# Electronic Training Collars



## HoneyQ (Dec 27, 2013)

Hello everyone,

My 1 year old girl listens at home and when in our yard - her recall is fine. However, when I take her out on the trails hiking it’s a whole different story. As soon as I let her off leash she runs like the wind and she’s off to the races and she disregards my recall commands. Due to this I limit the amount of time I let her off leash – feel bad cause she really likes to run. Yesterday when I was hiking I came across two dogs that were off-leash and they both had training collars on. Both owners told me that their dogs used to do exactly what my dog does and the collars helped significantly with recall. With that said I would like to know if anyone here currently uses (or has used in the past) the collars and of so could you provide a recommendation and feedback. Appears that Tritronics is a top seller. I’ve read quite a few negative reviews on Sport Dog regarding customers having problems with the warranty. This would be strictly for hiking as I am not a hunter. Appreciate the help.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

I have been using it with both my dogs. The most important aspect of the e-collar is to have a good trainer to help you condition your dog to it. It is not a magical tool, only used for known commands and the dog needs to be conditioned to it.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

All of my dogs are 'field' trained dogs. We use e collars for training, as our dogs are in the field where deer, rabbits, etc. can appear at any moment. If our dogs are not well trained for recall, we could easily lose them. 

BUT, just putting an e-collar on the dog will do nothing and may actually harm the dog emotionally. Thus collar is a training aid and as such if misused it is dangerous. Both the dog and the trainer must be conditioned/ trained to use the collar. It is not an overnight training effort like an invisible fence. It take much more time and effort. 

If you want to get an e-collar, find a field trainer who will work with you and your dog to get conditioned to using the collar, and give you the knowledge necessary to use the e-collar. Do this, and you will have a dog that is obedient all of the time. 

Good Luck...

As far as brand, I prefer Tritronics, although since they have been purchased by Garmin, the jury is still out on their quality and service support.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

Claudia M said:


> I have been using it with both my dogs. The most important aspect of the e-collar is to have a good trainer to help you condition your dog to it. It is not a magical tool, only used for known commands and the dog needs to be conditioned to it.


Hi Claudia,
Brilliant minds think a like!....:wavey:


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## HoneyQ (Dec 27, 2013)

Thanks everyone. Appreciate the feedback. Will definitely try to find a trainer here in NY that can help with this.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I totally agree about the potential downsides already mentioned in this thread. E-collars can cause huge problems when people put them on dogs and use the button to punish undesired behavior. Especially when the dog is highly distracted and you dial the thing way up to break through the distraction (as some uninformed people do when they first buy one).

You can develop strong off-leash recall without one, btw. We are major hikers and trail runners with our dogs, and you can have highly reliable recall in the woods by building up the skill and proofing it. Dogs blow you off because they are distracted, not because they are willful, so you need to teach them how to behave while distracted. That doesn't require electronic stimulus if you don't want to use it.

I don't have a good off-leash recall post on my blog yet, so I don't have detailed instructions to point you too, but here are two grown Goldens (mine) and a puppy (my mom's) doing off-leash recalls and sit-stays in the woods with no e-collars. In that post, the puppy is getting rewarded with treats at the end of the recall, but she is not being lured with them.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

a rather good article:

High tech dog training – Old Town Crier


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

Mike Lardy has a collar conditioning dvd that is a good help but if you have never done it yourself before - get professional help!!!

E collars are a great tool and can be extremely effective. They can also destroy the confidence of a dog and even cause physical harm. It is all about know when to correct, how much to correct, and when NOT to correct.

Many trainers can give you the help you need in a couple of hours of one on one training so you can do it yourself if you think you are able. They can collar condition the dog in about a week if you would rather they do it.

Good Luck and yes, Tritronics is the way to go. Check out www.collarclinic.com


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

tippykayak said:


> I totally agree about the potential downsides already mentioned in this thread. E-collars can cause huge problems when people put them on dogs and use the button to punish undesired behavior. Especially when the dog is highly distracted and you dial the thing way up to break through the distraction (as some uninformed people do when they first buy one).
> 
> You can develop strong off-leash recall without one, btw. We are major hikers and trail runners with our dogs, and you can have highly reliable recall in the woods by building up the skill and proofing it. Dogs blow you off because they are distracted, not because they are willful, so you need to teach them how to behave while distracted. That doesn't require electronic stimulus if you don't want to use it.
> 
> I don't have a good off-leash recall post on my blog yet, so I don't have detailed instructions to point you too, but here are two grown Goldens (mine) and a puppy (my mom's) doing off-leash recalls and sit-stays in the woods with no e-collars. In that post, the puppy is getting rewarded with treats at the end of the recall, but she is not being lured with them.


