Dogcharmer: The jolt of an e-collar

Clear commands combined with e-collars can work.

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An e-collar for a dog can be used along with proper training. —Sue Winston

Dear Dogcharmer,

I have a Bichon named Tom (please consider the name an honor, as opposed to offensive) who gets nuts when he sees another dog. I’ve tried everything, including getting a trainer, with less than minimum results. He’s an “all rewards” trainer, and says to forget about an e-collar, it will only make things worse. What’s your opinion about the collar?

Jenna

Dear Jenna,

I’ve lost count of all the dogs I was asked to work with after they were “all rewards” trained! To me that’s like trying to bring up a kid without ever saying “No!” I’ve also lost count of all the times I used an e-collar with total success. One of the stories in “It Ain’t an Accountant’s Job” is about a 95-pound elderly lady, a well-known celebrity, who when passing by a closed garbage can heard whimpering coming from inside, and rescued a tiny puppy.

I was called six months later, when the puppy was 65 pounds, totally out of control, and incorrigible. The dog was no problem with me, but it was obvious that without an e-collar, I was not going to create an effective “leash transfer,” getting the dog to cooperate for the lady as he did for me. After teaching the lady how to get the dog to love the e-collar by having her put it on him multiple times with a sniff of the collar and a treat, it was showtime! She put the collar on the dog and took it out for a walk. I was across the street hiding behind a parked car with the transmitter. The lady was told to say “Foo” instead of “No” the moment Somebody (she named him Somebody when she took him out of the garbage can, saying, “You may be nobody to the world, but you’re somebody to me”) started jumping on her and getting obnoxious. He had never heard the word “Foo,” which was when I zapped him with the collar. He yelped in startlement, and proceeded to behave for about five minutes as they continued walking. I followed. As far as Somebody was concerned, I was out of the country, nowhere to be seen. The next time he started to get obnoxious, he got zapped again as she said “Foo.” After the third “Foo,” Somebody was Mr. Cooperation. Two more lessons with the do’s and don’ts of using the collar and the lady operating it herself, and she and Somebody were in a harmony that was beautiful to watch.

By hitting the vibration or sound on the transmitter just before the zap, a dog soon learns to respond to the vibration or sound without needing to use the zap. That’s followed by just using the corrective word, not needing to use the collar at all. In about two weeks the lady just had to say “Foo.”

So Jenna, when taught, and used properly in conjunction with the dog’s temperament and the offense to be corrected, the e-collar beats the hell out of yelling, jerking the leash, etc. My advice: Go for it — with the help of an experienced trainer.

Dogcharmer Tom

Have a question for the Dogcharmer? Write to him at dogsrshelby@msn.com. Visit Tom Shelby’s website at dogsrshelby.com, and find him on Instagram @DogTrainerDiaries.