HAS ANYONE USED AN ELECTRIC COLLAR

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

Hey everyone.. i have a 7 month old Goldendoodle.. he is about 65 pounds now and is very wild..he jumps on everyone.. counter surfs.. and is VERY mouthy still!! i am contemplating getting an electric collar..set on VERY low just for in the house use.. when he is jumping up on people and nipping and things of that nature.. he goes to puppy classes has a trainer and gets several walks a day. this behavior is just not acceptable, as i cannot even have friends over the house. if i ever have a child he cannot be nipping and jumping like he is now.. he is in a teenage bratty stage i guess and is refusing to listen to me. anyways has anyone tried one of these collars? if so how did it work.. which did u use? and when will this behavior stop?? at what age?? thanks again

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

thank you, i have heard of having him tied to me. does it really work?

[Julie and Charlie]

Yes, it works, from a standpoint of being able to keep an eye on him, constantly mark and reward for good behavior,and go about your day. It's not easy, he will slow you down, and it takes awhile to get the hang of marking the right behaviors. Tethering also keeps him from getting into trouble. I like the method because it teaches the dog how to behave well by teaching him what you expect of him through positive reinforcement and negative punishment. Stop feeding him from a bowl, and start feeding him from your hands as rewards throughout the day. It takes time, energy, and hard work, but the results pay off. You should also manage the environment so that he can't make a mistake- if he starts biting, time out! Go ahead, put him in his crate or his room as negative punishment, for a few minutes (or up to 30 minutes if you need it!) When he's most likely to start the problem behaviors, you can stop them before they start. My dog isn't yet allowed to greet people at the door, because he can't handle it. He's way too excited about visitors to make it safe. It's something we're constantly working on and if he's not polite to visitors, we leave the room. He gets the message. I have to coach my visitors at this point on how they should interact with him. 

I recommend reading Sophia Yin's books and website for tips on this. (Perfect Puppy, or How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves). 

[Julie and Charlie]

PS, BruceGirl gives sage advice.

[Bonnie and Kona]

I agree wholeheartedly about BG! We learned so much from her with our "challenging" doodle. The tethering also helps get the pup to bond with you. The hand feeding does that, too.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I have used an electronic collar with Roo.  It worked very well.  However, I would not under any circumstances use it without a trainer.  The no bark collars are easy to use if you are completely consistent for a long time.  The other collars which are activated by you should be closely supervised by a certified trainer, especially if you are using it for jumping up etc.  They are basically used to reinforce known commands, not as deterents as you describe.  Some dogs can react very negatively - agression and biting when the are shocked while excited.

As Adina described they can be useful for a very specific behavior, not involving other living things.  Really, please get a better trainer first and you may not need it.

 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

I have used a correction collar on my Sasha and Oliver, I have it on the lowest setting which is like a very mild pinch.  I have also tried the collar on myself on the highest setting and it is not painful but strange feeling.  I would never intentionally cause my doodles harm or pain in any way shape or form.  I think that I had to correct either dog only once with a correction and they learned immediately.  My collar has a beep mode that you can just give a warning beep then you can correct.  With my Oliver all I have to do now is tell him I am going to get the collar and he stops.  Actually with both dogs if I have the collar on them all I have to do is beep it and they stop... no correction really needed.  

 

I think you need to exercise your dog more.... a tired dog is a good dog !!!  Not just let him out in the back yard but really give him a good full force run, maybe ride a bike with him on the side but start out slowly first then work up to a distance.  Good game of fetch for 1/2 hour or a good run on the treadmill or a long hike in the woods.

[Chels*Claud*Midas]

thank you! what collar have u used? i take him out to run around the backyard..but he never seems to tire out.. especially now that it is cold out.. lol.. id like to try the bike thing..but i think he would drag me on the bike like into a tree lol.. even if i take him on a 45 minute walk he doesnt tire lol.. the only time i saw him tire was when he spent a day a the dog park..then had a puppy playdate with another doodle...he was pooped the WHOLE night.. lol.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Honestly, you could walk a doodle puppy for 10 miles and they won't be tired.  If you ran 10 miles maybe, but a walk just won't do it.  They need a whole lot more exercise than walking.  As they get a little older they don't need quite so much, but those first couple years (and some more than others) need lots and lots of exercise.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I would like to know if you are paying a certified trainer to come to your home?  If you are, I personally think you need to find a new trainer.   If you aren't I personally think that this would be very helpful for you.   If not in your home, at least group classes.   I know that this can be expensive and it just doesn't sound like from most of your responses that this individual has provided you with much help.  As an example Karen (I believe it was) mentioned having a leash on him in the house and give him a correction if he doesn't obey a command.  You weren't sure what she meant.  You mentioned him "self correcting" with the prong.  If I'm not mistaken, you would be the one responsible for giving the correction when he is wearing the prong collar.  It is done with a "pop of the leash".  Not a self correction by the dog.  None of the things that you are talking about are "quick fix things".  The jumping up is something that many of us have worked on for a long time.  What works is a good certified trainer, and practice.  Over and Over and Over and Over and Over again.  The making him wait for his food until you give the ok is a basic obedience practice.  It lets him know who is the boss. Where his food comes from.  It is easy to want to treat this fluffy little adorable things as our babies, but it is also important that they know who is in charge.  Using training techniques for everything he does inside and outside is a great way to tire him out as well as practice his skills.  Making him sit at the door until you give the ok to go out.  Make him sit to come inside.  Make him sit and stay while you fix his food or whatever, all great things to do.  Having a 100% sit/stay is the basic starting place for every other training command.  If you have a 100% sit/stay, there is no way he can jump on your guests when they arrive. By 100% I mean just that, he will not bust it ever!   Is it easy, NO, but it is possible!   Also, if you are having trouble tiring him out, possibly you might look into some doggie daycare where he can spend the day romping with other dogs.  Most dogs come home and sleep after a day at daycare.

