April 28, 2011

I would like to know if the Dogtra 280 NCP is the right ecollar for my dog.

Full Question:
Hello,

I receive your monthly email and order things from your company and enjoy your website so much. This months email hit home with one of the questions and answers regarding the Pit Bull. This question and answer also hit home for my best friend who I train with. We each have the opposite problems. Mine is lack of respect from my dog on the "recall" when distracted and hers is "prey drive." I'm taking private lessons regarding my recall issue using a pinch collar and my friend is using an e-collar & pinch collar. To sum this up, I need to know what to order from you and she needs to know if she needs the Aggressive Dog DVD.

I have a 2 year old Yellow Lab that I will be showing in Agility, next year. I'm not showing her until I have "full control" of her. She's obedience trained on lead and works beautifully for me in a class setting, etc. My instructor had me put a pinch on her in Agility because of not having a "total recall." She is food driven, so she ignores me totally when I call her if they are baiting another dog on contacts, etc. She'll come when called at home when no distractions. My lab is so "soft." Using the pinch with (2) tugs and saying "come" while tugging and then saying "good girl" after the tugs are done, she'll cower down. Of course, she'll pop back up to her good old self instantly and then we'll repeat the training. She'll get it finally after about three attempts, but then blow me off another day. I'm feeling the pinch is really not the answer and I read about your E-collar training and am very interested in purchasing an E-collar and the video. I use an invisible fence at home and Sadie was trained with that immediately. All it took was (1) small correction when we showed her at a very low setting and she has never come close to getting corrected ever again and I did that training when she was 5 months old. She has totally respected the invisible fence. My gut tells me the E-collar and your DVD is the answer and one that will work for a soft dog. She works beautifully for a sporting dog doing obedience and agility and loves to work, but the recall has been my main issue. I've tried different training methods and so many different collars. She knows I'm the leader of the pack in all other respects for I have forced that ever since the day I got her. I've been under different trainers in this area since I got her for this is important to me to have her fully trained properly. She's still young, for as you know lab's don't mature until around three, but I still want her to "come" when called and EVERYTIME when called. So can you recommend the right E-collar for me and I want the E-collar training DVD as well. I will use the E-collar during Agility training and at home and on walks. I live in Midland, MI a city of only 40,000 people and my home is in the city on a corner lot (that's why the Invisible Fence) and so it's not a lot of property. Do you think the Dogtra 280NCP is the right one for me?

My friend has an Australian Cattle Dog that has high prey drive. She will "bump" at any chance given. Pat has worked for 4 years on this dog and the dog works beautifully, but if Pat does not have the E-collar on, or a Pinch collar, or a Gentle Leader, the dog will run after a dog and she has no control. The dog is one who knows that when the E-collar is on or the Pinch collar is on, the dog will NOT react and will obey. Pat doesn't have "full" control when the collars are not on. We read this is where Pat has gone wrong in your E-mail today. Her dog has never attacked another dog, but has had fur in it's mouth (never drawn blood) and has bumped. Would you recommend the DVD for her for Aggressive Dogs? I'm anxious to getting the E-collar and DVD and getting started with your training method. I just don't feel my current trainer is on the right path for me. I need your expertise.

Thank you,
Renee
Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
Hi Renee,

I will first address your dog. I think the Dogtra 280 NCP will be fine for your dog. It’s what I use on my Malinois. It has lots of levels so you can increase or decrease the stimulation by tiny increments and the collar that the dog wears is not very large. I think that it will help you work through your issues with your lab.

For your friend’s dog, I would recommend she reestablish herself as the leader for this dog. She can read our groundwork article. I would also recommend she does not give this dog any time off leash. If the dog doesn’t respond to her without training collars (a VERY common problem) then she has given the dog too much freedom without having the proper control and training in place. She has trained the dog that the collar controls the dog, not her.

She should watch the Electric collar training DVD also and I would most certainly suggest Dominant and Aggressive Dogs DVD for her. It’s only a matter of time before these “bumps” become real bites. Things like this always escalate unless you extinguish the behavior. Every time this dog goes through this without a consequence the behavior is reinforced.

I hope this helps.

Cindy

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Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
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