I have a 21 month old boxer and have been training him on the e-collar with a trainer, and doing a lot of work on my own. The problem is if I take him out to nursing home or pet smart etc. this guy shakes like a leaf. He is a great dog with people and kids and very ob. but can't get by the nervous part and noise dist. Could this be age?? Could the e collar be the problem?

John, did your dog ever show this behavior prior to using the ecollar?

No, it is not age related, imo.

Does she shake regardless of where you take her out in public?

Can you explain how the trainer instructed you to use the collar?

Welcome to the forum, btw.

Hi John,
It sounds like your pup could use some confidence building. Have you done any marker training with him?

Is this behavior new or has he always been unsure in certain environments? Also, how do you react when he displays nervousness?

I just bought the marker training dvd and have been doing a lot of work with him. Seems like certain environments. When he was younger not as bad as he gets older seems worse. A good expl. was tonight going to pet smart very nervous but once we get going in the store not bad. A worker dropped a box and that was it he wanted out. Maybe it's me too..

There is no doubt that if you are nervous or unsure, this transmits to the dog loud and clear.

This might be sound like a silly question, but if the dog is nervous in these environments, why is he being taken there?

It will be helpful to work/train him away from these "scary" places and then gradually work up toward going back there, if he becomes more confident in lower distracting areas.

Is he nervous when you take him in the car before you get anywhere?

How would the trainer have used the ecollar in these situations?

The marker training dvd is wonderful!!

Sorry for the questions...

 Quote: Barbara Schuler

John, did your dog ever show this behavior prior to using the ecollar?

No, it is not age related, imo.

Does she shake regardless of where you take her out in public?

Can you explain how the trainer instructed you to use the collar?

Welcome to the forum, btw.

He has been on the ecollar since he was 5 months old and when he was younger really not to much of this worse right now. yep shakes in public and when he has to get out of the truck, but not when i will take him for a run at the school np. down the road i would love to do some Obedience Comp. but not like this.
I just started doing some agility training with him and he has been doing very good, that trained blames the ecollar. very mixed up right now with this guy....

 Quote: barbara schuler

There is no doubt that if you are nervous or unsure, this transmits to the dog loud and clear.

This might be sound like a silly question, but if the dog is nervous in these environments, why is he being taken there?

It will be helpful to work/train him away from these "scary" places and then gradually work up toward going back there, if he becomes more confident in lower distracting areas.

Is he nervous when you take him in the car before you get anywhere?

How would the trainer have used the ecollar in these situations?

The marker training dvd is wonderful!!

Sorry for the questions...

never nervous to get in the car always ready to go.. trainer says take him there and make it fun he wants no part of fun!!!
i would have to say he was not like this when he was younger.

My ten year old fox terrier starts to shake when he gets near the soccer field (or any field). He wants to GET TO THE FIELD. Its funny, because now, once we are on the field, he can walk around with me and not pester me for the ball. But still, there is this zone of excitement, arousal, that comes up in him as he nears the field. I'm working marker training with him to help him settle down as we approach the field.

Have you used the ecollar on him in these locations where he is shaking? Is there a proximal zone around these areas where he is not shaking and then he starts to shake? Or is it once you go through a doorway?

John,

I have an ecollar and love it, so I'm not focusing on the ecollar to blast you for using one, okay?

There are right ways and wrong ways to use an ecollar. In no way am I trying to insinuate that you might have been doing something deliberately wrong; I don't think you have! What would be helpful to know is how the trainer used the ecollar and taught you to use it.

Was it used from five months to train the dog to do a behavior ie: heel, or was it used after a behavior was taught to correct for disobedience?

If it was used to train the heel, was it used by nicking the dog unless he was in the right position?

Any info you can provide would be helpful in working through this with you.

I understand why the trainer would say take the dog to Petsmart and make it FUN for him! On the outside, that seems to make sense. But if you were deathly afraid of crickets and I kept taking you on a leash into a room full of crickets, would that help ease your fears or perhaps make them more intense? And picture from the dog's perspective that he is already fearful of crickets and when he is in the room a sudden loud noise frightens him further, but he is still teathered to you and can't get out...

However, if I showed you crickets at a great distance, and we talked about crickets, had fun while being far away from the crickets, etc... you might begin to realize crickets really won't hurt you.

See where I'm going with this? I think your trainer gave you bad advice on taking this dog to a place where he is fearful... over and over and over... He is being "flooded" with a situation which makes him nervous or scared.

My pup is not in love with places like this either.

My goal has been to keep him under his stress threshold. That meant going to the pet store, opening the hatch of my van (where he is in his crate) and maybe just sitting there for a few minutes, then leaving. Then we started getting out of the car, walking around outside for a few minutes, then leaving. Then we started going closer to the door...and so on, until now he will go in comfortably.

What threw him off was the automatic door and he hates the slippery floor...he honestly was less nervous at the vet's office!

Just take it very, very slow and you will make progress.

There is a book called "Control Unleashed" that has many great ideas for situations like this. Highly recommend it!

IMO, the e-collar has no use in this particular situation.

Good luck!