Ok. I have a couple of questions that I have just been wondering about. As many of you know, I have always used a prong on my dog, Gypsy, pretty much since day one. She is really *my* first dog in that I've never been the sole provider/trainer of any dog, though we had a dog when I was growing up.

I just got a Dogtra 200NCP collar to use when we go to the lake or hiking, and to work with her off-leash obedience. I'm also getting a foster dog in the next week to two weeks, who has limited training (with a choke chain), and by that I mean that if you tell him to sit, he might sit, or he might just jump up on you and lick your face. He's pretty much a 'green' pony. lol

I was wanting to start training him and wondered about maybe pairing the clicker with the prong (and later the e-collar). Has anyone had success using both methods? He's a very sweet dog, and from what she tells me is pretty motivated to please. She also said he LOVES food rewards.

I use all three on my dogs, but for different behaviors and training. I use the prong for leashed things, my girls are just too strong for me and I can't hold them all without the prong.

The e-collar is for off leash walks and hikes so I have the 100% reliable 'come' whether there are deer, squirrels, other dogs or whatever.

And the clicker is for tricks, agility, learning new obedience behaviors along with the leash (because for me the clicker is a better, quicker, clearer 'marker' for the behavior).

The way you use all three is basically the same as what I'm wanting to do. See, this dog has very little training - we might as well say he's had none at all. I want everything to go smoothly with him, and I think he'll learn quickly. I'm wanting to start out by using the clicker to teach him what the commands mean, then when he knows what they mean, introduce the corrections (in the form of the prong collar, or maybe even a flat collar depending on his temperament), but still use the clicker when he gets it right.

Then, IF he advances to the point where I can work with him off-leash, that's when I'd introduce the e-collar.

I just wondered if anyone had any experience or suggestions, because I've never trained with the clicker before, and really never trained with the e-collar.

I think you're getting a dobie-hound foster? Right?

I'm an idiot, I never remember everything I meant to say... I've had good luck starting the male dobies on the ecollar from day one. That way all the compulsion is "hands off". Then they get you as guiding and leading, and they get into "trouble" all on their own.

Many times with them, the only collars they've ever worn were flat collars and the ecollar.

LoL! I'm the same way, and yes, he's a dobie/hound. He isn't nearly as big as a dobie, probably only 40-50 pounds or so. Thanks for your responses, though. I'll check out that page tomorrow.

 Quote:

Originally posted by Stephan R Weber:
One of the things I've found with dobies is that shutting down (dobie-lock) is high on their list of options when you are not clear with them, or you are pushing them hard. It's a real balancing act with some of them, especially the boys who are so hard they don't recognize any correction subtler than a bomb, and then they implode into that "why didn't you just tell me ?!" state.

The bitches were was easier than the dogs. Sometimes I think the key sexually dimorphic trait in dobies is the girls get the brains <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Just had to chuckle at this. Yup -- tight rope balancing act training dobes .. I'll go with that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I happen to have a girl with brains, really soft at times and then getting into the "not recognizing a correction subtler than a bomb" syndrome that she got from her dad :rolleyes: Really fun.

What kind of hound? I wouldn't use food or a prong on a hound. When training my bloodhound I used playdrive and convinced her she wanted to do it and it was all her idea. All motivational training. 'Course she thought it was all a game, but she did rather well. Remember hounds were bred to have us follow them, so you have to train "backwards" so to speak. They are definitely not GSDs <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

If the dog was trained with a chain collar, why not use that properly and just explain all the commands to the dog. If he is not a difficult dog, I would just use clear explanation, a lot of praise and playtime as reward. I would not let a hound off-leash, so don't see the use of the e-collar.

Both dobermanns and hounds are balancing acts and can shut down rather easily, so make sure you are more on the "soft" side than the "heavy handed" side. Really easy to scrap either breed, from what I have seen around here anyhow. Yep, takes longer to train, but hey, the goal is to have a happy dog who respects you, not an Indy speed record in training.

Good luck <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Of course, I am thinking of scent hounds when talking about the food factor. You don't want that nose to click in and the brain to shut off <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I have found from the hounds and dobies I have trained, they work great for praise and attention.

I have no idea what kind of hound. That part of his 'breeding' is just a guess I think. He's probably about 40-50 pounds; he's a little bit smaller than my dog, and she's 60 pounds, but more muscular. He has the coloring of a dobie, and a docked tail, but his face isn't as long, and he has floppy ears. I realize that if you don't crop a dobie's ears, they will flop, but I think that's primarily why they said he has hound in him. When I get him I'll take some pics so you guys can see what he looks like.

He hasn't really been trained at all; she just said that someone had used the choke collar on him to start teaching him to sit and he had done well with it - though when you tell him to sit he might sit or he might jump up and lick you. lol!

I haven't had a chance to work with him yet (won't for two weeks or so), but my guess is that he is a pretty soft dog. I despise choke chains, and really do not want to use one, so I was planning on starting out with the prong collar turned inside out so the actual prongs are sticking out instead of in. Then, if I need to, if he turns out to be more stubborn than I think he is, I can turn every other prong around, or even the whole collar if I have to. OR, if you all think it might be better, as Stephen said, to just use the e-collar and flat collar.

Of course I'll start out with no corrections, until he knows the commands. That's the part where I wanted to introduce the clicker, so I can continue using it later to mark the good behaviors. I've never had a hound OR a doberman before, though, so I appreciate all the input about them. I had no idea they would "shut down", so that's good to know. My current dog (pit/chow mix) is pretty hard, so I'm used to having to be a bit heavy handed with her corrections. I'll have to watch myself.

Thanks for the great advice! Keep it coming!