Just a brief comment on this topic ...that field trail and hunt test people run their dogs without the use of the e collars. They are used only for training, when competing/testing they are not used or allowed....


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

goldlover68 said:


> Just a brief comment on this topic ...that field trail and hunt test people run their dogs without the use of the e collars. They are used only for training, when competing/testing they are not used or allowed....


Yes, absolutely. Thank you for clarifying that. I was responding to the scenario the OP describes of running into trained dogs still wearing them.


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## shepherdpal (Oct 8, 2013)

This site has some great articles about choosing and using e-collars and the forum has many helpful trainers. 
Balanced Trainers

They were quite helpful, along with a very good trainer in helping me learn to use and e-collar on Benny, my GSD. I like to have many off leash hikes with my dogs and want as bomb proof a recall as possible. I have not started Pippin on the e-collar yet and may not, because his recall under distraction, is much better at 8 months than my GSD's was.

I agree with those who said it is imperative to be trained how to use it. Also important to get a good one with lots of levels, ( tritronics, dogtra ect). The e-collar sold at big box stores like Pet Smart do not have enough levels. They can go from a dog not feeling it , to a level that is way to high. The dogtra I use on my GSD has 127 levels. After the first few months of training when he was 1 year old, I rarely have to use it with him ( he is now 5) and he gets to go hiking, to the beach and lots of off leash places.

I am sure you can get as good a recall on some dogs without an e-collar but with many dogs it makes a big difference and allows them to enjoy off leash adventures safelythat they other wise couldn't


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## Susabelle (Oct 7, 2014)

Claudia M said:


> I have been using it with both my dogs. The most important aspect of the e-collar is to have a good trainer to help you condition your dog to it. It is not a magical tool, only used for known commands and the dog needs to be conditioned to it.


Excellent advice, this is not a tool to try to figure out on your own. It can be a great tool, but I recommend finding an experienced trainer to help you with it. When choosing a trainer, please go visit their facility and watch their dogs. They should be eager to work when the collar comes out. If they are not excited to see the collar, then you need to keep looking for a trainer.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> I totally agree about the potential downsides already mentioned in this thread. E-collars can cause huge problems when people put them on dogs and use the button to punish undesired behavior. Especially when the dog is highly distracted and you dial the thing way up to break through the distraction (as some uninformed people do when they first buy one).


As a professional dog trainer, I completely agree with this post. You dont want to win the battle, but lose the dogs sense of being at home in the world, the dog's trust in you, or create fearful, neurotic behavior. There are lots of studies about fall out from e collars. Why take the risk? Buy a copy of Leslie Nelson's Really Reliable Recall or sign up for Susan Garrett's Five Minute Recall. It is more than possible to create a splendid recall with no shocking. The Vice President of AKC recently went on Fox to say please not to use E collars.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Ljilly28 said:


> As a professional dog trainer, I completely agree with this post. *You dont want to win the battle, but lose the dogs sense of being at home in the world, the dog's trust in you, or create fearful, neurotic behavior.* There are lots of studies about fall out from e collars. Why take the risk? Buy a copy of Leslie Nelson's Really Reliable Recall or sign up for Susan Garrett's Five Minute Recall. It is more than possible to create a splendid recall with no shocking. *The Vice President of AKC recently went on Fox to say please not to use E collars.*



Both bolded statements are completely misleading. Only a trainer who has no clue what he/she is doing would cause that in a dog with or without the e-collar. Secondly the woman on Fox did not represent the AKC views and she has absolutely no training experience. AKC caught a lot of heat because her unprofessional-ism and lack of knowledge.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

ljilly28 said:


> as a professional dog trainer, i completely agree with this post. You dont want to win the battle, but lose the dogs sense of being at home in the world, the dog's trust in you, or create fearful, neurotic behavior. There are lots of studies about fall out from e collars. Why take the risk? Buy a copy of leslie nelson's really reliable recall or sign up for susan garrett's five minute recall. It is more than possible to create a splendid recall with no shocking. The vice president of akc recently went on fox to say please not to use e collars.


