Just began using one with my 16 week Dobe. Using the plastic tips on most of the prongs right now. He seems to respond very well with this collar, took to it immediately.

would pull and not pay attention with his regular collar.
wondering if others have used similiar methods at this early age.

DOBE,

I think this is a little young for a correction collar. It sounds more like you need to learn to make a more effective correction. The key to making a good correction is not the pulling the collar tight, but the release. The idea for making a good correction is not to move the dog, but to get it's attention and break the train of thought it is engaging in. With my dogs I don't put a correction collar on until they are around 6 months old. At 4 months you should still be using more positive methods be it treats, or a ball, or even praise. In another month I go to using the flat collar for making mild corrections in addition to praise/rewards. By doing this I have found a couple of things. One the dog is less dependant on corrections to get the behavior I want. The other thing is that the dog requires a much lighter correction later in life.

I have also used this for getting him up the stairs to go out. after one day of pulling him up to the first step he now goes up no problem with no prodding.

A perfect description of how not to do a correction. You will create problems by dragging around the dog by the collar. There is a principle call "Opposition Reflex" that operates in dogs. You pull one way, they pull the other. The idea is to not use the collar as a convient handle to drag the dog around. This isn't training, it is dragging. The idea to get a better working dog is to make them WANT to do it (Sorry Wolf). By dragging the dog around you just set the idea that any thing you want the dog to do, he isn't going to want to do. If you can get him to want to go out and up the stairs because there is something he wants up there it will be more likely that he will be willing to to what you want in other training because he gets something he wants for doing what you want. Be that praise, attention, a treat, or play time. The idea to train a dog is to make the behaviors in training something the dog wants to do to please you. This is working with the pack drive for the dog. Now you are working with the dog rather than against the dog. Much easier situation than setting up the idea that the dog is fighting you to get what you want. this is particularly true when it comes to dealing with puppies, and everything you do now will affect the dogs training later.

It wasnt a drag it was a pull up to the bottom step. thanks

Vince,

I am not getting the point across, your turn.

 Quote:

Originally posted by Richard Cannon:
DOBE,

The other thing is that the dog requires a much lighter correction later in life.

If trained correctly and thoroughly i would think that the dog wouldnt need corrections later in life??

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Ditto; what Richard said!

Dobe,
Another thing to consider is whether you're going to do OB training with the pup. If you are pulling the pup now you won't be able to use pulling as a distraction in OB (sit stay & down stay) because the pup will be conditioned into moving when you pull. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

BTW, the best advice I can give is to listen to the experts like Richard and Vince.

that's good to know, as with the prong i no longer need to pull. he will not let the lead get tight. he appears to be avoiding corrections. he goes where i go, able to do left turns after one training day.