Hi, I'm a new trainer and new to this board i currently trying to teach my dog to heel command, the thing is that he knows how to heel but I'm trying to further this by saying heel and having him come to my left side and just sit or lay down. nothing is working I've been trying to use the E-Collar by constantly stimulating him until he comes to my left side than shutting it off but he's not putting 2 and 2 together, any suggestions? thank you.

Hi Daniel, Welcome to the board. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Since you are a new trainer, I highly recommend putting that e-collar on the top shelf of the closet for a while. It would be better to start learning training with motivation. Less chance of making a mistake that will confuse the dog. Find a toy or food your dog loves. That will be the motivator. You want your dog to want to heel. Not dread it. Perhaps watching Ed's "Basic Obedience" tape will help. Save the e-collar for compulsion training later on, down the road. I see you are in the military and you like MWD's. What breed of dog do you have? What is his age and previous training?

thanks for the welcome, when i say new trainer i should of been more specific, they only thing i've been training with is motivation i'm new to the e-collar. my opinion on the e-collar to motivation is the difference between the training being good and the training being perfect. I think i've done all i can on motivation training. Yes I love MWD and my dogs name is Guardian and he is a black and tan GSD. He does really well with the heel command he won't leave my side at all the problem only lies in giving the foose command and having him come to my side no matter what he is doing. thaks again

dan

Daniel,

It sounds like one of 2 things:

Either the dog doesn't understand the command or
the dog is being trained with too high a distraction. If the dog will heel and that was taught seperate from Fus, then the command is not adequately trained. When you say that you are using the e-collar on constant stim and the dog isn't coming in to position would suggest that the dog doesn't understand the command. In addition depending how you are using the e-collar you could be shutting the dog down if it doesn't understand the command. The result is the dog is going to be seeing the stim as not being for any specific reason and may cause much more harm than good. If the dog will do what you are asking under situations with a lower level of distraction then you are trying to advance the testing portion way too fast. Make sure the dog understands what the correction is for. Go back to rewarding the dog for getting it right and maybe use whatever form of correction you started with.

And get some better guidance and training with your e-collar.

I think you are going to fast with your training. I dont believe you have run out of motivational ways to train this either.For one you need to start doing heel seeking excersises.Put the dog in a sit in heel position, tell dog to sit, take 2 steps forward then call your dog to heel, also put dog in sit, take 2 steps to right then call your dog to heel.You can take 2 steps forward then 2 steps to the left then call your dog to heel. Its just a progression of difficulty until your dog can do it from any position.Always reward the dog after it does the right thing.Like I said you can make it more difficult with your own imagination but you have to start simple so the dog can do the right thing and get rewarded.

Daniel is right. Put the collar away. You dont know how to use it.
Im going to try to past this Address if it does not work go to "No limitations.biz and bring up the artical on attention and healing for the proper way to use it.
Ronhttp://www.nolimitations.biz/articles/article5.htm

For an interesting discussion about Fred Hassen and his method of using the Ecollar go to this link.

http://www.leerburg.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=23&t=000001&p=

After you've read that. Read the warning that Donn Yarnall posted about Fred

http://www.leerburg.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000015

Lou
Please check your PM
Ron

whats up everyone, just for an update he had learned what he is expected to do, now we're just perfecting it. making sure he still understands while distractions are around i.e. decoy, other animals, people. it's funny cause he was almost teaching me what i was doing wrong, the whole time i was stimulating him until he came around me to my left leg and sat i would then shut the sttimulation off, well everytime i would start the stimlation he would stop dead in his tracks and start itching until i let it go, so i said to myself screw lets just see how he does with no stimulation at all, sure enough he did just what he was suspose to so now the only time i stimulate him is when he goes to far or sits down to far away from me. it's funny what we can learn from them also if we just stop and listen. thanks

dan