Don Sullivan's method- when we started training, and my man and I were total novices- except for training horses,- so we got his CDs and the plastic mild prong. Inga was three months old then I think. It worked great for basic obedience and we did not become treat dispensers. He advises to have the dog work for praise and play. At about five months she started to make a little snarly face when asked to do a command and it was always when being asked to assume submissive positions, such as a down. This looked a little bit like the beginning of handler aggression to me. She is a German and Chek bloodline and has a hundred and sixty four schutzhunds in her lineage. They are mostly showlines but European sch had to be titled for biting people, and most importantly, stop biting people, in order to breed. Or maybe it was just a phase. Also she was the dominant pup in the litter, she shrugs off correction easily and is apparently rather hard. Anyway, discussing this directly Mr Sullivan he advised to use a cloth muzzle when working the down and go to the metal prong. This stopped her pulling But still, you had to have your hand near her face to correct the down when the muzzle is off. Calving season was about to begin. So I got the ecollar. Sure I was nervous about using it, I know you can ruin a dog with it if used incorrectly. I have no trainers out here to advise, I am the trainer. So studying its use by the maker of sportdog , it does not teach anything, it reinforces what they already know. But it did extinguish the snarly face and also barking at other dogs from the back of the truck immediately at a very low setting. I don't think she connects the correction with us. She does suddenly become very obedient as soon as it is put on and may be collar wise. I like that I can tone or vibrate to signal her at five hundred yards away. This is great for distance work. It can be also be used like a clicker to tell the dog that exact moment they did the desired behavior. I also like that I can give a size seven correction in case she takes off after a calf or a deer, which can get a dog run over by a car or shot dead. The collar can save their life. Anyway, now at her first birthday she knows thirty commands. I understand this is no big deal but I myself am very happy with her.
> up, enough barking, sit, down, stay, load up, off load, wait, jump, get it, bring it, kennel, off, out, NO, come, heel, get him, lets go, relax, stand, no bite, WHAT IS IT?- very important- check out possible threat out in the dark-, eat eat in German, find it, leave it, drag, crawl- such as under a row of chairs, and cross- such as a ten foot two by six across two platforms - and now another circus trick, jump through a hoop and into a tank of water. Also she knows the distant hand signals sit and down and stay an eighth of a mile away. Now she is learning to heel to a ridden horse at walk, trot and gallop.
What is an amazing breed are these GSDs. I have never known a dog like this. The breed to so responsive to training. I have had many dogs but she is my first real dog German Shepherd. Thanks for reading.
> up, enough barking, sit, down, stay, load up, off load, wait, jump, get it, bring it, kennel, off, out, NO, come, heel, get him, lets go, relax, stand, no bite, WHAT IS IT?- very important- check out possible threat out in the dark-, eat eat in German, find it, leave it, drag, crawl- such as under a row of chairs, and cross- such as a ten foot two by six across two platforms - and now another circus trick, jump through a hoop and into a tank of water. Also she knows the distant hand signals sit and down and stay an eighth of a mile away. Now she is learning to heel to a ridden horse at walk, trot and gallop.
What is an amazing breed are these GSDs. I have never known a dog like this. The breed to so responsive to training. I have had many dogs but she is my first real dog German Shepherd. Thanks for reading.