I have 3 gsd's. I have just started using my dogtra ecollar with my youngest dog - with great success - and although I was nervous to start with, I am getting the hang of it - and so is my 18 month old GSD. I am just a bit worried - how tight is it supposed to be around the dogs neck ?. I have the position right I think but I think I am making it too tight.
Also, does the dogtra have longer contacts available or is the easiest solution to trim the dogs neckhair ? My one dog is a long haired GSD and although I have not started using the ecollar with him yet, I think I may have a problem with getting it to contact properly with his skin through his very thick coat.
If you check Lou Castle's website - http://www.loucastle.com, he's got some great articles on using an e-collar. I was told that if the dog wheezes, it's too tight. I was surprised at how snug it needed to be, but Ceili doesn't seem to have an issue with it. It has to be snug enough that it DOESN'T shift position on the dog's neck, and that's relatively snug! If you can put it on and move it about without effort, it's too loose.
I had to get longer contact points for my Dogtra - the cost about $8, as Ceili, while short haired, is double coated and her hair is quite thick. They just screw off and on, very easy, and I believe they come as long as an inch or inch and a half.
Thanks Amber - I will try and source some longer ones I think, I did not see them on the dogtra site at all.
I have looked at Lou's site but I think I need to go and read it all again. I have the collar "snug" which just appears very tight to me - but the dog is not wheezing so I guess it is ok. In comparison to a prong collar, it is much tighter than I would fit a prong on the same dog. If I have it just 1 notch looser it does not appear to work correctly - well at least the dog does not seem to receive the stim. Thanks for your help.
If a dog has very thick fur and you've got short or medium length contact points, tightening the strap won't help very much. I think the longest points available from Dogtra are 1.25 inches.
I've never had to shave a dog's neck and would avoid that as it creates an unsightly bald spot. I'd recommend getting some thinning shears from a groomer (or a barber supply store). They thin the hair by cutting every third one. That lets the contacts penetrate the fur but don't create the bald spot.
Some people use a gel or wet the dog's fur down but I've never had to do either.
One last thing to do is after the strap is tight, grasp the box and wiggle it as you gently push it towards the center of the dog's neck. This is sometimes hard to explain in writing but very easy to see as someone does it. Regard the dog's neck (in cross-section) as a circle and think of moving the box closer to the center of the circle. Think if parting the dog's hair with the contact points.
Lou Castle has been kicked off this board. He is an OLD SCHOOL DOG TRAINER with little to offer.
Thanks Lou I will try that. It is very hard here in South Africa to get ecollars or extra contact points - the shipping and clearing costs make it a little restrictive.
My dog is a full on Long Haired GSD - his cost is very long but the undercoat seems to be the problem because it is very thick indeed.
We are now in summer so hopefully he will shed the undercoat a bit and make it easier for the collar to contact correctly.
Would wetting the coat effect the stimulation level - in other words would the dog get a harder stim on the same level with the coat being wet ?
Some people say that wetting the dog down will make the skin more conductive but that hasn't been my experience. If you're concerned about it just turn the Ecollar stim down a bit and see if the dog responds. If he doesn't, turn it back up, a little at a time.
Lou Castle has been kicked off this board. He is an OLD SCHOOL DOG TRAINER with little to offer.
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