Electronic Dog Trainers

[Puzo]

Has any one had any success with electronic dog training collars.Experiences good or bad I'de like to hear them. anecdotal whatever

[GregMik]

Wouldn't be without one.

Greg

[Tarqers]

oh yea us brits eletricute all are animals,surprising how they do what you tell them to,,,tarqs:D

[Falconry Equipment International]

few years ago very well knon Gamehawker was on the hill ( scottish grouse moor) with a 'willful' young pointer . anyway he was working the pup , it goes on point flushes , but instead of grouse was a mountain hare , dog decided to 'course the hare', and give 'tongue' at the same time, furious falconer increasing voltage/power progressively on the collar and all it did was excite the dog even more like something out of a cartooon !

[Puzo]

I did hear of someone who couldn't understand why his dog was jumping about & just about doing somersaults every time he tried to get it back in the car. Then he discovered that the training collar was picking up the current from the car distributor & giving the dog 10,000rpm.
I have a pointer dog that apart from being ruined by women,is obsessed
with rabbits & hares & has a habit of ranging too far ahead.I wondered if such a collar would be any help.Not on the former, well not on the dog

[Tim Laycock]

Used properly thay are an aid, Often abused by assholes however!

[Coedhirion]

Used properly thay are an aid, Often abused by assholes however!

Exactly correct. I have one, I have almost never used the 'shock' bit. The pup learnt that my friends chicken are 'electric' and that all sheep and lambs are too. Other than that trained to the whistle and all according to the book honestly only about 4 times in total was she buzzer warned and then a 'shock' Since then I very very occasionaly had to give a buzzer warning but that was enough to get the instant response. Some one I know of ( NOT a freind) recons his dog takes no notice of his. But having watched him, he gives a command and if he dosnt get an instant response, sticks his finger on the zapper full belt!! I recon the dog is so used to it there is just no surprise in it and the poor thing has learnt to live with it.
I recon the collars are very useful in the correct hands, punishment at the exact second of crime.....but sadly in the wrong ones pretty awful. But that bloke shouldnt have a dog at all, he belts his kids quite a lot too.

[Hells99]

Not trying to say it's wrong just a bit puzzled why some people are willing to spend hours gently but firmly training their bird but then train their dog with 'short, sharp shocks'.
I'm honestly intrigued by this difference in training methods and I'm sure there must be a perfectly valid reason for it. Can anyone please tell me?

Thanks, Helen:)

[Tim Laycock]

Helen, How would you intend to stop your pointer from chasing sheep?
There are to my mind three options.
I will list them in order of effectiveness(in my opinion)
1 being the most effective etc

1) Put it in the pen with the ewes at lambing time(They will knock seven skittles of **** out of it)

2) A long check rope tied to its collar (it will come to an abrupt stop at full tilt!!!)

3) Electric collar(Sheep are electric!!!:shock:)

4) Give it a sound beating when it comes back!

(If I have missed a better, gentler method please tell me folks! I would like to know)

What would you prefer from the above list Helen?
I think I can imagine :wink:

[Hells99]

Ok, point made and accepted, BlackBird! Short sharp shock every time!

[Harris110773]

hi i dont want to use my dog with birds but i do live were there are lots of sheep an stuff i mean he cant get to them coz there is a fence in the way but he scares the **** out of them an even though he cant get to them i would like him to stop bloody tryin to chace them am i right in thinkin that this is wot they are mainly used for or are they for genrol training thanks

andy

[Coedhirion]

The electric shock off the collar is far less than a dog would get from an electric fence. The theory (which many people agree with) is that if you have to reprimand your dog for disobeying you, it must be done at the moment the crime is comitted. You train your dog in the normal way. You add the collar, but don't use it until it is used to wearing it. If you have a problem like a dog chasing sheep (which a farmer can shoot a dog for) You take your dog out and as it heads after the sheep you give the recall whistle (which it has learnt) if it ignores it recall again and use the warning buzzer, if it ignores it recall whistle, buzzer and just as it closes on sheep the shock. (electric sheep) the shock is exactly that, it makes the dog jump rather than inflict pain. If you have never touched an electric fence, try a collar on your finger ( i dont use any thing on my dog without knowing what I am puting it thro) It isn't nice you will probably drop the thing so dont break it!! but it is not realy painful and the moment the pulse stops so dos the feeling. Not like a wack on the backside which will smart for ages!! But as I said in the wrong hands they are evil. I wouldn't be without mine, tho it is almost never used.

[Hacker]

I Have a secondhand Deben Canicom 800 Dog trainer for two dogs complete with collars for sale.It has an 800mtr range.
It is all complete and is as new with hard carrycase.
Has been used approx for 4 days and is 100% effective.
You can get all the spec at www.Deben.com
Retail price is £348.00 but if someone wants to make a sensible offer?

[Peregrine1]

They is no need to use such collars, get you're dog use to all farm live stock as a youngster, time walking around on a lead will be time well spent if it is to be a working dog as it will no doubt come into contact with life stock a lot in its working life.
Regards
Colin

[Jack Merlin]

Helen, How would you intend to stop your pointer from chasing sheep?
There are to my mind three options.
I will list them in order of effectiveness(in my opinion)
1 being the most effective etc

1) Put it in the pen with the ewes at lambing time(They will knock seven skittles of **** out of it)

2) A long check rope tied to its collar (it will come to an abrupt stop at full tilt!!!)

3) Electric collar(Sheep are electric!!!:shock:)

4) Give it a sound beating when it comes back!

(If I have missed a better, gentler method please tell me folks! I would like to know)

What would you prefer from the above list Helen?
I think I can imagine :wink:

I promised myself I wouldn't get into this one! A wise man once said, it is sometimes better to keep your mouth shut and appear a fool than open it and remove all doubt.

Just to establish my credentials, I was hunting a pack of hounds at 17 and I am now 66. I have been around working dogs all my life and never had less than 20 dogs in the kennel in the last 30 years. I have owned, over the years, electric collars from at least four different manufacturers.

My advice is not to waste your money. I stopped using electric collars about 15 years ago. Now I train for the various qualities I need in the dog at various stages in its life. You've heard of imprinting and how critical timing is? Well, effective dog training isn't much different.

One year I took some dogs to the Orkneys for work on red grouse. My host took me to one island where he assured me there were lots of grouse but also lots of rabbits and sheep. He was right! But my dog worked right through a warren without looking at the rabbits and found and pointed a covey of grouse.

Sheep? Up here they sell 30,000 lambs in a two day sale at Lairg. I currently have 150 of my neighbour's lambs on my farm next to the kennels. Yes, we have sheep. But my dogs don't chase them BECAUSE THEY ARE TRAINED.

The poster who asked why we use soft methods with our hawks but not with dogs made a very valid point. Think about it. If your falcon flies check, it is because it is not properly wedded to the intended quarry. Why should a dog be any different?

I remember an amateur trainer trying to pick the brain of a very famous professional dogman called Jack Stewart. The question was, How do you stop your dogs chasing hares? Jack's reply, "We train them". Some should try it!<vbg>

Rant over. I will now go back to lurking on this subject as there is sure to be some expert who once trained a dog who knows better. There is more on e-collars at http://www.adviegundogs.co.uk.