Training collar/no bark collar questions

[Puddincat]

So, I am talking to this lady today with such a well behaved Rotti. She has a training collar on him. so I start asking questions. I have issues (as I have mentioned on here a few times) with my girl being rude, and barking when approaching other dogs and people. I was talking to her about it and rather than leash corrections she suggested a no bark or trainer to give a little buzz correction when she starts the rude behavior. I know nothing about these collars and I am reading mixed things online, this lady swears by hers. I'm interested in any opinions on these collars. Is it something I should look into more for a stubborn dog or is it the lazy way to train?

[Puddincat]

Also, are there any differences in brands? The woman had a Dogtra. I have been looking at petsafes and innoteks... The Dogtras are expensive.

[G-burg]

If your gonna go with a bark collar.. get a good one.. dogtra or tri-tronics..

I don't know if I would use a bark collar for what you need.. I would work more on teaching the dog what's appropriate behavior, teaching him to focus on you and basic commands and making sure you can give effective corrections when need..

[Strana1]

Have you worked with a competent trainer in regards to your issues? If not that should be your first step. I have used e-collars but only after working with my trainer. Lou Castle on this board has a very good website re: e-collars, I would recommed starting there or with a trainer.

[Castlemaid]

Good for you for asking questions. I recently started using a Dogtra on my rescue, and I love the results. BUT!!!BIG HUGE BUT:

Using the collar of this type the WRONG way can really mess up your dog. My girl has had TONS AND TONS AND TONS of Obedience training using positive motivational methods WITH appropriate corrections when neccessary. This means that I understand training, and more importantly, she understands what I want, and is willing and happy to respond to me. The e-collar was because her recall has never been that reliable in situations of high-distraction, and to prevent chasing wildlife as I live in the boonies.

SHE KNOWS that a buzz (and I mostly only use the pager) is a correction from me, and she respects that. That is what I wanted, a way to get her attention when her attention is locked on something else. Without the proper foundation, or the proper training with an expert, the corrections only confuse a dog, and can really mess with them.

You need a good understanding of how dogs think and learn, you need a good understanding of cause and effect, you need a lot of experience in working with dogs in TEACHING them, NOT JUST CORRECTING THEM.

Used incorrectly, the collar can really mess up a dog, and play havoc with their self-confidence. Used incorrectly, it can shut a dog down, or make them scared and reactive. All they know is that randomly, out of nowhere, there is pain when they do this, pain when they do that, pain when they act in ways they think is completely normal and acceptable. So they are afraid of doing anything, because bad things happen. You don't want that.

I know that some people on here have had bad reviews of the more inexpensive collars. It is worth investing in the better ones like the Dogtra. But for that price, you can sign up to obedience classes, or look for a trainer to get you started in the right direction with more appropriate training methods than e-collar corrections (and you can only use a correction to correct behaviour that the dog KNOWS! You can teach with an e-collar, but they are used very differently, nor for corrections. Lou Castle's site is a good one to look at to see the difference).

And the Rotties that I have met tend to be more layed back and less reactive than a lot of GSDs, so the well behaved rottie may have been more well-behaved to start, even without the collar.

[Puddincat]

Thanks for the advice everyone!!!

I have been doing lots of reading and asking around on the best type of training to get the response I need. I do reading on behavior and training anyways, I have invested alot of time and effort into making her a great dog, since when I got her she was poorly trained at best.

I don't want to do something that would ruin her personality. I thought the collar might be a solution to getting her attention when she gets into the barking behavior and tunes me out.

I am working everyday on pack order with her, NILF and such. I'm trying to work on the big picture to help with small issues. I do not like the idea of collars, but It didn't hurt to ask. That woman seemed to be in love with hers and I never even considered one before.

I want to do what is best for the dog.

[jencarr]

I have a tri-tronics that I just got from my breeder. It works really well. I have only used it when Jackson is loose in the backyard with me because it gives an immediate correction. Any correction I had given in the past was too far after the fact to have any affect. Up until I had the collar he was lunging at the fence & barking every time the neighbors came out. The collar basically 'takes the steam out of his engine'. He knows if he barks he will get a zap so now he runs towards the fence but doesn't bark. Because he can't bark it seems to take the fun out of it & I am able to call him away before he starts jumping on the fence.

[rapnek74]

Used correctly there is no better training tool.

[Dohhhhh]

Originally Posted By: PuddincatAlso, are there any differences in brands? The woman had a Dogtra. I have been looking at petsafes and innoteks... The Dogtras are expensive.

If you decide to go this route, PLEASE do not buy one of those things from Petsmart or Walmart. Better to pay a little more and get something good that will not malfunction. Try watching Ebay for a used Dogtra.

Might be worth while to consult with a trainer experienced in using E-Collars.

[Dohhhhh]

Originally Posted By: rapnek74Used correctly there is no better training tool.

HERE HERE

I have had well behaved dogs most of my life but have NEVER had outstanding, well behaved dogs until I began training with remote training collars.