I am just curious/looking for pointers on how you e collar users handle people.

Do you flat out ignore people comments/questions while in public?
Do you try and educate them?
Do you get collar that match the dogs fur to stay low profile (paranoia for sure)?
What about family and friends who have words or ideas on e collar use?
Do you have them hold it and show them the low level of the stim?

Just curious how you guys handle these kind of things.


Thanks

I am a firm believer on educating, and showing its uses, but high on the reality of it is none of their business.
I get a ton of negative comments on my use of a prong, leash or e-collar, but those are the people whom are uneducated, and have dogs that don't listen. In the end everyone has an opinion, so if your willing to listen to their opinions, go for trying to explain. I do not hide my dogs collars, never have, and most of the negative people have dogs who could use the dang things themselves.
In the end, it is your dog, your life, and as long as the collar is used properly, who cares what others think!

I also feel like, in the end, it's noone else's business. However, I try to avoid putting myself in a position to get into conflict over it. If I am going to Petco, I'm probably not going with the prong and DD backup. That is, unless I am going there to proof, in which case I'm also wearing my thicker skin, anyhow.

PERSONALLY SPEAKING, the prong and ecollar are training devices for me. My goal is to use them to train a dog well enough to behave in public in a flat or dressy collar. If the dog needs corrective devices, IMO the dog should only be taken out for training and not have casual interactions in public. I know there are many escape/avoidance trainers (some that I am friends with) that will disagree with me, and they have wonderfully behaved dogs, but some of them have to take some guff from time to time.

 Quote: Duane Hull

I also feel like, in the end, it's noone else's business. However, I try to avoid putting myself in a position to get into conflict over it. If I am going to Petco, I'm probably not going with the prong and DD backup. That is, unless I am going there to proof, in which case I'm also wearing my thicker skin, anyhow.

PERSONALLY SPEAKING, the prong and ecollar are training devices for me. My goal is to use them to train a dog well enough to behave in public in a flat or dressy collar. If the dog needs corrective devices, IMO the dog should only be taken out for training and not have casual interactions in public. I know there are many escape/avoidance trainers (some that I am friends with) that will disagree with me, and they have wonderfully behaved dogs, but some of them have to take some guff from time to time.

Following along with everyone else's answers:

1) Same Color as dog's fur / low profile for ecollar, DD, and prong, YES...

2) LIE and tell Busy-Bodies that it's a TONE ONLY remote collar

3) Similar to what Duane said above, the prong, DD, and ecollar are for Training.

Once a dog has been Proofed on these collars, even if worn ALL the time including around "disapproving people" out in public, you will find that leash Corrections are virtually NEVER needed -- They are normally "fail-safe-only"...

When dealing with Friends & Family, then & only then (IMHO) is Education worthwhile, giving personal demonstrations or showing them a DVD

 Quote: Daniel.P.Hughes

I am just curious/looking for pointers on how you e collar users handle people.

Do you flat out ignore people comments/questions while in public?
Do you try and educate them?
Do you get collar that match the dogs fur to stay low profile (paranoia for sure)?
What about family and friends who have words or ideas on e collar use?
Do you have them hold it and show them the low level of the stim?

Just curious how you guys handle these kind of things.

Thanks

I am in the ignore camp. I have no experience using an e-collar in public, but I do occasionally use a prong. With the prong, I will have a back-up collar, plus the dog's flat buckle collar with their ID and tags on it. So to a stranger, I'm sure it looks like an overload of contraptions. Still, I rarely get any comments. If I do, I choose not to engage. If I'm at the dog club and someone wants to talk about my choice of training tools, that's a different story.

Like Becky said, talk to strangers in public if you are willing to listen politely to their opinions, but do not believe that you will "educate" anybody. It's a sure bet that you will not change their minds.

There's nothing wrong with disguising your collar for the purpose of avoiding unwanted confrontations. You have a GSD, so the thick coat should make the prong a little less obvious, but there are also covers you can get for them designed for just such a reason. As for the e-collar, you could always tell people it's an invisible fence collar that you forgot to take off.

As far as demonstrating it to friends and family, good luck talking them into it! I am reminded that somewhere on this site are a couple of videos of Jeff and Ed and some other guy trying them on themselves. I myself have not gotten over being a kid and my uncle trying to get me to touch the electric horse fence to see if it's working.

 Quote: Cheri Grissom

I myself have not gotten over being a kid and my uncle trying to get me to touch the electric horse fence to see if it's working.

OMG, even as an ADULT, accidentally getting zapped by the Hot-Wire on a horse paddock is Unforgettable !!!

http://leerburg.com/keepercollarbucklesnap-ext.htm

thanks everyone