So if you have recently had a Consult with me or even if you have seen me walking my dogs on the street then you have seen me using an electronic collar.  In the past year I have gone from using them sparingly to using them almost everyday with clients' dogs and with my own dogs. My hesitance to use electronic collars as often as I use them now did not come from fear of harming the dog with them or a lack of understanding of how they worked. It is simply that a quality electronic collar is expensive. My favorite one to use for companion dog training is around $180 brand new. It has always been my philosophy to keep dog training as inexpensive as possible so as to make it available to anyone who needed my services. So I would mention them as an option but focus on using inexpensive slip chains and prong collars for the bulk of my training.

The issues that crop up with using more traditional corrective collars is that it requires more skill on the part of the handler than with an electronic collar. I give fine leash corrections and I know how to physically correct a dog appropriately. Sometimes clients are too enthusiastic and they overcorrect or they are so soft spoken that they do not correct effectively or consistently. Lack of consistency will slow down training very quickly and can lead to confusion on the part of the animal and frustration on the part of the client. Using an electronic collar we can find a dog's perfect level of correction to effectively communicate to the dog that they made a mistake.

When some people think of electronic collars they think of the early collars that have these massive collar packs with a big antenna sticking up above the dogs head and a remote that has 3 settings. Modern electronic collars have packs smaller than a credit card and it is extremely adjustable to the point that you can find a level that does not hurt the dog but that is sharp enough to convey a correction. With the good collars having at least 100 levels of stimulation as well as a vibration setting (that I like to use to teach Recall) I have not yet found a dog for whom I could not find their perfect level of correction. For some dogs this is the vibration level (like my GSD mix Ted) and for others it is a higher level. Kylie's perfect level of correction is 35. Whoever is handling her knows to start with the collar at level 35. We have the freedom to bump it up to 40 or so if a distraction turns up, like a reactive dog, if we need to. Her corrections are always consistent and she always understands that she received a reprimand. We then repeat what it was we were working on and when she gets it right she receives my affection and my praise. Dogs always know when you are being insincere and they can always tell when your happiness is genuine. You have to be genuine with your affection and praise or the dogs will simply stop working for you.

Because electronic collars are so adjustable now they are used often to train deaf dogs. It is possible to lower the level of stimulation to the point that the dog feels it but it is so minor it is really more of a tap than a correction. When you get the level to the tapping sensation you can then use the collar to give a command and so the fact that the dog cannot hear your voice no longer limits their ability to be trained to the level that hearing dogs can be trained.

I can train a dog with a slip chain. I could train a dog with a 6' length of rope if I had to. The tools I use are only those which help the dog learn effectively, fairly and efficiently. Some dogs I prefer to train on a more traditional collar but if it is the ambition of the owner to be able to have their dog off leash then an electronic collar can make that possible and still keep the dog safe from harm. In Lawrence, if one looks up the leash ordinance for the city, electronic collars are considered legal leashes. The ordinance reads like this:

"Pet owners must keep animals on leashes and under control at all times when outside their own fences. Dogs on electronic collars, under the control of the owner, are exempt." http://lawrenceks.org/lprd/_recreationfacilities/dogregs

I love the wording of this law because it stipulates that the dog must be under control of the owner. One cannot simply buy a collar and slap it on the dog and start buzzing away and have the dog under control. It requires training (preferably under the supervision of a professional trainer who knows how to safely use the equipment) to teach the dog to understand the sensation they feel from the collar. Like most training tools it is absolutely possible to confuse a dog and to abuse a dog with an electronic collar but when they are used correctly and the time is taken to make sure the dog understands praise and  discipline and the collar is used as a tool to communicate, it can open doors for dogs and owners that were closed before.

