I’ve studied Michael Ellis’s e-collar course and I need guidance on how to pair this with leash pressure. I’m a little confused.

Full Question:

Hi Cindy. I hope this question makes sense. I am looking for a little guidance on how to use what I've learned in Michael Ellis's e-collar course. I think I understand his process of introducing it: verbal command, followed by stim + leash pressure, escape upon compliance. However, I haven't really used leash pressure to teach any of the behaviors ME suggests using leash + e-collar for: foot targets, down, back. We taught those with luring and shaping only. I do use a prong and leash pressure for LLW (loose leash walking) , and I think my dog understands the concept.

But I am not sure how to even use leash pressure to get her onto a foot target, because she already knows where to go when she sees the target/hears the command, and I've never used a leash for those behaviors. I tried the other day, and she was moving too quickly for me to get any tension of the leash. Can I introduce the e-collar without leash pressure? Or do I need to re-train some behaviors with a leash? A little confused.

Thank you!

Cindy's Answer:

Since your dog knows leash pressure for loose leash walking then I would try using the remote collar in that scenario after you condition the dog to the collar. Once you have done that, try the foot target but don't give a command first and if she beats you to the leash pressure then that's ok. The leash is mostly there to prevent the dog from leaving or getting squirrely, if that makes sense.

For dogs like yours (and mine) that will already going to the target before you can even do anything Michael advised me to slightly modify the process.

Stim THEN say “target" a split second after and then release the button once the dog gets there. I hope that makes sense.

User Response:

Thanks, Cindy. That is really helpful.

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