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Post by amyjo on Feb 17, 2004 10:23:37 GMT -5
For the first time in Kylie's young life I believe she is actually really tired and totally spent! The with her new collar she can have so much more freedom and can get so much more exercise - we went for a 4 mile hike yesterday and it took over 2 hours because the paths were so icy...she was running and running the whole time and I could call her back to me before she disappeared from sight. In the past I would have had to keep her within the 30 feet of her long line or risk her bolting. By the end of this hike she was actually checking in with us voluntarily which is a behavior born in my other dog - but has been totally foreign to her! I am really really pleased.
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Post by Laura on Feb 17, 2004 15:06:30 GMT -5
Another convert to the dreaded, cruel e-collar . Take that, all you tree huggers . Great tool, isn't it?
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Post by Nicole on Feb 17, 2004 16:30:52 GMT -5
That's great Amyjo! I am curious to know what training technique you used to get her to understand the shock consequence of non compliance. I am asking because different people do different things.
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Post by amyjo on Feb 17, 2004 16:59:39 GMT -5
Well - I think in our case it was really easy because she already knew the commands I wanted to enforce and was used to being on a long line - so I left on the long line (prong and all) but just switched from prong to e-collar corrections... She isn't dragging the long line anymore but is dragging an old beat up 5 foot leash instead. I think the whole dragging thing is good because that used to be my means of control and that really hasn't changed - that leash is just a heck of a lot longer now!!! I have also made sure never to let her see my hand held unit or point it at her or anything like that - as far as I am concerned I want her to think it is me and the leash just like always. So far it seems to be working really well. I am thinking of cutting 6 or so inches of that leash each week until it is gone.
I have also started using level one nick stimulation (which I cannot even feel - I tried it) each time I call her ....It really speeds her response time because she is prone to long lazy stop and sniff returns... I do this a few times whenever she is getting sloppy. And that makes her work to "beat" the stim - I am seeing some lightening fast recalls - as Loey said she is turning herself inside out to get back! And then I praise her all the way in - she LOVES it!
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Post by Brooke on Feb 17, 2004 18:15:29 GMT -5
I'm with you there. I love the e collar. I want to get another one for peeka. I haven't used one on her but I'm planning on getting a new one here sometime soon. I have the hardest time with her off leash. She's so full of energy and just wants to play.... non stop .
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Post by sibemom on Feb 17, 2004 18:15:41 GMT -5
You know I still have a few reservations about e-collar but the more I learn about it and the more sucess I see people having with it, when used properly of course, the more I think it MIGHT be in our future. I still have a hard time with "COME" he is so much better but still not where I would ever trust him off leash. I had asked questions about it before, but the problems I was considering getting it for have since gone away, (probably to return ) I had bought one the cheap kind they have a Menards and I do know how to use one so I thought ok lets try this and see, WELL we were outside in the x-pen working on come, I was not touching the button had it set at a minimal level. I put Blade in a sit stay and walked away I turned to do the recall and all of a sudden he started jerking and yiping, and I'm like WHAT I went over calmed him and did it again well the same thing happened. I then noticed that my neighbors were opening and closing their garage door. The stupid collar was going off because of this I took it back and called Inoteck they said this was strange. I am waiting and if I need to I will get one but a GOOD ONE. Poor puppy Hey maybe that is where the brain damage came from No I do think they are a good training tool. ;D
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Post by Willow on Feb 18, 2004 13:08:40 GMT -5
I'm sure everyone knows by now how I feel about e-collars, and I agree with Sibemom. They have their place, but I will only use one for willful disobedience after the dog knows exactly what I want of him. I do not agree with using them to train obedience, by stimulating and then giving a command, or visa versa. I have heard of people calling a dog and then lying on the continuous button until the dog gets back to them, to *hurry the dog up*. I am horrified with this. I don't ever, ever want my dog to experience discomfort with coming towards or to me! I personally feel there are far too many people out there going out and getting e-collars and slapping them on their *untrained* dogs and expecting to be able to shock the **it out of them to train them. Off my now. ;D
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Post by amyjo on Feb 18, 2004 14:13:26 GMT -5
Loey - I hope you don't think that is what I am doing???
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Post by Brooke on Feb 18, 2004 16:24:40 GMT -5
No way...she doesn't mean you! Its workin' for ya so you're doin something right ;D . You've had your dogs for a long time and you've invested a lot of time training them aside from an e-collar.
I agree the e-collar can be misused very easily and I think that just like with the prong its not necissary for every dog. Far too many people misuse it.
Personally I think its best to proof with the collar. This way you are first bonding with the dog and gaining its respect and trust during regular training duration and the dog isn't confused about what you want it to perform. I know there are trainers out there who begin training with the e-collar. Not personally in my taste but you get out of your dog what you invest in it.
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Post by Willow on Feb 18, 2004 20:05:10 GMT -5
Loey - I hope you don't think that is what I am doing??? Oh, no, of course not, Amyjo! You have a trained dog, and you are using the e-collar the way it should be used! I apologize if you took my remarks as an inferrence to the way you are using the collar. Trust me. If I disagree with someone they will know it up front. ;D
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Post by amyjo on Feb 18, 2004 20:51:54 GMT -5
I am just a little sensitive today
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Post by Brooke on Feb 23, 2004 1:06:01 GMT -5
Hey Amyjo... What brand of collar did you go with when you got yours? The one I have is getting kinda old and I'd rather upgrade than attempt to use it anymore "just in case" its not up to par. It hasn't been used in a long time. It doesn't take much to do harm. I've just been offered a job back home. I'm debating on taking it which may put us in a better position. I've been playing with buying a duo set for awhile but I've been trying to pinch pennies since Shen's getting booted out of the army. I even stashed away all my birthday money. (Shen's mom likes to spoil me and my mom must have been missing me a bunch too ) I'm going to wait a bit and see how this pans out...maybe even awhile longer. I have the hardest time EVER spending money. It takes me a while to work up to throwing down this kind of money on something. Shen says I'm cheap...I say I'm thrifty. Its not really necissary now so it can of course wait awhile but I've been looking into dogtra mostly for awhile. Since you were so happy with yours I just thought I'd see what you were using...
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Post by Willow on Feb 23, 2004 8:04:47 GMT -5
Brooke, I'm not Amyjo but wanted to tell you that I have one for two dogs and I really like it!!! I will get the info for you. I can't remember what brand it is etc., because I haven't used it in like 2 yrs. now, but it's really long range too....something like a mile, and I know it was under $300.
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Post by amyjo on Feb 23, 2004 13:12:54 GMT -5
I got the Micro - iDt z300 what ever that means. It is made by DT Systems. I have the one dog model but I know they have a 2 dogger as well. I really like it - range = 500 yards. It has vibrate, continuous and nick stimulation and 16 levels. Most everthing I do is at level one. The thing I like best about it is also the thing I like least... the antenna is embedded in the actual collar so the "box" is really small - but it also makes the collar kind of stiff and hard to get on and off. Also you cannot cut the extra length off of the collar so on Kylie there is like 8 extra inches of collar I kind of have to wrap around and tuck into her regular collar. You can notice a picture of how it looks in the raw feeding thread. Would I buy it again? Yep.
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Post by amyjo on Feb 23, 2004 14:05:39 GMT -5
I forgot... www.dtsystems.com I got mine from Fosters and Smith though because it was on sale there.
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