e-collars?

[Eryn]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking into trainers and am considering a trainer, that many people have recommended. In fact, I don't know one person who has gone to him and not been satisfied. However, he does use e-collars to train. While he doesn't use it for his basic obedience package, he does use it for his higher level training for off leash control.

Now, I was one of those people that thought e-collars were inhumane and terrible and I thought it was crazy that people "shock" their dog. However, since looking into it and feeling the collar he uses on my own neck, I've realized that there are alot of misconceptions about them. I've also realized that there are correct and incorrect ways to use this tool. Based on my meeting with him, assuming I understand him correctly, he teaches how to use it so the dog pays attention to you and your command, and not about correcting a problem behavior.

I am looking for advice from people who have used or are using e-collars. Positive and negative experiences? 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Properly trained in use, I think e-collars can be a great help for off leash behaviors.  Positive is good, but I firmly believe in consequences for misbehavior.  Once a dog (or a kid) knows what  the expected behavior, it becomes a choice and sometimes they don't choose wisely.   Fear of punishment in the form of a ticket is pretty much what keeps me from speeding. Especially if you will be taking your dog places where they aren't confined by a fence, you need a sure-fire recall method.

We use a bark collar for our doodles that gives them a mild shock.  This works beautifully as a reminder to them, especially when we aren't around to stop the barking.  Our doodles are much calmer when they wear their collars, and gladly come to get them put on.

We know someone who misuses an e-collar (even though they used a trainer to teach THEM how to appropriately use it). To them, I would like to, well inappropriately use an e-collar on them .....  :-}   but I think this is not what usually happens when you go through a trainer.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think e-collars can and have been very successful especially for off leash work.  You just have to know your dog.  I have a Doodle who became even more stressed and anxious which led to severe reactivity when we used the e-collar.  That said, I do think he was the exception.

[Eryn]

 

Do you mind me asking how he reacted, and did it cause damage that had to be repaired? (Not so much physically, but emotionally?)  I only ask because I've been told by a trainer (that uses a positive reinforcement only-strictly hands off approach, with no corrections) that I will destroy my relationship with my dog, and it will ruin him.

I love Sully to the world and back and it goes without saying that I would stop using a tool if I felt he was reacting badly to it, but her advice seemed a little extreme.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Extreme to say the least. Not all advice is valid. I sometimes crate a dog for not listening, eating another dog's food etc" it has never kept them from running to their crates when I leave, knowing they get a treat. If a dog is not feeling well the crates remain a safe place too. But some folks advise against using crates as punishment.