I walk Kylie and Ted almost exclusively on their electronic collars. I live in Old West Lawrence and on our walk we pass through the Train Park or we go up to campus and walk through the Grove. It used to be that the dogs were kept on their leashes. So they got to sniff around the sidewalk but always on a 6 foot leash. With the electronic collars we have them in a Heel command for 6 or so blocks to the parks and then when we get into the grass we can give them their release word "OKAY!" and they can run and play and wrestle and really get their blood pumping. But if they go to far, if they approach the road, if they start heading towards strangers who might not want two 85 pound fluff balls visiting their picnic we can page them with the vibration setting on their collar and call them back to us. If they did not have electronic collars on there would be no guarantee that we could get them to come back and still give them the freedom to really play without a tether.

I will always use leashes. There will always be a need for physical leashes (like a good walk down Massachusetts street which is the one street in Lawrence where all dogs MUST be on a physical 6' leash). But when it comes to training I have really come to appreciate what the modern electronic collar has to offer. It it also much easier for people who do not have a dog trainer's honed technique with a leash correction to train their own dogs using an electronic collar (with the guidance of a professional trainer).

The collar that I personally love is the Dogtra IQ Yard Trainer. It has a small collar pack which is not heavy and so it can be worn by small dogs. The remote is ergonomically designed to be gripped in your hand and it is simple to use with 3 buttons and one dial controlling the level of stimulation. It is water proof and has a 400 yard range. In an urban situation that is more than enough room for most dogs and owners. The only gripe I have about the Dogtra collars is that they only use buckle collars. I prefer snap-around collars because they offer a consistant fit and they are quick to put on and remove.

I have gone from only occasionally recommending the use of electronic collars to describing it as my preferred method of training for companion dogs especially if the owner wants to train the dog themselves. Electronic collars allow for better exercise and freedom for the dog while remaining within the reasonable boundaries of the leash law and keeping the dog safe with a level of control not offered by retractable leashes (look forward to my gripe about retractable leashes in a future post) or by simply removing the leash all together. If you are interested in allowing your dog off leash or simply wish take your dog's training to the next level I would highly encourage you to look into training your dog with an electronic collar under the guidance of a professional trainer.

Happy walking!

The question was recently posted to me about whether I would train a high percentage wolf hybrid. I had to sit back and think about how to word my answer because dog people are very easily offended, especially if they feel their pet has been spurned. The truth of the matter is that I object to the hybridization of wolves and domestic dogs on a basic level.

You see, my expertise is with dogs. Dogs are the animals I love and that I was raised with. On top of that, dogs are the only animal that has chosen to be with people. Horses had to be broken, birds must be caged or raised in isolation, cats I don't believe will ever truly be tamed. But dogs chose to work with people. The first dogs were wild dogs that hung around humans long enough to be tamed and domesticated but there can be no denying that the dog of today and the wolf are two very different animals. There enlies my problem.

I don't believe people should own tigers or lions and my position doesn't change with wolves. Wolves are wild animals and to mix them with domestic dogs like Shepherds or Malamutes does not create a domestic dog with a taste of the wild. It creates a dog that will have to live in conflict and confusion for its entire life. One side will be telling them to walk for miles a day, to hunt, to scavenge and cash high value items, to avoid people and human settings (like highways and cities). The other side will be telling them to seek out people and solicit attention. It is a perfect storm for confusion.

It is extremely difficult to create a living situation for a wold hybrid that will allow them to truly live happily. It requires at least 5 acres and a very high fence that is also buried. There must be a place to dig, a place to swim, a place to hide, and ideally a place to hunt in some capacity.

If ever I was going to venture to train a high percentage wolf hybrid I would first contact a wild animal expert to see if they would mind contributing to the project. I understand how the dog's mind works and how they learn. This brain is vastly different from the brain of a wolf, especially when it comes to relating to people. When people have successfully related and communicated with wolves they have had to learn "wolf language" and adapt their body language, facial expressions, and vocalizations to accomodate the communication patterns of the animals. When we train dogs we make them learn words like "heel", "sit", and "down." We teach them to read our body language and to understand our corrections instead of learning to communicate purely in a language that they understand. Dogs are able to do this because their brains have been hardwired through generations of selective breeding to accomodate people and to work for our approval. If you put a litter of puppies in a room full of bones, food, and toys they will have a great time. If you add a new and friendly person to that room at least half of the puppies will come over to investigate the person and to nibble, lick, and play with it. Dogs that have not had a bad experience with humans will naturally seek them out. Wild wolves who seek out people are considered dangerous and are usually shot or relocated far away from any human population.