*as noted above, your information is misleading! Seems you that do not agree with ecollar use, will say of do anthing to make you point! Do a bit more research and you will see that the fox news interveiw has already be totally discredited by akc!*


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## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

Since I'm in the process of introducing Ella to field work to see if she is interested I did just a little bit of research (only a little so I apologize if anything is incorrect). From what I gather an e-collar is a _training tool_ which can be very helpful and effective _if used the correct way._ If used incorrectly it can do more harm than good. If you don't know what your doing you need a trainer who does know what they're doing. It is also only a _training tool_ in that it won't train your dog by itself. If the dog doesn't know, say recall for example, you can't just put the e-collar on the dog and expect the dog to know what he/she is supposed to do. Also, according to the trainer I'm using with Ella, who does do e-collar conditioning, he said that it does not work with every dog.

Also, just so I don't give any false impressions I have not used an e-collar before and Ella has not reached that point in the training yet. This is only based on looking it up and talking to the trainer, not based on personal experience.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

ktkins7 said:


> Since I'm in the process of introducing Ella to field work to see if she is interested I did just a little bit of research (only a little so I apologize if anything is incorrect). From what I gather an e-collar is a _training tool_ which can be very helpful and effective _if used the correct way._ If used incorrectly it can do more harm than good. If you don't know what your doing you need a trainer who does know what they're doing. It is also only a _training tool_ in that it won't train your dog by itself. If the dog doesn't know, say recall for example, you can't just put the e-collar on the dog and expect the dog to know what he/she is supposed to do. Also, according to the trainer I'm using with Ella, who does do e-collar conditioning, he said that it does not work with every dog.
> 
> Also, just so I don't give any false impressions I have not used an e-collar before and Ella has not reached that point in the training yet. This is only based on looking it up and talking to the trainer, not based on personal experience.



Thanks, and really a good comment...I agree with most of it, but none of my field trainers over the last 25 years, I have used 4 different ones, ever told me that some dogs could not be conditioned to ecollar training. 

If you are aware of the Force Fetch (FF) procedures, the last step in the modern day training, is to move to ecollar training. So the ecollar use is now a step in completing the force fetch training. Although, FF can be done without the ecollar, it still is used by most as part of the FF training process. FF is critical training for a field dog, not only does it train the proper 'hold' and 'drop' command but reinforces obedience and lays the foundation or all future training with the ecollar!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Claudia M said:


> Both bolded statements are completely misleading. Only a trainer who has no clue what he/she is doing would cause that in a dog with or without the e-collar.


When you train a lot of pet dogs, you see a ton of dogs with problems along the lines that LJilly describes. I see it too.

I guess it depends on how you define "a trainer who has no clue what he/she is doing," but there sure are a lot of kind-hearted, well-intentioned people who do a lot of research, use an e-collar carefully, and still end up with exactly the problems LJilly describes. I would not describe those people as having "no clue what he/she is doing," though perhaps you are including them in that definition.


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## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

If I remember right its not that you can't use it with every dog, it might of been that some dogs take to it better than others. Sorry about that.

We're no where near force fetch. We only had the first lesson which is starting obedience. We're working on heel, sitting to a whistle, and staying in place while I circle around her. We touched on recall but that's it.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

HoneyQ said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> My 1 year old girl listens at home and when in our yard - her recall is fine. However, when I take her out on the trails hiking it’s a whole different story. As soon as I let her off leash she runs like the wind and she’s off to the races and she disregards my recall commands. Due to this I limit the amount of time I let her off leash – feel bad cause she really likes to run.


If you decide to do the ecollar route, please make sure it's with the help of a professional trainer. There's no quick fix and there's training involved....

Without going the ecollar route... it will primarily take time before you can trust your dog offleash. 

A lot of people who have their dogs off leash and miraculously "trained" to stay close.... they benefit from some imprinting that occurs if you have an older dog who is trained to stay close or check in.

My Jacks was about 3 years old before I trusted him off leash while out hiking. Totally different than at home where he pretty much was offleash or dragging a leash from day one. 

