Pack K9 Training, and would like to address those concerns, and explain why we chose to schedule this event.

As a pet store catering to all different types of dogs from various backgrounds, we carry a wide variety of training tools. From walking harnesses and training treats to clickers and muzzles, we try to cover all of our bases, and that includes prong, bark, and remote/e-collars. 

Prong, bark, and e-collars are not our first recommendation. It’s not even brought up in the conversation at all unless the customer asks about it. Often, when we’re talking to customers about these tools, it’s because they specifically asked about them. They came to us looking for these tools either at the instruction of their trainer or out of desperation after having exhausted other methods of training.

We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff and can assure you that every new staff member goes through training on how to properly fit harnesses, and how to have the conversation around these tools. We ask the customer what brought them to choosing these tools, and if they haven’t talked about working with a trainer, that is the first thing we recommend. There have been numerous occasions where a customer has come in searching for these types of tools, and have left with a walking harness, treats, and the contact information for a positive-based dog trainer. 

Sometimes, however, the customer feels that they need to use these tools, and we don’t shame them for doing so because we understand the difficult choices pet parents are forced to make when they are having significant behavioral issues with their furry loved one. We believe that if someone has decided to use one of these tools we have a responsibility to our community, both human and dog members, to do everything we can to inform on how to use them safely.

We feel that our stance on these tools is in line with the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior in that these tools “should not be used as a first-line or early-use treatment for behavior problems.” Our intention is not to promote these tools in a positive way or as the first method to attempt. We wanted to provide the opportunity to those customers in need. We wanted to give them a chance to ask questions from a trained professional in these devices instead of misusing them and causing harm or injury to their dog.

We sincerely appreciate the members of our community who took the time to reach out to us and express their concerns. We value the feedback of our customers and happily encourage the conversation about these training tools. 

Thank you for being a fantastic community of customers. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you!

Sincerely,

Pets on Broadway