I am looking to purchase a prong collar on -line here at Leerburg. I think it is best I get a quick release one after watching the video.

I never had upper body strenght and I have a hard time doing a correction with a flat collar, so I will use this collar for power steering like the video shows.

My dog is only a pet, no competition training. I am going to use it for: don't start jumping when you see a dog behind a gate on walks when that dog is barking at you, don't jump at bike riders on the trails, stop barking and jumping at people when Autumn (my 6 year old granddaughter) gets too close to people on our walks.

She is a GSD, 17 months old and is 60 lbs.

With that in mind, I have a question:


Does a dog always need this collars after you have trained them or can they just be trained and then they don't need the collar anymore once they stop doing the action without the collar?

The reason I am asking? I am sure Leerburg only sells good collars so I trust any of them. The pricing very different depending on the material. If I am going to use this collar the rest of her life, then I will spend the extra money, if not then I don't see the need to do so.

Any feed back or suggestions on these collars on the Leerburg site for what my dog needs?

Thanks, Anna

Personally I use them as a training tool and wean the dog off of them. I, like you, am training mostly just family dogs.

I will say though that I would get a decent quality one. The nicer ones are easier to use and less likely to break....which could be a big problem. This is also why there is the recommendation of backing it up with a second collar.

Thinking of what you want it for you will possibly have better luck teaching her a solid 'watch me' command when there are no distractions and not just collar correct her for the times you mention. Too much correction may just amp her up, where distracting her to look at you may help more.

Anna,
I sure you'll find that the chrome model of the HS brand probably the only one you'll ever need to buy.

Though I'm getting ready to replace it I'm still using one I bought in about 1980, it's been through three dogs, two of which had use of them for their entire lives.

Sonya,
How did you train your dog to watch you? Marker training?

Also, I tryed collar correction but I am only 5'2" and very small boned. She is pretty tall. My husband is over 6'1" and he just snaps the collar and she stops. When I try it, nothing, my hardest snap has no affect! She is so strong, compared to me, that once on the hiking trails, when the bikes were going by, I had to get on the ground with my heels in the dirt to stop her from charging at them. I have to take her off the trail when I see bikes coming and make her sit. She just sits there and watches them go by. But sometimes they just come out of the blue from around a corner going right next to us and she jumps at them.

I am not sure where to start with her on training in the area's I mentioned. I like the idea of training her to watch me, that could be useful in a lot of things. With that said, I need some kind of back-up on our walks if I need to correct her if distracting her doesn't work. But I certainly don't want to amp her up.

Any suggestions for a correction with amps?

Thanks Anna

Randy, Do you use the collar alot for training still or just as a back up?

Anna,
I'm one of those people that don't care if my dog becomes collar wise. If they listen better with it on (whether in use or not), then they wear it.
So it's put on every time we go out. With high drive dogs one never knows when it'll be needed.

If it starts/gets to be just a reduncy as the dog ages then I'll start 'forgetting' to put it on a little at a time.
I guess you can say I use it as a backup for the most part, because a lot of the time I'll put the collar on and clip the lead to the dead ring of the dogs fur saver collar.
They just wear their pinch collar as bling!

M & M Enterprises.

As a bling, I like that. Does it amp your dogs up if you use if they get aggressive towards anything?

Thanks Randy for your help.

Anna

Sonya, Disregard the post about how to train a dog to watch. I was outside marker training her to watch and she did it each time on every command. My husband came home and was sitting outside watching me and I said to him "she is a genius, she picked this up right away".

He looked at me and smiled and said, you taught her that when she was about 5 months old. Well I forgot, but not her. I just never used it after I taught her. I need more brain food.

Thanks again...Anna

That's kind of the key Anna.
Learning what sets the individual dog off. Learning the signs/signals the dog gives before hand. Learning, instead of just wandering along for a walk in a daze, learning to watch the dog. Then whole aggression thing can be interrupted before it even has a chance to get out of hand.

BUT, stuff happens.
After the foundation work though I've always depended on getting the dog attention through the collar (if need be). And if it doesn't get their attention at the time, when I finally do I let them know they f****ed up big time.
You'd be surprised how easily an intelligent dog like a GSD can be embarrassed with a good verbal dressing down in front of the public or stranger, all the while showing/going over and over something they already know very well. AND should have been paying attention to when it counted.

Some are easier then others.

Hope this hodge-bodge helps.

M & M Enterprises

Ok Randy, I understand...Thanks for your wealth of experience.

Anna