By the time I brought Bertie home, Jacks was already off leash on hikes and very trustworthy. Literally he trained Bertie to check in and stay close on hikes. So Bertie pretty much would drag a leash on hikes just in case, but I trusted him off leash the whole time. 

^^^ The reason why I'm pointing all this out is because sometimes you have people looking around and seeing other people with dogs offleash. How people get to that point takes different lengths of time depending on the dog. 

Me personally, I'd just keep the leash on and give your dog a little more time to grow up. And keep training, not just to get a recall wherever you happen to be, but to build that stronger bond with your young dog.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

tippykayak said:


> When you train a lot of pet dogs, you see a ton of dogs with problems along the lines that LJilly describes. I see it too.
> 
> *I guess it depends on how you define "a trainer who has no clue what he/she is doing...
> 
> ...


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## elly (Nov 21, 2010)

Hello, may I please just post a friendly reminder to keep posts polite and civil. These subject types often tend to become inflammatory, please make this one an exception  Thank you. :crossfing


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

The APDT gets to decide what is professional and unprofessional for trainers. Many CPDT-KA dog trainers feel strongly that E collars are inappropriate training tools. There is no need to get all personal. I am not offended, because it shows off a level of irrational emotion and anger that simply proves the point to go so far into attack mode like that.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Have you used a long line for off leash distance training? Those can really help for control when you are learning, but it is a lot of work to stay near the rope. I used one a lot for Pearl this past spring when she was learning to camp at a campground off-leash. It is a great place we can let dogs run, but I wanted her to learn to stick around, and also to be very responsive to my recall or "stay here" command. 

There are many other training options to get a good recall before you go to an ecollar. The book Control Unleashed is really good. Recalls are tough, because they start with focus on you, so you really have to begin even at the point of the dog getting out of your vehicle. I am no expert trainer, but we live life offleash so a good recall is critical and I work hard at maintaining it. There is also a DVD called "really reliable recall" which is good too.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Boy is that comment way over the line. This is how these conversations get totally poisonous: when people lose their cool and make it personal. Check me out of this one.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

I just stated the facts and used a quote from one of the folks above, *"a trainer who has no clue what he/she is doing"*, not my words... Nothing I posted was inflammatory, nor meant to be inflammatory, just stating the facts on the fox news story! 

I will also 'check out' now to keep the ADM happy....


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

tippykayak said:


> When you train a lot of pet dogs, you see a ton of dogs with problems along the lines that LJilly describes. I see it too.
> 
> I guess it depends on how you define "a trainer who has no clue what he/she is doing," but there sure are a lot of kind-hearted, well-intentioned people who do a lot of research, use an e-collar carefully, and still end up with exactly the problems LJilly describes. I would not describe those people as having "no clue what he/she is doing," though perhaps you are including them in that definition.


Fact is you can "lose the dogs sense of being at home in the world, the dog's trust in you, or create fearful, neurotic behavior" with or without the e-collar. 

Even though I already learned how to use it and train with it I was still afraid to use it with Darcy and asked for the help of a good trainer (same one who helped me with Rose). She was crated long hours with a bark collar on her before we adopted her. Talk about fearful and neurotic behavior! 

A year later, Darcy gets happy and excited when she sees the e-collar - I get it on her and as she still manages to wait for her name to run out the door; she goes straight to the car and sits there for me to open it for her so she can go training. And she has not had the e-collar active on her but since this year in July. Every weekend when I put my training clothes on they run to the place where the e-collars are. 

And frankly, if the trainer does not see the early signs of the mis-use of the e-collar with any particular dog then they honestly do not know what they are doing and therefore destroying the dog. 

Rose is on Dogtra level 24; Darcy is on level 16. If anyone is familiar with them they are both very low levels (I can hold it on my wrist, neck, body and barely feel them). I once forgot to change the setting from Rose to Darcy. The trainer chewed my behind for that. And I am just training alongside him. THAT is a good trainer. I never ever made that mistake again. 

What the OP and anyone who considers training their dog in any venue and with any training tools they should IMHO opt for a trainer and ask to go, watch, observe their training methods. If you like what you see then ask for help. And not only that but ask the trainer to be honest with you as far as is my dog going to make it in the venue I am pursuing or should I move on to something else! Know your dog and love your dog enough to move to something else and pursue your own dreams at the dog's detriment.


