Hello all,

I am new to the forums and I'm trying to find a good quality trainer that offers board and train options for obedience in the Central Valley (California) area.

I have a 6 month old female lab that is an inside family pet I'd like to take on hikes and runs off leash (when she's older). I've taught her the basics and she's doing fairly well for a young puppy. She's not reliable with distractions yet and definitely not ready to be off leash. I've never used an e-collar training previous dogs, but plan on using one with her to get her off leash. I'm just concerned about doing it the right way. I want to be very sure from the beginning of using the e-collar that she is conditioned to it correctly so she clearly knows what the stim is, why she is feeling it, and how to turn it off/prevent it in the future.

This is where I'm looking for help. I'd like to find a reputable trainer that will condition her the right way to the e-collar in order to reinforce all the basic obedience commands so I can have her off leash with major distractions around.

Does anyone here know any good trainers in California's Central Valley that would be a good option?


Thank you very much in advance for any suggestions you might have!!!

 Quote: Steve Tendler

Hello all,

I am new to the forums and I'm trying to find a good quality trainer that offers board and train options for obedience in the Central Valley (California) area.

I have a 6 month old female lab that is an inside family pet I'd like to take on hikes and runs off leash (when she's older). I've taught her the basics and she's doing fairly well for a young puppy. She's not reliable with distractions yet and definitely not ready to be off leash. I've never used an e-collar training previous dogs, but plan on using one with her to get her off leash. I'm just concerned about doing it the right way. I want to be very sure from the beginning of using the e-collar that she is conditioned to it correctly so she clearly knows what the stim is, why she is feeling it, and how to turn it off/prevent it in the future.

This is where I'm looking for help. I'd like to find a reputable trainer that will condition her the right way to the e-collar in order to reinforce all the basic obedience commands so I can have her off leash with major distractions around.

Does anyone here know any good trainers in California's Central Valley that would be a good option?


Thank you very much in advance for any suggestions you might have!!!

START HERE:

http://leerburg.com/ecollardvds.htm

My personal FAVE is:

http://leerburg.com/318.htm

Michael Ellis operates one of THE TOP dog training schools in America right here in Northern California, but I think you can easily learn how to "get control" of your young Lab by mastering the art of Marker Training...

START HERE:

http://leerburg.com/219.htm

Sending your PET dog away to a board & train facility is generally both unnecessary & not recommended -- But I trust that other posters here with more experience than I have will also offer their expert advice ... Bottom Line: what you're seeking to accomplish is very do-able, IMHO

P.S. I've trained my Borzoi and my Akita, and now my 2 rescue Dobermans (adopted as adults) using these DVDs even though I'm just an Amateur PET Owner!

I really LOVE my:

http://leerburg.com/ET300.htm

PM sent with e-collar resources.

Figuring it out on your own through videos, articles, etc. is totally do-able.

Getting a quality e-collar for the low levels that this training uses it on is critical. I like the Educator collars myself. Nothing that you can buy in PetSmart or PetCo is suitable. They are using 20 year old technology and just packaging it up all pretty.

We had a really hard headed Chesapeake Bay retriever in l979 that we sent away for training. My husband and I were both graduate students, he in human medicine, me in veterinary medicine, and our time at home was sitting silently at a desk. So when we had a vacation for 3 wks we sent Maple to a duck guy, serious crank and yank, but she came back a better dog.

Flash forward 40+ yrs we sent an English Shepherd to a herding trainer for a month while we went to Florida. That was a disaster.

I'd recommend looking at the free podcasts on Leerburg, and getting started yourself. The bond you will build will be unbelievable. Most labs are great dogs to train, if you can drain away some of the energy.

no clue what your life circumstances are , but isn't training the dog a big part of the fun of having one . . .

in other words , why the rush to an e-collar when you've just begun the adventure of training the dog ?

i'm not anti-e , but there are a lot of things to be done before you even know if you need one .

i'm at MES right now , and there are some great trainers here , but i'm going to guess they would be doing a lot more foundation work before they started enforcing behaviours with positive punishment .

might take a little longer than the e-way , but every day training the dog only strengthens the relationship .

or , ( warning : shameless plug alert ) you could enquire about his e-collar class and see if he thinks it is appropriate at this stage of the dogs'development . starts in two weeks . santa rosa .

but i'll bet he suggests taking his two week " obedience intensive " course first . . . just sayin' . . .

