Jeff wrote: I recently bought an Innotek RR500S. I have tried both long and short probes. I now use the long probes, with the collar so damn tight I think it may be choking my dog. I still don't think it is making skin contact!
LC: Jeff it’s easy to tell if the Ecollar is too tight. If, when you put it on the dog, he starts to wheeze as you pull it tighter, it’s too tight. Back off from that position one or two holes. Check the tension after you work the dog a bit, particularly if you’re doing something very strenuous, as the necks of some dogs swell up as they increase their breathing and heart rate.
LC: But I don’t think that what you describe next has anything to do with “contact or no contact.” I think you’re seeing the results of a dog going up and down in drive. If you don’t like the “D” word you can substitute another “D” word, distraction.
Jeff wrote: This morning she chased a bird acroos the street, level 3 continuous nothing, level 5 continuous nothing, level 7 (hot button) jump and scream like she was being killed.
LC: More than likely one of a couple of things happened. It could be that there’s a bigger step between 5 and 7 than there is between 3 and 5. I’m not familiar with that particular collar but some of them have a geometric or logarithmic progression as they go up the scale.
LC: Another thing that could be happening is that the dog’s drive level dropped off a bit as the chase progressed and the dog therefore became more sensitive to any stimulation that was being applied because there was less distraction. This could happen for a number of reasons; one, the bird was moving out of a place that the dog could reasonably catch him. Another, the bird was getting further away as the chase progressed and the dog was realizing that he couldn’t catch it. Third, the dog could have been slowing down as it lost it’s initial burst of speed and excitement. Any of these would also show up as the dog slowing down on the chase. They would account for the dog ignoring the lower levels as the stimulations came. They simply weren’t getting through.
Jeff wrote: Level 7 is quite painfull. I will never do that again. I have tried all levels w/ all buttons on myself. They work fine. She is a normal coat GSD about 63 lbs. Level 5 should be MAX (and will be from now on). Has anyone had the same problem? This thing wasn't cheap, but if its not consistant, then its useless!
LC: Were you using the Ecollar on the constant mode? If you were only using the Nick mode then it probably wouldn’t have the desired effect.
Jeff wrote: I know its not the collar, its about skin contact. If you have had similar problems, please let me know. I am getting very frustrated. I don't want to do any shaving though....
LC: I’ve never had to shave a dog. At most I’ve gotten some thinning shears and thinned out the hair a bit. I’ve also never had to use the gel that some favor.
LC: I think that a large part of the problem is that you’re using the Ecollar in a “Punishment mode” and often that doesn’t work on many dogs. They’re just too highly driven to feel the pain of the Ecollar as long as they’re on the chase. I’d suggest that you read my post on “Crittering and Dog to Dog Aggression” for a better way to get him to stop chasing birds.
LC: If you're only using only the Punishment side of an Ecollar, you're not realizing the full potential of the tool.
LC: This link may work. If not do a search for “crittering” under the member number 131. You’ll also find some other articles I’ve written on using the Ecollar that may be helpful.
http://www.leerburg.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=23;t=000028
Lou Castle has been kicked off this board. He is an OLD SCHOOL DOG TRAINER with little to offer.
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