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## Capt Jack (Dec 29, 2011)

HoneyQ I use Petsafe E-collars but I rarely if ever use the "shock" I trained mine to the beep & then just if they don't respond to recall(rarely) Jack & Sweetie are also trained to a wireless fence so when they hear the beep they know it's time to back off. I'd say work more on recall & I agree with the long leash idea first.(note my sig. pic.) The e-collar should be used only as a last resort. I also agree that it's not for every dog & a trainer should be seen first. Good luck


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I personally don't believe in feeding raw for a variety of reasons, all of which I can back up with scientific data. 
But when someone comes on the forum and says they are considering feeding raw, or asks how to go about doing so, I don't feel it's up to me to post my personal opinions on why they shouldn't do it, no matter how strong my opinions might be, or to cite scientific data showing why raw feeding isn't optimal. The posters are asking people who do feed raw how they should go about it, and they deserve to get polite advice in response to the actual question they asked, not an attempt on my part to sway them not to feed that way.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

Ljilly28 said:


> The APDT gets to decide what is professional and unprofessional for trainers. Many CPDT-KA dog trainers feel strongly that E collars are inappropriate training tools. There is no need to get all personal. I am not offended, because it shows off a level of irrational emotion and anger that simply proves the point to go so far into attack mode like that.


 
Ahhh, if only there was just one place to go to check on what is appropiate and what is not appropiate. Just as there are multiple authorities on how to raise your children it seems that there are as much controversy on dog training - maybe more if you read this forum often! 

Personally, I don't care to stand behind what "many" feel is inappropiate. After all, I know many, if not most, field trainers that use e collars and I know many, if not most, obedience trainers that do not. Is one right and the other wrong? My best guesstimate is both are right if it works for them and their dogs and their goals.

My personal opinion is that clickers are useless pieces of junk that get in the way of any training. I don't have a third arm to hold it and I already have a treat in one hand and the dog in another. Many people love them but I would never try to stop them from using them because I think someone made a fortune making this worthless thing.

So, use the training method and tools that work for you and for your dog and let others have the freedom to use the methods and tools that work for them.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

HoneyQ said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> My 1 year old girl listens at home and when in our yard - her recall is fine. However, when I take her out on the trails hiking it’s a whole different story. As soon as I let her off leash she runs like the wind and she’s off to the races and she disregards my recall commands. Due to this I limit the amount of time I let her off leash – feel bad cause she really likes to run. Yesterday when I was hiking I came across two dogs that were off-leash and they both had training collars on. Both owners told me that their dogs used to do exactly what my dog does and the collars helped significantly with recall. With that said I would like to know if anyone here currently uses (or has used in the past) the collars and of so could you provide a recommendation and feedback. Appears that Tritronics is a top seller. I’ve read quite a few negative reviews on Sport Dog regarding customers having problems with the warranty. This would be strictly for hiking as I am not a hunter. Appreciate the help.


If the OB is good in controlled environments ie the dog knows what Sit, Here, and Heel means, you're ready to introduce an electronic collar for OB commands. There is a process to doing so and I would suggest obtaining a copy of Mike Lardy's Collar conditioning DVD. It will take you step by step through the process showing proper timing with the collar. 

Tritronics makes very good collars. I would suggest checking the Collar Clinic for a refurbished Pro 500 or Pro 100. I like the old XL and XLS models and you can save a ton of money if they have on of those in stock rather than buying a new one. Stay away from the models older than that because they can be much "hotter" than you really need or want.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Personally I like the Bill Hillmann methods of e-collar training. You can find his DVD on Hawkeyes Media. Bill uses the e-collar to reinforce a command, not as a correction. He keeps it at a very low level of nic. It is an interesting video worth watching. I believe it's called the Soft Collar Method or something like that. His intention is to be able to communicate with our pets over a longer distance than a leash can reach. 

In the meantime before you get going on an e-collar, try keeping your dog on a long line all the time. Something light that they can drag everywhere. You'll be able to get ahold of them and have a better chance of making a correction than you will completely off leash.

P.S. I have learned in the case of rotting dead salmion along creeks in my area, that no amount of e-collar nic will get my dogs to stop from munching on them and come back to me. So don't expect the e-collar to be perfect!


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## shepherdpal (Oct 8, 2013)

I found much support when beginning to use e-collar on my GSD 5 years ago from this forum which also has many articles. There are many trainers who use e-collars among other tools and have a very balanced approach.