 Quote: ian bunbury

isn't training the dog a big part of the fun of having one . . .

i'm not anti-e , but there are a lot of things to be done before you even know if you need one .

...be doing a lot more foundation work before they started enforcing behaviours with positive punishment .

Michael Ellis dog training school is in santa rosa .

Hi Ian,

Am feeling the need to say here that I, for one, do NOT use my ecollar to PUNISH a dog -- Perhaps this is just a difference of "semantics", but I actually think it MAY be a "philosophical" difference (???) I take my dogs through a complete at-home course of Basic Obedience first of all, including the Learning, Distraction & Correcting phases of training WITHOUT an ecollar ... Then I introduce the Remote Collar as a FAIL-SAFE backup Control for Off-Lead freedom in unconfined areas, using the Lowest Stim possible per dog (like a gentle "tap on the shoulder" to remind them that they ARE wearing an Invisible Leash and WILL be "reeled in" for any lapse in compliance) NO pain is involved, and I do Not consider it "punishment" but rather GUIDANCE for the sake of Security.

No argument with the overall issues you're highlighting at all, just raising a point of discussion on the Legitimate Use of an ecollar for off-lead backup control IF it is ever NEEDED is all

hey candi . . . no need to explain or justify your methods or use of that tool to me or any others . from what i know of you on this board i think it is safe to say you have the dogs' best interest in mind .

similarly , after re-reading the OP , i think he is motivated likewise by the best interests of his dog , but i just wanted to point out that unless he has done a lot of foundation work , i mean like so much it would almost be unfair to a six month old puppy , he is still a long way off from requiring an e-collar to proof / reinforce behaviours .

and like your last sentence , if the work is done correctly , he may never need one . they have their own challenges . used properly in the right circumstances they could be just what is needed . used incorrectly on the wrong dog : relationship ruined .

 Quote: ian bunbury

hey candi . . . no need to explain or justify your methods or use of that tool to me or any others . from what i know of you on this board i think it is safe to say you have the dogs' best interest in mind .

similarly , after re-reading the OP , i think he is motivated likewise by the best interests of his dog , but i just wanted to point out that unless he has done a lot of foundation work , i mean like so much it would almost be unfair to a six month old puppy , he is still a long way off from requiring an e-collar to proof / reinforce behaviours .

and like your last sentence , if the work is done correctly , he may never need one . they have their own challenges . used properly in the right circumstances they could be just what is needed . used incorrectly on the wrong dog : relationship ruined .

I really appreciate your thoughtful response, Ian And for the sake of further discussion, I have no problem with accustoming a 6 month old pup to "the meaning" of very Lowest stim ecollar use when the Remote Trainer is worn as a FAIL-SAFE backup during off-lead recreation in Unconfined Areas (again, only IF the dog has already proven himself Compliant in basic Obedience) -- Yes, as you say, we're talking about something GOOD for the DOG ... Acclimation of a young pup to extremely Minimal stim (only) works as an adjunct to enhance its ongoing lessons & bonding with the owner, while allowing the dog Safely CONTROLED Freedom when on outings such as hikes & camping trips, IMHO But of course I understand that others may feel differently.

I wouldn't use an ecollar on a 6 m/o. They're still developing mentally and not mature mentally either.

I would be doing lots of focus and relationship style games. Lots of highly rewarding recall games, too.

Off leash hikes are often present pretty high level distractions for a dog. So unless you've gradually worked up to that level it's a bit unfair (IMO) to go right to an ecollar at six months old.

The OP only posted Once on the 11th and hasn't been heard from since for a WEEK Wonder if he's even been reading this discussion, LOL -- Oh well, others who might have similar questions may be gleaning some helpful information from it...