Quote: Theresa Rutherford

I am Rocky's pack leader...there is no question about that. He really respects me and has a great relationship with me. He looks at me before he does anything as if to ask my permission.

Have you tried not giving him permission to chase the donkey and pulling you around.

Hi,
The dog is fearful, socializing won't change his temperament. Get rid of the ecollar for now till you find a trainer that can show you how to use it. Start doing basic OB with him and slowly add distractions . You'll need to watch him for the lifetime of the dog. I'd muzzle him in public too. Sucks but it's how it is.

Aaron,

The reason I have both collars is that we live on a farm. He is great in the yard and even obeys me with no problem out of the yard, but it is for his safety and my ability to keep him from pulling me when he jumps to take off after another animal or human.

He is 100% on sit, down, stay, recall, place..., even though I have had him since he was 8 weeks old he is still learning about his environment and the animals around him, and how he is to interact with them. I have been working with him consistently and he is doing great. His only downfalls are people other than family and the animals on our farm - he IS naturally a herding dog and he wants to do that seriously (he feels that he needs to control everything - our children included)...I don't want him to herd our animals or our children, so I am working with him on other behaviors to take the place of his natural instincts - re-directing him to other activities - he does leave the children alone, now.

The original purpose of the prong collar was to keep him from pulling on the leash when I was teaching him to walk on a leash - now it is only an issue when he forgets and wants to take off after another animal. The original purpose of the e-collar was to teach him NOT to chase other animals. They have served their purpose in that respect (except for the donkey), but they also come in handy for work in other areas, and since I have some health issues that make it hard for me to do a quick jerk on the prong collar I prefer to use the e-collar.

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it is for his safety and my ability to keep him from pulling me when he jumps to take off after another animal or human.

This reads as a bit of a contradiction to this Theresa:

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He is 100% on sit, down, stay, recall, place...,

 Quote: Theresa Rutherford

I have some health issues that make it hard for me to do a quick jerk on the prong collar I prefer to use the e-collar.

Just keep in mind an electrical stim is MUCH different then a physical correction on an e-collar. E-collars lend themselves to superstitious behaviors, even when used correctly.

I'm really not trying to pick on you.

I know it seems that way, and I am very sorry for that.

But it's not possible for a dog that obeys sit 100% to herd or chase things. A sitting dog cannot run.

A dog can't pull you when he jumps to take off after something if he understands sit and stay.

 Quote: Kelly Byrd

 Quote: Theresa Rutherford

I have some health issues that make it hard for me to do a quick jerk on the prong collar I prefer to use the e-collar.

Just keep in mind an electrical stim is MUCH different then a physical correction on an e-collar. E-collars lend themselves to superstitious behaviors, even when used correctly.

To the extent that we actively USE that superstitious behavior to our advantage.

We use it to teach food refusal, for example.

Invisible fences are nothing more than using a dog's superstitious behavior.

 Quote: Aaron Myracle

 Quote: Kelly Byrd

 Quote: Theresa Rutherford

I have some health issues that make it hard for me to do a quick jerk on the prong collar I prefer to use the e-collar.

Just keep in mind an electrical stim is MUCH different then a physical correction on an e-collar. E-collars lend themselves to superstitious behaviors, even when used correctly.

To the extent that we actively USE that superstitious behavior to our advantage.

We use it to teach food refusal, for example.

Invisible fences are nothing more than using a dog's superstitious behavior.

Totally agree- but that is with a dog that has been taught what the correction is, and it's being used in a fair manner. Full power, for 4 seconds, with no response leads me to believe that this dog does not understand what it means.

Many people overstate the dog's training level. Heck, most people do it. We see our dogs through rose-color glasses.

But I tell you in all sincerity that the way to get the help you need is not to talk up his fabulous pack structure perception (which is ironic to everyone reading the thread) or his perfect Ob.

A dog who is "100% on sit, down, stay, recall, place..." is not a dog who pulls you after him when he jumps after an animal or person. (A dog who is "100% on sit, down, stay, recall, place..." is a dog who does whichever one of those you command as the alternate to leaping away dragging you with him.)

That said, I'm with Aaron on this:
"At 16 months, considering that the dog hasn't been treated very fairly {an E-collar, for chrissakes?} I'm not sure how comfortable I am saying that this is the dog's temperament vs a reaction to confusing, unfair treatment.

If the dog's daily life is confusing, unpredictable and stressful, it only makes sense that he would enter each new situation with apprehension and reactivity."


I think that bulletproof ob (no, you do NOT have it; you have not proofed for venue and gradually increasing distraction, as pointed out by Al, is my strong guess) and distraction/focus work are your immediate goals. JMO, and I too am not "picking on you." You came for help with the dog, and you will get very experienced help here. Not much attention to the feelings of the owner, maybe, but that can be had elsewhere where you won't get the level of dog experience you'll get here.