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 | So you've done your research and purchased the e-collar that you think is the right one for your dog. The day has come, and you're ready to begin training. You turn the collar on, strap it on your dog and start pushing buttons to figure out what level he can feel.
Low and behold -- nothing happens. So you turn the dial up and nothing happens. You... |
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 | One of the problems people encounter when utilizing a remote collar for training their dog is they inadvertently end up creating a dependency on the tool . Their dog listens to them just fine as long as the collar is on and not so much when the collar is off.
In other words, they create what some refer to as a "collar wise" dog.
I personal... |
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 | "When will my dog be able to go without the e-collar?"
This is one of the more frequent questions I hear when talking with prospective users about the possibility of adding an e-collar to their dogs training. For me, it is a little frustrating that often people are more concerned with when they can stop using it than they are with learning to prop... |
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 | Most people now understand that the milliamps generated from the receiver of these collars simply cannot generate enough heat necessary to do tissue damage. If you need further understanding of how milliamps compare to amps, do a bit of Google research or take a look at this char... |
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 | Yes, yes and yes. That is my answer to the question of using food in training. We have to remember that when we first start out teaching our dogs something, they have NO idea what it is that we are asking of them. They don't comprehend our words and can't read our minds as to what it is we want. It is our job to show them what we desire.
One of ... |
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 | Breed-specific references regarding training tools and methodology are some of the common concerns trainers in the pet world often hear.
Statements like these are pretty common:
You can't teach a Greyhound to sit.
Never let a Siberian Husky off-leash.
Don't put any type of collar on a Yorkie because it will cause a collapsed trachea.<... |
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 | "NO!" "Stop that!, "Get off of there", "Leave it!", "Come, get over here, Come HERE!"
"Quiet. I said stop barking, Quiet!!"
Have you been using that exasperated tone of voice and uttering one of these phases at your dog?
You feel certain Fido 'Knows' he should not be doing THAT, yet he continues merrily on his way with some annoying behavior th... |
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 | I use an electronic dog collar when I train my dogs. I've been accused of being lazy because of it.
I'm not 100% certain of why people say that, but my guess is because it is a faster way to accomplish the task than some of the other methodologies that people espouse as the 'right' way. It gets a bit like religious or political discussions when y... |
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 | Every once in a while I still encounter resistance when I bring up the idea of remote collar training to a potential client. The resistance is not nearly as frequent as it was 15 years ago when I started offering this way of training, but it still happens from time to time.
Why would I want to use a 'shock collar' on my dog? That is the question ... |
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 | There is saying that has been around in the dog training world for a long time: "A tired dog is a good dog."
There is a great deal of truth in the statement, because a tired dog doesn't tend to get into much mischief. However, I like to caution people who are avid runners or work out enthusiasts that good behavior isn't only based on the a... |
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 | It is a typical day when I have dog owners tell me "He already knows all that" in reference to the obedience I am demonstrating to them with my dog sitting, lying down, heeling or coming when called.
The next statement is usually something akin to "But I need him to stop chasing the neighbor's cat" To which I then respond "Tell him to Sit or come... |
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 | There is so much information available about remote collars and electronic training these days that the average person might have a hard time deciding what to believe or adhere to.
The idea that remote collars are cruel and can only be used to punish a dog is usually supported by those who want to ban and remove them from the market. On the flip s... |
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 | I have been fostering a little terrier mix with the intention of finding him a new and forever home. He came to me through my veterinary office. They called me about a stray they had been caring for and asked if I knew anyone who might be interested in adopting him. He had been found in the county roaming and turned into their clinic. Veterinarians... |
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 | It is fair to say that I love training dogs, and that being able to use an e-collar as one of the training tools makes me love it even more. There are many reasons the remote training collar is my preferred tool. It is certainly easier on me when handling large or unruly dogs. E-collar training creates far less physical stress on the human body th... |
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 | Previously I wrote a bit about my concern that it takes more than just pushing the button on a remote collar to train a dog. (See article: "It is More than Just Pushing a Button: Part One" ) I addressed some of my frustration about being referred to as an "E-collar trainer" rath... |
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 | We all like a pat on the back and the acknowledgement that we've done a good job, but how much better is it if there is a little something extra that goes along with that praise from time to time?
How many of you can remember back to elementary school when your teacher passed back graded papers, and you saw that red star up in the corner? That s... |
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 | The final piece I want to touch on in our series of discussions explaining that it takes more than just knowing when to push an e-collar button to be a good dog trainer (See article: "It is More than Just Pushing a Button: Part One" ) addresses the most important piece of equipm... |
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 | Perhaps you've heard statements that suggest you need to have perfect timing in order to use a remote collar. I've seen that sentiment pop up again recently in a few debates regarding electronic collars.
