Ann actually, using an Ecollar is easier than using a leash and conventional correction collar. It’s a myth that you have to be an expert or have “perfect timing.”

Here’s an article I wrote addressing that topic.

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Timing is important in any style, tool or method of dog training. But it’s not as vital as some would have you believe.

First of all NO ONE has perfect timing. Or if they do it's only for a very limited time. I've watched some of the best trainers in the world and they have perfect timing for, at best, ten or fifteen minutes. After that, their concentration ebbs, and they have only "very good timing."

If you have perfect timing, training will go VERY quickly. If you have good timing, training will occur, but not as fast, and if you have horrible timing, no training will occur, or the wrong training will result.

But there's a vast gulf between even "OK timing" and "horrible timing."

I like to use snakeproofing with an Ecollar as an example because it shows very clearly how timing is related to training.

In snakeproofing I first put the snake in a cardboard box so the dog can't see him. I want the dog to be proofed against the snake odor as well as the sight of him. I think that snake odor is less distracting than the sight of the snake, so it's easier to get the training started with that.

I measure the wind and it's effect so I know just about exactly when the dog will run into the snake scent cone.

As soon as he hits the scent and starts to investigate I hit the button on the Ecollar. If my timing is perfect, as soon as the dog gets the scent, when his level of distraction is still very low, I hit the button. That means that the Ecollar has the greatest effect on the dog.

If I'm successful and hit the button at the exact instant that the dog has gotten the scent of the snake, he'll make the association between the pain and the snake in one or two reps.

Note: I use the word pain here because I use very high levels of stim for this. A dog that gets bitten by a poisonous snake has a very good chance of dying. Since this is life or death I don't have a problem hurting a dog. I'd rather cause him a few seconds of pain than have him suffer a snakebite.

But if my timing isn't perfect, let’s say the dog is able to move about 6' up the scent cone before I hit the button, he'll still make the association, but it might take 3 or 4 reps for him to get it. He might make another association, a butterfly flitting by, for example, because it took so long for me to hit the button. If he made another association it will take a few more corrections for him to make the correct one.

But if I have HORRIBLE timing here's what might occur. The dog will catch the scent, move along the scent cone, arrive at the snake, sniff the snake, (who can't bite because his mouth is taped shut) investigate until his curiosity is satisfied, and then walk away. If I stim him as he's walking away, he'll learn that moving away from a snake brings discomfort. Where's the "safe zone?" Next to the snake.

This is an example of the wrong training occurring.

I know a few people who have perfect timing some of the time, lots and lots of people who have good timing, more with OK timing but absolutely no one who has "horrible" timing. And so training will occur even though you don't have" Perfect" timing. It just takes a bit longer.

Is there anyone here who has "horrible" timing? If so, please sell your dog and get some goldfish.

Copyright 2003, Louis Castle

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Ann that “professional trainer” that you went to had no idea of modern use of an Ecollar. He should have made it impossible for the Rott to run back to your side by having him on a leash. Then he could have guided him into the proper behavior, teaching him to shut off the stim with his behavior. It’s always amusing when someone who bills themselves as a “professional” does something like this. It gives Ecollars a bad name, confuses the public and exposes their lack of knowledge about the tool

Let me know when you get to the Ecollar list and I’ll send you the post numbers and how to get to them.

AND “Lou” works just fine. I’m not old enough yet for someone to call me “Mr. Castle.” LOL

RATS!!!

The first part of that post was supposed to be addressed to Alan.