I understand the draw of owning a magnificent animal like a wolf. They are beautiful and powerful and to control one would be to control nature. There is something unbreakable about them. Something old that speaks to the lovers of the natural world. But when you take that thing and ask it to live in a second floor, two bedroom apartment you are asking for trouble. The animal will never feel fulfilled. They will never be walked enough. They will likely pose a threat to small pets and animals that live near them. They will be destructive to houses and possibly become fear-biters as people approach them at the wrong time. An animal so beautiful is sure to attract attention but half of their genetic code will be screaming at them to avoid people at all costs and if it feels cornered I would not be surprised if it lashed out.

No, I don't train or own wolf hybrids. Especially "high percentage" wolf hybrids. If someone asked me if they should get a wolf hybrid I would first ask them why they want it. If it is because they want to own a little bit of the wild I would suggest sponsoring a wild wolf that is being reintroduced to the wild. Or perhaps adopting an acre of the rainforest. If they want a dog that howls at the moon and acts "wolfy" I will point them towards primitive dogs like the Siberian Husky or the Alaskan Malamute. I, personally, own one of the most primitive dog breeds in the world. My Akita, Kylie, does not howl (making vocal sounds was bred out of them to make them better hunters and silent guard dogs. They only bark when there is no chance of the prey's escape- or apparently when it is the Jimmy John's guy) but she does have the taciturn, almost aloof presence of a dog that hasen't changed much in the past thousand years. Akitas have not been altered like some breeds but remain fairly true to their original specimens. American Akitas (this includes Kylie) are larger, and have more color variation.  As a hiker, camper, and overall lover of the more wild things nature has to offer I wanted a primitive dog to join me in my adventures. But I stopped there. I knew that owning a wolf or a wolf hybrid was a romantic idea that comes from Jack London's inaccurate portrayal of  friendships between wild dogs and people. Wolves are my favorite animal and have been ever since I was very small. It is on my bucket list to go "wolf watching" in Yellowstone. The idea of a wolf being collared and confined is very upsetting to me. No, I would not venture to ask a wolf or wolf hybrid to adapt to live with people. They can take care of themselves and I will continue to work with, live with and love those lovable cousins of the wolf, the domestic dog. Because sometimes it seems the dog is truly lost without us.

Linus had a productive day today. I feel confident that he will be able to go home on Wednesday with a good foundation for his new lifestyle. We worked on the long line today and he did not bolt away from me once. Tomorrow we are going to spend some more time in the garden. Truthfully, I am going to try my best to get him to make a mistake. We are in the proofing stage of things. What this means is that he has proven to me that he knows the commands and what is expected of him. Now we are throwing distractions at him and possible scenarios that might inspire disobedience in him. We are going to scatter treats, toys, cats, and people during his workouts to see if we can't coax a mistake out of him. I feel that treats are going to be real torture for him.

Linus had a productive day. We worked off-leash outdoors in the fenced garden today (we only got a -little- muddy) and while we definitely still have some work to do, his problems seemed to stem mostly from confusion. This pup is certainly used to outside time being play time. We first worked on-leash in the garden and he did great. I only had to correct him once or twice when we were first getting started. After we ran through all our commands I removed the leash. He Heeled next to me and sat down when I stopped and he definitely liked the praise he got for it. When I did an Implied Stay from the Sit and then asked him to Down from the Front he looked at me for a second and then play bowed and bolted across the garden. He definitely wanted me to chase him as he ran around me and barked. I followed him calmly all the way to the other end of the garden as he happily bounded around, clearly not aware that he had made a mistake. When he realized I wasn't playing and stopped running I was able to reattach the leash and I corrected him all the way back to where he was supposed to have laid down. He was certainly confused. We worked on leash for a few minutes and then I removed the leash again. Once again, he did great for a while but when I asked him to Come, he bolted. This time he stopped running sooner and when he realized I wasn't playing tag he seemed to be genuinely worried that he had made a mistake again. I corrected him across the garden again; back to where he made his mistake. At this point he was pretty stressed and unsure of what to do. We worked on-leash again to put him somewhere familiar (and to give me an excuse to praise him and make him feel happy again) and then tried off-leash once more. He did Heel/Autosit, Down at the Side, Implied Stay, and Come off-leash. There were a few times when I could tell he came very close to making a mistake again but he restrained himself. After he did a good Recall command I decided to end the workout and let him process for a while. 