Here are just a couple statements I remember reading:
"In order to be effective in using a shock collar one must possess impeccable timing."
"F... |
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 | I started training dogs professionally in 1994. Before that I was just dabbling with my own dog's training while making my living as a Veterinary Technician. So this fall, I'm celebrating the 20-year anniversary of teaching the first class I offered in my curriculum, Puppy Preschool.
Starting a puppy preschool program was something near and dear ... |
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 | If you were asked to define what it means to have a trained dog what would you say?
If we asked that question to 10 different people, I'm willing to bet we'd get 10 different responses. There may be some similarities between the responses, but over the years I've found that people have very different interpretations of what a "trained dog" is.
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 | The majority of the time when clients return for their second lesson in our remote training series they are pretty satisfied with the results they are getting. As a general rule, they are finding that their dogs are paying better attention to them, are more responsive in coming when called, and see significant improvement in decreasing behaviors li... |
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 | It depends on how much time and effort you can put into the training. A person that spends time each day practicing with their dog and integrating new skills into the daily routine has a huge advantage over someone who only does the homework once or twice a week.
It depends on your level of skill. The newer you are to training, the... |
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 | That was the take away message from a TED talk I watched recently.
It is a theory I've subscribed to for a quite a long time. Not that I was really implementing the message in the way the presenter, social psychologist Amy Cuddy, was suggesting in... |
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 | November is the month we've appointed as a time to express gratitude and celebrate all that we are thankful for. When Thanksgiving is approaching I'm reminded that I'm thankful for my friends, my family, my health, and that I don't have to cook this year!
I'm also grateful for the dogs I currently have and those that have shared time with me thro... |
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 | When people visit my training facility, one of the first things they often notice is that our dogs remain on their Place while we fill out paperwork, or get everyone settled into the room. They remain staying even if the visitors are talking to them or is the visiting dog is lunging and barking at them.
People notice when my staff and I tell our ... |
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 | One of the tag lines I've coined surrounding e-collar use is the idea of training with the "Just Right" level of stimulation. Whether I'm teaching a workshop, doing a video project, or writing, I want people to gain a very clear understanding of this concept.
Using the Just Right level is a key ingredient in being able to train effectively with a... |
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 | Quite often when people begin training with a remote collar they are very concerned with finding the right level of stimulation for their dog. This is an important aspect and something that deserves attention. It is important to watch the dog for cues when finding the "Just Right" l... |
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 | Previously, I've written that the single most important piece of knowledge you need to train with a remote collar is an understanding of how to help your dog to understand what the stimulation means (See article: "The One Thing You Must Know if You Want to Train with an E-Collar" ).
I'd like to share som... |
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 | One of the reasons I make sure my dogs are diverse on their understanding of a Place command is because it makes for such fun and interesting photos.
For those of you that may not be familiar with a Place command let me explain. I teach my dog to keep four paws on a de... |
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 | If you just brought a new puppy home or if you have one on the way, now is the time to start doing some training.
For some that advice may come as a surprise, especially if you were raised in a time where the adage was "you don't start training a dog until 6 months to a year of a age." I remember that being the advice dispensed by the vet when I... |
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 | All of us talk to our dogs. There are times we probably talk way more than we need to, and there are certainly times we speak in ways that have little to no real meaning for our dogs.
I'm guilty of carrying on long conversations with my pack. Acting as if they comprehend all the banter when in fact, I know it is mostly just a babbling noise to the... |
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 | Have you heard about Chaser, the boarder collie, considered the world's smartest dog? Well, Chaser is certainly the dog with the largest vocabulary!
Her story has been around for a while, but I just came across it in recent months when I read the book by John Pilley. John is a retired psychologist who happens to own Chaser and has taught her over... |
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 | Just about every dog knows a Sit command. It seems the universal behavior that most anyone who owns a dog teaches at some point early in the dog / human relationship.
Over my years of training, many people who bring their dog to me for a behavioral evaluation comment, "but he already knows how to Sit". I referenced this common response in
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 | It ranks right up there in importance, perhaps coming in second just behind having a solid recall. Whether you use the word "Place," "Table," or even something clever like "Park it," your mission is to teach the dog the definition is to "keep all four paws situated on this object, and don't step off until I give you permission." The dog should be a... |
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 | In the training phase we are teaching the dog a particular skill.
When we are enforcing we are compelling the dog to comply with a skill that has been taught.
So the difference between the two is significant. One situation assumes that the dog knows what he is supposed to be doing and we are forcing compliance. The other accepts that the dog d... |
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 | It is a belief that I've run into many times. Most often I pick up on this presumption when I communicate with people who tell me either they've tried an e-collar in the past and it "didn't work," or they worked with a trainer who used e-collars and it worked but their dog "wasn't happy about it."
