# E-Collar Training



## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

I started Ella with e-collar conditioning but I have admittedly not been able to do the training since the summer. I hurt my ankle and haven't been able to be on my feet enough to train her. And now I am having ankle surgery in February. We were going to a field trainer and were conditioning with sit, trying to find her threshold and working up to getting her sit on command a distance from me without running towards me when she gets the correction.

With my ankle surgery I'll be non weight bearing for 2 months  I'm hoping to do an online course or get a dvd so I can continue with her training on my own when I'm able to. I don't have a problem with the trainer I've been using, but even when my ankle is healed it just isn't working with my current 2nd shift work schedule. Other than group lessons he only does training in the evenings when I'm working, other than the group field work lessons which Ella is no where near ready for. I'm still at the point where I don't know if field work is something that she'll enjoy. She loves live birds but so far hasn't shown any interest in the dead ducks or wings they've used. The only other place I know around me (I'm in CT) has programs where the dog stays there for weeks at a time, and that's not something that I want to do.

Either way, whether or not I'm able to stay with that trainer is something else for later. Right now I'm hoping I can learn while I can't be on my feet. Any suggestions? I see that Leerburg has a ton of material but I'm not too familiar with them.


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

If you are looking for online classes, then the Fenzi academy has started offering gun dog classes:
Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - DS520: Gun Dog Foundations 2 - Retriever Training

These are reward based classes, so this won't help with e-collar training, but definitely should help with the foundation work. I took the first level and liked it. If you want to revisit the basics then maybe consider this. It is $65 for the Bronze level.

For DVDs, other more experience people may give better advice, but I really like the Bill Hillmann DVDs. Leerburg has some very good training videos, but I would steer clear of the older videos that feature Ed Frawley. Before he latched on to Michael Ellis, his training videos were not good. I'm surprised they still sell them.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

For E-collar conditioning, look for Total E-collar conditioning with Mike Lardy. It is very thorough and shows some good obedience work (required foundation prior to conditioning) as well.

It is available online Total E-Collar Conditioning


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## tpd5 (Nov 7, 2013)

BriGuy said:


> If you are looking for online classes, then the Fenzi academy has started offering gun dog classes:
> Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - DS520: Gun Dog Foundations 2 - Retriever Training.




If this is something you were interested in the person teaching the class is from CT. She could probably help you out in person as well. But as mentioned she does not train using an ecollar.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

On YouTube, look for Pat Nolan. He is very creative in his use of e-collars.

Depending on which brand of collar you have, look on YouTube for that manufacturers videos. They probably have some good instruction on there too.

I agree with Swampcollie, I like Lardy's video for CC.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Alaska7133 said:


> I agree with Swampcollie, I like Lardy's video for CC.


Lardy is very thorough. He runs through Obedience work that should be in place BEFORE you start to introduce the E-collar. I like the fact that he demonstrates how to properly use a long line when teaching a dog. How to hold it, where the placement of your hands should be, where your feet should be, etc. It is beneficial to see a skilled Professional demonstrating these exercises correctly.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Non field people have this impression I think, that we just push a button and the dog knows what we want them to do. I think of the collar as only a tool for reinforcing the command. If the dog doesn't know what "sit" means, no amount of hitting the button will change that. Some dogs figure it out quick. Other dogs are more challenging. Reilly was a super quick dog. I think 5 minutes and he understood. But he had been on our invisible fence for a few years, so he had an idea of what was going on. So he quickly made the connection between the whistle and the nick. We were a team. Lucy on the other hand.... Definitely not a team player.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Use this downtime to read and watch videos (more than once, each time you pick something new). 

As suggested above Mike Lardy Total E-Collar Conditioning and Total Retriever Training are very good. I personally like the way Mike Lardy explains how to condition the dog to the collar and how to teach the basic commands before introducing the collar also why he did or did not apply a correction for the dog. 

This is another link that I like - https://www.dobbsdogs.com/library/retrievers/index.html


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