Cliff Williams
UKC Forum Member
Registered: May 2008
Location: Montana
Posts: 34 |
training articles
Wow...Wally's article is also excellent....and essentially the same as Uncle Lou. You must teach the dog that he alone can turn the collar off. Most dogs learn this very quickly. My youngest dog only had to be shocked 3 times. .....initially, and then went to the pager alone. Once, he went after a coyote, and had to take a little heat, but the training was in place and he understood the demand, and was quickly recalled.
I have a friend in Arizona that also uses Black and Tans for Search and Rescue and is an e-collar advocate. She calls them hearing aids for hounds!
Used intelligently, with no malice, the e-collar is an amazing training tool. It allows dogs great freedom with vastly improved safety. However, used only as a punishment, they can become a most inhumane weapon. Talented and patient trainers can achieve great things with this tool...not to mention very happy, productive hounds. Public perception is very jaded due in part to the fact that folks with very bad tempers and very poor training skills have abused this tool. We should all educate ourselves as to the proper use of them especially in light of what's happening to your rights as hunters. PETA and HSUS have a field day with this issue, and unfortunately there's a ring of truth in their rantings about this problem.
I will add that I think you are better off buying a high quality collar with incremented levels, and a pager system of some kind. It saves you from having to upgrade and the range of choices is so worth the extra money. This is one of those times when you totally need to read the directions!
JMO
Here's some trivia for you.....who do you think is credited for inventing the e-collar? (Hint - He was a Veterinarian and raised and trained many hunting hounds, and even Bloodhounds too.)
Cliff Williams
Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged
|