It is a similar thought process that many go throu... |
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 | Life is busy! That is no secret for most of us. We're busy running from one task to the next and inundated with more lines on the 'to-do' list than we can easily keep up with.
Having a multitude of tasks on the list makes it easy to come up with excuses about not having enough time to train the dog.
But there is one obligation we dog owners hav... |
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 | We've all said it from time to time regarding our dog's attitude toward certain events or situations.
"He doesn't like it" when there is a thunderstorm.
She needs a nail trim, but "she doesn't like it."
I would prefer the dog sleep in his crate, but "he doesn't like it."
I'm certain any professional trainer will tell you they have heard that s... |
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 | Our dogs are not much different than us in that they do things in order to gain things they want. Their desire to gain food, entertainment, and relief from discomfort or stressors motivates their behavior.
Dogs may sit because they know we will then put the food bowl on the ground. They will drop the ball if they know we won't keep but it but rath... |
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 | One of things we need to understand when training with a remote collar is how and when to begin weaning back on its use. Our goal is to enhance reliability in our dogs training, not to create a dependency on the tool.
However, before we get concerned with weaning off of the collar (and too many people start with that mindset and hurry the process,... |
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 | Generalizing a dog's training, or "proofing the training" as I like to refer to it, is where the real work begins. Most anyone can teach simple behaviors like Sit, Lay Down or Come when called. However, the challenge is in making those behaviors reliable in the midst of all sorts of distractions and situations.
Often times people get frustrated t... |
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 | Whether or not a dog should sleep on the bed is a common question.
Many dog lovers sheepishly confess to having their dog in the bed with them when I am inquiring about the daily living routines of their canine friend.
With a hint of shame, some owners will express that "they know they shouldn't but they do let the dog sleep with them."
For thos... |
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 | There are times when we get stuck trying to train our dogs. We're trying to teach the dog to stop jumping on us, or to Stay in a certain place or position, but the dog keeps making mistakes and our frustration grows. Often times we end up thinking the dog is just being stubborn!
There certainly are times that dogs will refuse to do as asked, but m... |
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 | So often we are looking for training solutions in order to have a better behaved dog. As soon as we begin to experience nuisance behavior like inappropriate chewing, OCD behavior, or general "grouchiness" when being touched, we assume that behavioral intervention through training is the solution.
Certainly there are times when additional training... |
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 | The topic of a recent class I was teaching was 'Impulse Control'. It is typically the biggest challenge that dog owners have. Being able to have reliable obedience and a dog that listens in the midst of sudden and exciting circumstances seems to be the one thing that the majority of dog owners struggle with.
The dogs are never a problem when ther... |
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 | The whole point of training a dog with an e-collar is to gain the ability to run the dog off leash while feeling secure that you can maintain control as needed.
But how do you know when the dog is really ready to have the leash or long line unclipped?
If you go from e-collar conditioning on leash, and assisting the dog in doing things properly t... |
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 | Celebrating when something is finished is a pretty typical human response. We celebrate the end of a big game (if our team wins). We celebrate graduating from various programs, and we celebrate the completion of projects. It seems to be in our DNA to make a big fuss about the ending of things.
If we are carrying that ideology over into our dog's... |
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 | Trimming your dog's nails is one of those tasks often dreaded or avoided altogether. It shouldn't be that way and with some patient and consistent practice, it doesn't have to be. Regardless of how you or your dog feel about nail trims, they are as important to your dog's health and well being as a nutritious diet and adequate exercise.
Not takin... |
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 | Is my dog too young to start training?
Is my dog too old to start training?
Is the old adage of waiting until a puppy is 6 months or a year of age correct?
I have heard so many variations of the "when is the right age?" question.
For once in my life, I think I have the one-size fits all answer. This answer applies every single time I hear t... |
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 | The question of whether or not a dog should learn to Heel is one that I like people to contemplate early on when we start working together training their dog. I believe creating a clear picture in one's mind about what we want to achieve and why we want to achieve it is important to the overall success of the training program.
Often times dog ow... |
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 | Does your dog display some anxiety when you leave her behind? Is there a significant amount of barking when you crate the dog and walk away? Does Fido monitor your every move around the house, following you from room to room and paw at the door if you close them on the other side?
Dogs have an innate desire to be with their family. Often we hear i... |
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 | Need a recipe for exasperation? Try combining a bombardment of daily noises with a dog incessantly barking! Barking problems are one of the most annoying issues that pet owners struggle with, and stopping the annoyance is usually a high priority for the dog's owners as well as their neighbors!
But before we can stop it, it is important to evaluate... |
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 | Before you decide on the use of a bark collar to stop your dog's nuisance noise-making, be sure you have a good understanding of why the barking may be taking place. Read this article to see if there are some steps you can take to resolve underlying problems that may be contributin... |
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