Well we are getting ready to say goodbye to Miss Lexi. She has been a very spirited student who was very gratifying to work with. She challenged me more than once during this week but I am pleased with what we achieved.
She now knows and understands:
Heel and Autosit
Sit
Down from the Front
Down from the Side
Come
Stay (implied and formal)
Placemat
And house manners like waiting at doors and staying off of furniture.
I will have to take a picture of her and her friend Linus. They sure do love each other. I even had to pull Lexi out of Linus' crate last night. They both hopped into his crate together and snuggled right up for a slumber party.
I am certain that she will continue to challenge people she thinks she can manipulate but her owner and I will have a lesson tomorrow about follow through and making corrections count.
I fear it will feel a little boring here without Lexi keeping things interesting.

Linus sure has grown attached to Lexi. They are easily the best boarding buddies I've had that did not come from the same house. Right now they are having a fantastic time playing with a rope toy together. I have caught them curle up on the same placemat and even had to kick Lexi out of Linus' crate when they tried to have a slumber party. Too cute.

Lexi goes home tomorrow. I hope he isn't too put out without her. Kylie and Ted aren't really good company for a puppy.

Well it has finally dried out outside enough to use the garden. I can't wait to get him out there so we can see how he does off leash outside. In the training room he is fantastic, even with the kitty cat running around. The only time he really didn't do well off Leash was when I scattered kibble on the ground. He is very much a Lab. We may work on that again before he goes home. Look to tomorrow's blog to see how he did in the garden.

Our internet was not cooperating yesterday and I eventually gave up on posting the blogs.

Sorry I had to skip a day in the blog. Our internet was down (or at least I kept losing a signal) and I eventually gave up on blogging.

Wow, Lexi sure did turn things around today. We made huge progress in her obedience. I think what did is is that she finally relaxed enough to play with me and once we played one good game of Run Like Crazy she considered me her buddy and working became fun. She now consistently Heels, Autosits, Downs (from the side is a little better than from the front) and she is okay on Placemat. She was on her mat for around an hour today and only made one mistake. Her problem areas are the Implied Stay and the Recall, though her Recall got much better today. 
Her recall is now solid enough, though not perfect, that I feel comfortable to take her up to the big pasture for a good runaround. Even if her Recall isn't perfect she is sticking around me nicely and she could definitely use a good hike.
The ticket to success for this girl is going to be working with her after she goes home. Much of the work will fall to her owner. Consistency, firm handling, and well timed praise are going to be essential for her to get all out of this Board and Train as she can. Obedience will have to be a way of life, and not just a bag of tricks, or she will likely back slide into stinkerdum.

Linus had a great day today. We have started transitioning to off leash. He is now dragging his leash during workouts and he stays right with me. He has Heel/Autosit, Down at the Side, Down from the Front, Implied Stay (he gets wiggly but he can do it) and he tries so so hard to be a good boy on Placemat but it is just so hard. 
His one big problem area is with Recall. He only comes to me around %30 of the time. The other %70 of the time he either lays down and barks at me, trying to get me to play, or he acts frightened of me and skirts off to the side. I am going to reserve one of his workouts tomorrow to work specifically on this. Over all, however, he is doing extremely well for only 5 days of work.
He and Lexi have certainly bonded this week. They enjoy playing and romping together so much it really is pretty sweet. She is kind of his first grade girlfriend. 
I have videos and pictures but my web connection is so slow they won't upload properly. I am going to have to find the time to go up to Campus and upload everything in one fell swoop.