Home - Balanced Trainers


I recently purchased this collar at a much lower price from a trainer on the forum

Remote Dog Trainers | Remote Training Collar | Hunting Dog Remote Trainer | Remote E-Collar | (260) 357-0051 : 1 Pro Educator PE-900 1/2 Mile Advanced Training System


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

hotel4dogs said:


> I personally don't believe in feeding raw for a variety of reasons, all of which I can back up with scientific data.
> But when someone comes on the forum and says they are considering feeding raw, or asks how to go about doing so, I don't feel it's up to me to post my personal opinions on why they shouldn't do it, no matter how strong my opinions might be, or to cite scientific data showing why raw feeding isn't optimal. The posters are asking people who do feed raw how they should go about it, and they deserve to get polite advice in response to the actual question they asked, not an attempt on my part to sway them not to feed that way.


I have thought about his a bit and have to say I disagree. IMO one great thing about forums is the knowledge gained from sidebars. 

But I wanted to add more of my experience, because I didn't in my original post. I have a girl who I have used an ecollar with. She has been predominantly trained with a clicker and positive methods. When it comes to animals/wildlife (deer, cows, even moose), her brain switches back to wolf of something. She completely loses any sort of connection with me. It got progressively worse to the point where I wasn't able to take her on off leash walks anymore. There is too much risk in MT if a dog chases animals that it will get shot. Aside from that, I strongly believe it is wrong to let my dog chase wildlife. Leash walks weren't an option for us IMO, it was not what I wanted for the dogs. I used the ecollar on top of the positive training. I used the beeper mostly, an e-stimulation was reserved for initial training (hardly an ear flick), or a really bad situation where we suddenly were on top of deer and she was bolting. I liked that I had that strong foundation so when she got a beep and I called her, she came sprinting back. She is now 8 and we haven't used it in ages. 

Now it is hunting season, and people leave carcasses all over the place. This morning's walk entailed her catching wind of one even before she got out of the truck. We usually do a settle in the truck to request to be let out, then reorient and sit/stay until we are ready to go. That fell apart today. She took off, down the ravine, and hung out at the carcass. Argh, I started the walk hoping she would not want to be left behind, and that didn't work. So I had to go get her. When I get up to her, she does come to me.

Actually I think the big problem this morning was while I was waiting for Lila to settle, Pearl broke her stay off in that direction. I didn't realize it until I set Lila down, and she bolted like lightning. 

Instead of going back to the collar, I will return to the leash. For both of them. When she settles in the truck she will get leashed, get out and reorient to her sit stay. Then we will do some fun tricks, and start off on leash to get them going in the right direction. Then I will release her I hope it works, and I believe it will. We have had many regressions over the past few years and I usually am able to combat it by taking our training back one or more steps. 

Or maybe instead of letting them out as each one settles, I will wait until they both do it so we are moving forward as a team. I'm not sure about that, every day is a new adventure!

My point is that while I have used an ecollar, I think it is most effective with a solid foundation behind it. Not a quick fix for a pet person when your dog doesn't listen.


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## shepherdpal (Oct 8, 2013)

lhowemt said:


> I
> My point is that while I have used an ecollar, I think it is most effective with a solid foundation behind it. Not a quick fix for a pet person when your dog doesn't listen.


I agree whole heartedly. An e-collar should only be used after a dog is trained to reinforce known commands under distractions and should not be used without the knowledge of an experienced e-collar trainer.

I began using it on my GSD because though he had a solid recall and leave it, under heavy distraction, like hiking where there are wild turkeys he would blow me off and he was also reactive to other aggressive dogs. The e-collar has given him the chance to enjoy many off leash adventures safely.

Not sure what qualifies as a pet person, but my dogs are my pets as well as active family companions


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

By pet owner I am referring to not only myself, but also the OP. As opposed to a professional or expert/advanced trainer


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

One side note about e collars - my old boy is almost completely deaf. That happens when 13 is just around the corner. Without an e collar he would be have to be on a leash or in a fenced yard at all times. With the collar, he can be outside with me and I know I can "call" him with a low nick. He gets to continue with the life he has always known and he does not have to spend his old age in the house or on a leash.

I would not trade my collar for anything.


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