I tend to agree with ToffeeMom. We have SO many dogs who come into our training facility with reactivity issues that have been exacerbated by the prong. I have allowed prongs to be put on two dogs - a huge lab whose owner had a serious back injury, and mastiff x of over 140 pds who was owned by an 80 pd woman. In both cases they were given a (free) private lesson on the proper use of the prong before they were allowed to leave with it, and they were monitored with follow up lessons. The use of a prong doesn't reflect the dogs ability to learn - it reflects the owners ability to train. It attempts to "even up" the playing field, but at the expense of the dog. I have seen very, very few people use a prong properly.
The reality is that the prong doesn't deal with her reactivity - it just changes her reaction with the prong is on. It allows you to exercise her (assuming you are using the prong properly, and not causing increased reactivity), but if you are planning on doing dogsports with her, the prong will need to be phased out. As a side note, it takes months, years, or even a lifetime to deal with reactivity sometimes - 8 weeks of obedience/agility lessons is a start...but it's not long enough to deal with an ingrained issue.
Now, for the other side of the argument. As much as we criticize people with prongs, the reality is that most people (including many trainers) don't have the training skills to deal with reactivity on their own, and life with a reactive dog can be miserable. You really seem to have the best interests of your dog at heart, so all I would suggest is to watch your dogs behaviour (even document it) to make sure your dog isn't become more reactive. Reactivity tends to creep up - many people don't realize how bad it's gotten until weeks after the dog first started showing increased indicators. Explore training options - if a dog trainer suggests putting a prong on a reactive dog as a permanent solution, walk away. The goal should be to get the dog OFF the prong, and a trainer suggesting a prong on a reactive dog shows a lack of understanding about reactivity.
I understand your frustration - I went through a period of reactivity with one of my dogs recently, and it turned out it was related to his food. It took me a few months to figure out, and those were some of the most frustrating months of my life, so you have my complete sympathy.
Best of luck!
The reality is that the prong doesn't deal with her reactivity - it just changes her reaction with the prong is on. It allows you to exercise her (assuming you are using the prong properly, and not causing increased reactivity), but if you are planning on doing dogsports with her, the prong will need to be phased out. As a side note, it takes months, years, or even a lifetime to deal with reactivity sometimes - 8 weeks of obedience/agility lessons is a start...but it's not long enough to deal with an ingrained issue.
Now, for the other side of the argument. As much as we criticize people with prongs, the reality is that most people (including many trainers) don't have the training skills to deal with reactivity on their own, and life with a reactive dog can be miserable. You really seem to have the best interests of your dog at heart, so all I would suggest is to watch your dogs behaviour (even document it) to make sure your dog isn't become more reactive. Reactivity tends to creep up - many people don't realize how bad it's gotten until weeks after the dog first started showing increased indicators. Explore training options - if a dog trainer suggests putting a prong on a reactive dog as a permanent solution, walk away. The goal should be to get the dog OFF the prong, and a trainer suggesting a prong on a reactive dog shows a lack of understanding about reactivity.
I understand your frustration - I went through a period of reactivity with one of my dogs recently, and it turned out it was related to his food. It took me a few months to figure out, and those were some of the most frustrating months of my life, so you have my complete sympathy.
Best of luck!