If you want to have an off leash dog...

Dogs, dogs and even some cats
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brianb10
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Re: If you want to have an off leash dog...

Post by brianb10 »

I used an e collar to train my rescued Rottweiler (she was 3 when I got her) and it was the best investment I ever made. It worked so well, that all I do now is put it on her (turned off) and she listens well enough to go just about anywhere off-leash. Also, like someone else mentioned, when I reach for it, she runs up to me and sits for me to put it on. She has equated it to going outside and being free of the leash which is a fun activity for her.

I was hesitant but the trainer I used insisted that I felt the stimulation before ever using it on her. This reassured me that it did not hurt. Shock collar is such a bad term and I think helps people think e-collars are abuse. I rarely had to go above 2 (my collar went 1-8) and the stimulation was equated to grabbing your kid by the collar if they were about to go into the street with a car coming. The trainer insisted that the the collar was not to be used as discipline and that assured me that I was not injuring the dog but rather just getting her attention quickly.

Just last night returning from my neighbors house after football, a rabbit ran from a yard across the street. I did not have her collar on and she made a motion as if about to chase. A firm calling of her name followed by the command leave it and she was back at my side. To me this makes the training worthwhile as a dog chasing a rabbit will not look for cars. My dog is a member of my family and I want her to be outside with me in the front yard without having to tie her up. I don't tie my daughter up why should I have to tie my dog up? As long as she listens there is no problems and both she and anyone passing by is safe. For me the e-collar got me the results I wanted.
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rocky
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Re: If you want to have an off leash dog...

Post by rocky »

To those of you who have had success with e-collar training -- which brand do you recommend? Have you had any problems with a particular brand/model?

Our 4-1/2 year old Golden becomes hearing-challenged when her nose has engaged a scent.

thanks
rocky
south fork, colorado
Ned-man
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Re: If you want to have an off leash dog...

Post by Ned-man »

cheeseburglar wrote:I don't like my dogs well behaved. I want them to have personality. And they do.
If you are a wimp who gets scared of a dog running on a trail, what will you do when you meet a wild animal?
I think all the folks who are scared of dogs should come hike with me and my dogs. You probably just don't know how to interact with our better halfs.
Which is a shame. Dogs have been assisting humans for a very long time and were never leashed or shocked into submission until a minority of people who are scared of dogs pushed through leash laws. I believe it is coercion by a minority. Still waiting to get that ticket for an unleashed dog... and my day to challenge the law in court.
+1.


"The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs."
Charles de Gaulle
brianb10
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Re: If you want to have an off leash dog...

Post by brianb10 »

rocky wrote:To those of you who have had success with e-collar training -- which brand do you recommend? Have you had any problems with a particular brand/model?

Our 4-1/2 year old Golden becomes hearing-challenged when her nose has engaged a scent.

thanks
I got mine from http://www.sitmeanssit.com/ I did the training package and the price included the collar. However I think you can buy just the collar from them. The training I did with them involved the trainer visiting my home 4-5 times to work with Bella and my job was to build on what he showed both of us in between the in-home sessions.
Richard54NY
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Re: If you want to have an off leash dog...

Post by Richard54NY »

To those of you who have had success with e-collar training -- which brand do you recommend? Have you had any problems with a particular brand/model?

Our 4-1/2 year old Golden becomes hearing-challenged when her nose has engaged a scent.


I have a Dogtra 1900 NCP Fieldstar, 1/2 mile range works great for my very hearing impaired mixed breed.
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coloradokevin
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Re: If you want to have an off leash dog...

Post by coloradokevin »

rocky wrote:To those of you who have had success with e-collar training -- which brand do you recommend? Have you had any problems with a particular brand/model?

Our 4-1/2 year old Golden becomes hearing-challenged when her nose has engaged a scent.

thanks
I'm using a Tritronics G3 Sport Combo. This collar has a half mile range, the transmitter uses a 9volt battery, while the receiver is a rechargeable type. The whole setup is waterproof, which has come in very handy since my dog has decided to go swimming with it on at least 4 times already.

The setup I'm using is expandable to 3 dogs. We have a second dog in the house, which is why I wanted an expandable setup (as of now my dog is the only one using the collar). The transmitter also lets you choose between three different button settings, and has ten levels of stimulation on the dial (1-5 in half step increments). I use a setting where one button provides an audible tone, the second button provides continuous stimulation, and the third button provides a momentary ("nick") stimulation. I primarily use the nick feature for training purposes.

I should also note that Tritronics is the only brand of e-collars that are still American made. All else being equal (and I was torn on a number of collars), I like to buy stuff that is made here, and supports American jobs!
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susanjoypaul
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Re: If you want to have an off leash dog...

Post by susanjoypaul »

I don't have an opinion either way on the e-collar, but I thought I would shed some light on why some people have trouble dealing with dogs.

I have a condition called misophonia that makes it very painful for me to be around dogs. I don't hate them, or their owners, and I'm not afraid of them and would never hurt one. I grew up with dogs and lots of other pets, but this condition started for me later in life and has gotten progressively worse. I believe I inherited it from my maternal grandmother. My kids have it too, one of them to a lesser degree, and one much worse (his paternal grandmother also has it, which might explain that). The best way for me to describe it is, when I hear a dog, or even see a dog and know that I'm going to hear it very soon because it's coming towards me, the effect on my brain is like hearing fingernails on a chalkboard. I know that people think I'm a "dog-hater" but I try very hard not to wince when I see a dog approaching - instead I force a smile, brace myself, and mentally prepare for the inevitable, emotional onslaught. Other sounds have this same effect (mostly people eating, sneezing, breathing or whispering, and pouring water like the Brita commercial), but dogs are *very* high on the list of triggers. There's nothing at all I can do about this - it's a physiological disorder and I just have to deal with it. I sometimes wear headphones or earplugs around people, or play music very loud to drown out the ambient sounds.

I do understand how people can be passionate about their pets. I have four sisters and they all love their dogs! One of them has five of them, and they all sleep on her bed every night. Another sister has an annual Easter egg hunt for all the family dogs - she cuts up hotdogs and puts them in plastic eggs, and hides them all over the yard. The kids take the dogs on leashes to find them and then give the dogs their "treats." She had to give away a litter of pups a couple of years ago, and every year she invites them and their adoptive families back to the house for a big birthday bash - I'm not kidding - and family reunion. If these weren't my sisters I would think they were nuts - and if I wasn't their sister they'd probably think I was nuts! But we are sisters, and we accept our differences, no matter how strange they may seem.

To make matters worse, I have another condition that I won't get into here (enough personal sharing for one morning) that makes it tough for me to be around dogs due to touch. So if you see me on the trail, and I'm not eager to pet your dog, don't take it personally. Just know that everybody's different, and if we were all just a little more accepting and respectful of those differences, we could make things a lot easier on each other. It's already tough enough dealing with all the "Inside People" every day without the "Outside People" turning on each other. I know that sounds a little crazy, but I think you get my drift :D
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Uffda
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Re: If you want to have an off leash dog...

Post by Uffda »

rocky wrote:To those of you who have had success with e-collar training -- which brand do you recommend? Have you had any problems with a particular brand/model?

Our 4-1/2 year old Golden becomes hearing-challenged when her nose has engaged a scent.

thanks
I also went with Sit Means Sit. Their collar is made by SportDog (seems to be the same as this model: http://www.sportdog.com/Gear/E-Collars/ ... r-400.aspx). Both remote and collar are rechargeable and waterproof.
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cheeseburglar
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Re: If you want to have an off leash dog...

Post by cheeseburglar »

redacted.
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