[Heather Martinez]

I have a Dogtra e collar for Teddy. We got it about a month ago. Using the e collar for us was a last resort. We got it because Teddy was having "episodes" on walks where if he got excited, saw another dog, saw a person he knows, stepped in a puddle, ANYTHING that caused excitement he would start jumping wildly, trying to bite his leash, growling and even trying to bite my purse or coat. He would have 5 or more "episodes" on each walk. It got to the point that walking him was a horrible experience. I finally bought the e collar and had our trainer  come and show us how to use it and figure out which setting worked. The day after the training session, I corrected him twice for "episodes" with the collar. Since then he has not had an episode again. I corrected him by saying LEAVE IT (a command he knows) and buzzing him once at the same time. The collar was literally a miracle for us.

I am telling my story because I think it contrasts with your reason to want a collar. Teddy is almost 2 years old he had one specific and completely unacceptable behavior that needed to be stopped. I had also tried many many alternatives to fix the behavior, including working with our trainer on it. Additionally, Teddy knows all his commands already. My trainer told me that an e collar can not be used to teach commands, only to reinforce them.

I think 7 months old was one of the hardest times for Teddy and since your puppy is already bigger than Teddy was at that time, I'm sure it is very difficult to manage. When Teddy turned 10 months, that is when his behavior really started improving, especially while in the house. If you can work with a trainer on commands, especially down and stay, and give your puppy time to mature, you may not need the e collar.

[Shannon and Finn]

Sounds like you are really committed to finding a solution, I definitely agree with the other comments that it is not the time for an e-collar but some other valuable training strategies.  Our Finn is getting to be quite obedient most of the time (a work in progress) but our struggle is still with sit/stay when people come over and when the kids are running in the yard and he wants to chase and grab their pants.  My trainer has given some great training advice which included tethering to me during these trigger situations to help Finn realize that he gets freedom by earning it, rather than trying to correct after the fact. 

I agree also with people's advice here about focusing on what you want him to do.  For us, this means that Finn doesn't get pet by anyone until he is sitting calmly, he doesn't get attention when he is acting like a nut, no fetch without dropping the toy, he gets praise throughout the day when he behaves, etc. We are incredibly focused on basic commands, including leave it (which helps when he wants to grab pants or a toy from my hand).  He loves treats, but I have phased them out for basic behaviors (because he knows the commands and I am not bribing him) and only use them while we work on recall.  Finn has learned that I am the boss and we train randomly and purposefully throughout the day. He is 10 months now, but a few months ago he was challenging and we really had to focus on what we wanted him to do, not what we didn't.  The kids that come over have learned to "tell him what you want him to do, don't tell him no" so if Finn starts getting excited and playful, they tell him to sit, which amazingly he does well now because he knows that's the only way to get attention.  I would say if he is nipping at you, in his mind he is getting rewarded for it through your attention.  If he is jumping, he is being allowed to and getting rewarded for it by getting attention.  Maybe try a totally different approach so that you don't unintentionally reward bad behavior but focus on the "nothing in life is free" approach people have been talking about.  Putting the toys away is a great idea because it gives you a chance to focus on being calm before play and it's a non food reward, same with making him sit before petting or food etc.  Finn is a total love and snuggle monkey who is very eager to please, but I have put a lot of energy into it!  Glad you came looking for advice, you've gotten a lot of good stuff!

[BG and Gavin]

I appreciate the vote of confidence Julie :)

So just to summerize what I think you have heard regarding Midas:
- do not focus on how to correct each individual behaviour
- you need to show him how you want him to behave
- use your body and direct him instead of giving any command that you cannot reinforce (don't tell him to sit, put him in a sit by gently drawing up on the leash until his butt hits the ground, don't ask him to come, go and get him and bring him to you for now)
- take up all toys and hand feed through out the day and research the nothing in life is free philosophy
- keep him tethered to you and put him in his crate when either you or him need a time out
- exercise him as much as you can (I go to an enclosed area - like a school yard - and hit tennis balls all out until my guy lies down)
- do frequent short training sessions through out the day
- consult a certified trainer

Please do not get bogged down with any other what-if's or how do I's. Give this plan a solid and consistent try for a week and report back. I will bet you see a big change.