He entered the Navy in 1800, and evidently took part in the abortive British invasions of the Río de la Plata, as in 1807 he was appointed Lieutenant and commander of the schooner HMS Paz, taken as a prize at Montevideo.
In 1811, he was serving aboard HMS Africa, the flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Herbert Sawyer, the commander in chief of the North American station based at Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The following year, he transferred to HMS San Domingo, the flagship of Sawyer's successor, Vice Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren.
Later in 1813, Pring was appointed to the naval establishment on Lake Champlain, based at Ile aux Noix in the Richelieu River.
He was temporarily superseded by Commander Thomas Everard (who was senior to Pring) during several destructive raids against American outposts and depots on Lake Champlain during the late summer of 1813.
As was customary after any defeat, Pring faced a court martial between 18 and 21 August 1815 aboard HMS Gladiator, but was exonerated and honourably commended.