Electric Collars

[teresa6776]

Ive just re-homed a 5yr old Shepherd, had a previous shepherd who was a near SAINT, so finding things difficult with the new boy myself!
I will ask, have you considered Electric Collar Training?? OMG! I was totally against the idea in the past, but since we got Kai and I couldnt walk him on my own (ps im a 32yr female) which totally depressed me as I was his main carer and he came to work with me daily. We got the collar from the UK and the training DVDs from the US, and I really do reccomend them both! Please dont dismiss them until you have read about them, I checked into many collars: Halty, choker, prong... and after reading very carefully I decided the EC was for us, I can now walk our boy on my own, even tho we are only a few weeks into training, he does not ignor the little nicks he gets from the collar, and more importantly enough I can always use the "constant" button if he is totally out of control! We cant ignor the fact that GSDs are a strong and feared breed and if we do not show that we can control our dogs in public it can create major problems, which was what I faced, but by using this electric collar it really helped, and i havent even got half way in the training yet - check out this site, its really informative, shows very interesting and informative videos and the guy has many years of GSD experience! Leerburg - Dog Training Videos & German Shepherd Kennel
Let me know what you think?

[GSDOWNER]

Originally Posted by teresa6776

Ok, new to this site, but totally understand how you feel!!
Ive just re-homed a 5yr old Shepherd, had a previous shepherd who was a near SAINT, so finding things difficult with the new boy myself!
I will ask, have you considered Electric Collar Training?? OMG! I was totally against the idea in the past, but since we got Kai and I couldnt walk him on my own (ps im a 32yr female) which totally depressed me as I was his main carer and he came to work with me daily. We got the collar from the UK and the training DVDs from the US, and I really do reccomend them both! Please dont dismiss them until you have read about them, I checked into many collars: Halty, choker, prong... and after reading very carefully I decided the EC was for us, I can now walk our boy on my own, even tho we are only a few weeks into training, he does not ignor the little nicks he gets from the collar, and more importantly enough I can always use the "constant" button if he is totally out of control! We cant ignor the fact that GSDs are a strong and feared breed and if we do not show that we can control our dogs in public it can create major problems, which was what I faced, but by using this electric collar it really helped, and i havent even got half way in the training yet - check out this site, its really informative, shows very interesting and informative videos and the guy has many years of GSD experience! Leerburg - Dog Training Videos & German Shepherd Kennel
Let me know what you think?

oh another contraversal subject , I am against the used of the electric collar I think it is cruel and I hope to god that this collar gets banned from the UK

imo

Shock collars fail to address underlying behavioural problems and can give rise to more serious problems. Confusion over where the painful shock has come from means the dog is more likely to associate it with something in its immediate environment than with its behaviour at the time. This can make attacks on owners, other dogs and animals more likely.

and as for leerburgs training techniques I am not even going there

[Ailsa]

Originally Posted by GSDOWNER

oh another contraversal subject , I am against the used of the electric collar I think it is cruel and I hope to god that this collar gets banned from the UK

imo


and as for leerburgs training techniques I am not even going there

Yes, I quite agree with you.
I understand what the Poster is saying about the behaviour in public though, but feel there must be better ways to deal with this than an electric collar, Jake can be a sod when he sees other dogs he wants to lunge but the problem is you have to confront the issue to deal with it and I think it has to be the Owner who is in charge, I know that's not easy but that's why I go training twice a week. Gill

[teresa6776]

Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opionion, and as I said I was TOTALLY against the EC until I had a dog I couldnt control let alone actually take the poor sod out for a walk and excersize him! And that is my main point, if you cant actually take a dog out and let him get rid of that pent up energy how on earth can you progress to him learning let alone take him to a training class with other dogs that he wants to go for! Ive heard so many ppl who took their problem dogs to training classes and were practically thrown out as the other dog owners wouldnt put up with the behaviour and risks to their own dogs.

He is not traumatised by being shouted at, or beaten for not getting a command wrong, or have his nose pushed in his own pee if he has an accident, neither do we have to constantly "snap" hard on his lead if he pulls us, instead he has a little nip of electric which makes him pay attention when he would normally ignor us - oh and I must point out, we have actually used the collar on ourselves first! I wouldnt just stick it on my dog if I wasnt prepaired to experience what the dog feels and determin if it was acceptable or not.

I know the EC is not the ideal situation, my dog is already 5yrs old, already got 5yrs of bad habbits, had no puppy training, was given a beating by his first owner (obviously a man by his reactions and nervousness around new men) and been pretty much a kennel dog in his second home.

By using this collar I can actually take him out without the risk of loosing him due to his strength and agressiveness towards other dogs, oh and his very problematic PREY DRIVE!! I was so upset that I had this new addition to our family that I couldnt even walk, how cruel to him is that!! At least now I can excersize him, and he is experiencing all these new things in his life.

Already we dont have to use the EC all the time because he has learnt what is expected of him on what we have trained him for, the basics such as heel, wait, and here - things that most ppl with well behaved dogs take for granted (including myself) and we are learning all the time - im just about to start the "Family Pack Structure" dvd and hope we will progress even further.

I love my boy so much you cant beleive, he is beautiful, faithfull and so damn loving its un-true, so I wouldnt do anything to hurt him that wouldnt actually help him learn and stay alive. By having this training he is having a much fuller life, and I CAN see that he has become happier and happier despite what anyone else thinks about EC training. I lost my previous GSD in feb this year to fitting, and we were devistated, it was such an emotional sad time for us both, we decided to get a puppy, but somehow this changed and we ended up with a 5yr old, and its nice that we were able to take this new boy on and actually give him a new life and be able to actually experience new things in life, and if it takes something like an EC to help us to help him then I think thats a good thing, not for everyone I grant you, but a good thing for us and many ppl who have handing problems with their big dogs.

[kita]

http://www.sfspca.org/behavior/dog_library/choke.pdf


4 Paws University - Shock Collar Training


Or a scientific paper that proves the use of e collars is cruel and that the use of reward based training gets far better results long term:

http://www.4pawsu.com/IAABC_Ecollar.pdf

[teresa6776]

Interesting.

Read the paper, now reading the other info on the website - thanks

I already do use rewards with our training, and only use the collar when necessary, maybe it does give me more peace of mind when we are out walking that I can control him if he goes off on one when he sees another dog, cat, or child running, and if it stops him attacking one of those then its a good thing until we progress further with his training.

I havent rulled out other training methods, but the EC did give me immediate responses and has at least allowed me to walk him so he can burn some energy thus making him more acceptable to training which is what most ppl seem to reccomend "tire before train"

[gurneys]

i have never used one never needed one but im sure you have used it cause in your eyes thier wasnt any other way good luck to you , i cant say i would ever use one myself pat

[kita]

By the way these collars are due to be banned by law in Wales.


Electrifying Announcement for Welsh Dogs - The Kennel Club

[GypsyGSD]

update they are now banned in wales, have been for a few weeks, I dont like them I have seen them being used on dogs who have been chasing sheep and to be honest they have worked so in that content if it saves a dog from being pts there is room for debate , but for everyday use it is in my mind cruelty there are many training aids avalible if used correctly will help in most situations colleen /gypsy

[twinclaire]

your gonna hate me for this but i bought a E collar, it cost me £180 and i was am still too scared to use it so it has sat in my draw for nearly 2 yrs, I know some of the police use them with great results but never known members of the public or met any one as yet who has used one.
melxx