Electric Shock collar Dog training? Experiences?

[Rusty Heap]

I recently rescued a 1 year old Pitt mix puppy from a local shelter.

Had him about 3-4 months.

I have 5 acres and he roams freely, no issues with that at all, but some commands like Sit, Come..............he turns it into a game of stare down, ignoring me, then sometimes he will sprint right at me at full speed.

I don't have control over dog commands if he is 50+ feet away, he just wont acknowledge COME...............but TREAT always works, go figure


Anyone have any experience using them in real life? I've got a short hair Pit so any shock will be felt.

You have 4 modes, beep, vibrate, shock, then super shock.


Meet Benjamin.

[Baz]

No experience with shock collars but maybe you just need to give it more time.

The fact that you can influence his behaviour with food is an indication you already have a method to go forward with.

All dogs are different. All breeds are different. And rescues are always different.

Patience will usually yield dividends.

Took two years before my last rescue even sat down! She had a rough start....

[Steve Carlton]

I've heard the collars work great until they're not wearing one, then it's game on. I think there's a bit of cruelty involved with using them, but not sure on that.

I suspect you'll have to train him with food, then give it to him most of the time, so when it matters he'll obey thinking he'll get food.

I think the carrot is better than the stick. You probably could find a consensus online, or consult with a professional trainer.

[Bill Douglas]

Give him a massive blast when he does that. With that sort of dog you have to be the boss.

I've used it on my Border Terrier, under the instruction of a professional dog trainer and it sure worked.

I bought my own and the instructions were so vague I gave up and put it on my leg and started pressing buttons. Woooooo, it works alright. feels like a big dog bite.

[KFC911]

Hmmm... facing a similar problem with my Lab .... she listens until she doesn't and loves to chase deer. She's got a middle finger and "deaf" .... but what to do? She's in the pond and woods, out of my line of sight .... and then POOF .... gone.... shoulda named her Vash .

Moka is smart as hell, field champion stock, athletic and woods smart ... and going on 5.

Are they waterproof, and what's the range? When she "bolts" .... shebegone

Subscribed....

[Bill Douglas]

Yep, waterproof, lots of range. I bought a Garmin brand one. It's a few years old now so the models have moved on, but it looks a bit like this https://www.garmin.com/en-NZ/p/767553

If you find the manual a bit hard work, persevere with it and DON'T put it on your leg and play with the buttons LOL

[Skytrooper]

I have 3 acres under Invisible Fence since 2000 or 2001. Each new dog needs to be patiently trained to the fence, much the same as when you teach a new dog its boundaries. My malinois Lilly was not "getting it". I spent a lot of time training her the old fashioned way, rewarding when she did as she was told. Out of frustration I bought a shock collar. I am happy to say it has never been out of the box. It turned out the her IF collar was set too low at the factory. They fixed it directly. She got one shock from it and now...even if chasing something, to stop 20 feet before the line.
So, I cannot tell you anything about a shock collar (having never used one). Dog training is all about patience and consistency

[KFC911]

^^^^ I have always had "the gift" with dogs ... training, etc. and am unsure now for the first time in my life . I gave Moka "an inch" ... and now she "takes a half-mile" on occassion .... I simply don't have it "in me" for any type of "negative reinforcement" .... should have Barney Fife'd and "nipped it in the bud" .... but that dawg won't hunt .

She knows "she done wrong" upon her return .... each and every time ... but can't pass up a good "deer chase" either.... unless she is focused on finding her tennis ball in the woods....

Sorry 'bout the hijack Rusty.

Moka made me do it

[1990C4S]

You need to condition the dog to the collar before you start shocking/beeping etc. You can't let the dog associate the shock with the collar.

Buy the device and try it on your arm. It's 'interesting'.

I would continue with the treats. It works eventually.

[Dixie]

They really hurt when they go off.
I won't let my boyfriend put one on me anymore.

[Paul T]

Come is one of the hardest commands to get right….I’ve never used a collar, but the key to training this one is repetition and a BIG treat when he comes. Something very special, not just garden variety treat. Keep at it many times a day and he’ll eventually get it. Beautiful dog, good luck with him!

EDIT: well done on rescuing! That’s the way to go….

[tops911]

I use Garmin Alpha GPS training collars with my 3 dogs, 2 Drahthaars and a Teckel (wirehair dachshund). These are hunting dogs. We never go out without the dogs wearing the collars. They are happy to put the collars on because fun stuff happens when wearing the collars. Now that they are trained I used vibrate, and get 90% compliance, every now and then they decide to test the limits and get a nick from the eletricity. Every command gets taught without using the collar then the collar is only used to reenforce a known command, never to teach a command. I also use a whistle for the "come" command and have way better response over voice commands, especially in the yard. I think the whistle is the always same tone vs voice commands that vary in tone.

[varmint]

The original post seems just about patience and training. Doesn’t quite rise to shock collar level.

Our dog Chaos is a moron. He chases cars, which is bad. But folks down the road ride horses. And if he spooks one of those it could get real bad.
We’ve worked with the neighbors to do some training. It mostly works. But it is most important to know that the first thing the dog learns is when the collar is on and when it is off.

[Scott Douglas]

My son used shock collars on their Old English Bulldogs when they had two sisters. The dogs soon learned that if the collars were on they were on good behavior or else.
I'm not sure if he'll use it on his latest pup or not. They will have to enforce that they are the boss with him though as he will be a BIG dog when fully grown.

[porsche tech]

We did the Off Leash training with Bosco as there is a lagoon across the fairway from us that has alligators in it. We needed to be sure he would come when called. He learned it very quickly and we seldom have to “zap” him. The one we have has a rheostat switch that allows for multiple settings. They are taught several commands including “heel” and he will almost always obey with only the command. With the collar laying on your hand, you can hit the zap button and it’s just a small electrical shock…doesn’t hurt just gets their attention. Best money we have ever spent on a dog.