This time of the year we return to retriever hunt test training after taking some time off for hunting season. First we need to get all of our training gear together: bumpers, wingers, starter pistols and our e-collars, (or remote training collars).
For some reason so many trainers today frown on using training collars in their training. From sliding chain training collars (also referred to as choke chains), to prong collars, to e-collars, these valuable training tools are disparaged as being some sort of torture devices.
They are not. They do not possess such power. They are pieces of training equipment, like a leash or a clicker. Nothing more and nothing less, (although in some situations they can be much more effective than a clicker, but that is a post for another day).
The Myth About E Collars
I think one of the biggest myths about e collars that I have seen is that dogs who are trained with them will not be enthusiastic to work. So many times I have heard it said that using an e-collar to reinforce a recall will result in a dog that is at best unenthusiastic to recall, or at worst fearful to recall.
This is a complete myth. I am not sure if people who spread the myth have tried e-collar and used it improperly. It should only be used to reinforce something a dog already knows. You cannot teach a dog recall with an e-collar. The dog must already understand what is expected when you recall them. We would use the e-collar to reinforce a recall if the dog decides to ignore it.
Maybe the people who buy into the myth have never actually used an e-collar in their training. It has always puzzled me that so many people dismiss out-of-hand training tools that have been around forever and have been used with great success. Training collars are excellent tools to help with a number of training issues from recall, to pulling, to reinforcing a stay. The trick is to use the proper training collar for the dog and for job. But it doesn’t end there. Trainers must learn to use any training tool correctly and it is no different with training collars.
As for whether an e-collar makes a dog any less enthusiastic to work or to recall, I have included some photos of the dogs working, playing, and recalling wearing their e-collars throughout this post.
What do you think? Happy or unhappy?
they sure are happy brown dogs… I remember an online-dispute about e-collars… there was a “dog-trainer” (he said so) who said e-collars are cruelty, he suggested a watergun with lemon juice instead… I felt like stranded on the planet of the apes as I read that…
I have heard of the water gun with lemon juice. Not sure it would result in what we try to achieve with the collar. 🙂
Nice post. E collars are great only down side is when they are incorrectly use which is rare with the high caliber dogs we are training. None of use would risk the investment of time and money we put in to training our dogs. A effective correction needs to be done in seconds, that is the power of a e collar. A happy dog is one that knows what we want from them. They love to work when they have direction.
Very well said. Thanks for commenting.
We think all the training tools have their place as long as they are used properly. We totally see why e collars are perfect for you guys and hunting. They are not abusive in the way you use them at all.
Before we even started down that route we sought the help of a good professional trainer. I think that is important for any advanced training.
The club where I used to train frowns on any collar but a flat buckle collar, which is the worst kind to train a dog with a tender trachea. They no longer allow prong collars. When I was pregnant, a prong collar was the best training tool for my Rottie. It got his attention, and he needed fewer reminders. It was like power-steering.
That being said, prong collars should only be sold by professionals who know how to use them. It pains me to see a dog tied up with a prong collar on. That’s the best way to get a punctured trachea. Tools have to be used properly. After all, we wouldn’t use a screwdriver to pound in a nail.
*steps off soap box*
It is a bad idea to tie any dog up with a prong or training (choke chain type) collar. I have seen too many injuries as a result. I also agree that it is important to find a good professional to teach the proper use of any training tool.
Bravo!! Excellent post. Being one who bought into the stigma of e-collars being cruel years ago I can see how people who are not familiar with or educated about them can perceive they are torture devices. Once I was educated on how they are used and the proper use of I understood the value of them as a training tool. When I have seen the debates on e-collars sometimes just reading or listening to what the person is saying you can tell they have no clue and should probably have done their research before commenting.
When the e-collar is pulled out Titan goes nuts because he knows it is time to have fun!!
It is the same here. They go nuts when we pull them out even if it is just to charge them. 🙂
It’s actually a huge myth that “most trainers have never used those devices and don’t know how to use them properly”. Many, many PR focused trainers are cross-over trainers and know exactly how to use them. We just choose not to cause our dogs pain in the name of training. I’m sure your dogs are happy to be out in the world working and training but I highly doubt they enjoy being shocked when they make an error. Those tools would not work if they didn’t hurt.
Yes, it always comes down to expectations of what one wants in a trained working dog how to achieve it. If we were only trick training then the investment in an e-collar that can reach the length of two football fields would hardly be worth it. If you have used e-collars like you claim, then you know there are various settings low to high and a vibrate and nick setting). Is it uncomfortable, yes. I never said it was not. Another myth: the dogs do not get “shocked” when they make an error. That would be an example of an improper use of the collar. They would get a correction if they disobeyed a command where they knew what was expected of them. It would not be an error on their part, it would be disobedience. Yes we correct for disobedience. It never dampens their enthusiasm to train or hunt and that is the point of this post.
Nicely said. I agree and use them also. They are a much needed training tool in hunt test games and hunting.
You are right a very important tool for our training.
I struggle with e-collars. In my early blogging days, I used to develop an opinion and defend it as if I were going to war. Today, I just don’t have the energy and that’s a good thing.
So whenever I see someone who is using an e-collar, I stop and ask them questions and (1) their dogs are wonderful and (2) they are wonderful. Granted, I don’t agree that people who are new to dogs should immediately buy training collars. I’d prefer that they worked with a dog trainer. But with everything, you’re going to fin d people who use short cuts.
And I think there are ways NOT to use e-collars. We’ve all see the memes and it’s awful.
But I’m no long willing to demonize people who choose to train with e-collars. I’d rather learn more than come off looking like a jerk by judging something I have zero experience with.
I think it is very important to work with a pro trainer when starting to use a collar or really any training tool. Something I did not talk about in my post, but ecollars have resulted in dogs being trained to extremely high levels and doing some very difficult work.
I’d certainly say those dogs look happy! I might not choose to use certain tools myself, but I don’t discount that they work when used properly, and are safe. I can surely tell how much you care for your dogs and know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt them. I just wonder about a fearful dog like Luke. Could something like that startle him and be detrimental considering his personality?
Not if used properly. The dogs must be taught what a collar correction means. It would not be a proper use to slap a collar on a dog and start pressing the button. It is introduced very gradually and I always recommend under the supervision of a professional trainer. But the bigger question for Luke would be what type of training are you trying to achieve and is this the proper tool to achieve it. Again, that would be something to discuss with a pro trainer.
Your pups most certainly look happy! I believe that some training tools are going to work better for some dogs than they will for others, it always depends on the individual case. Knowing how to properly use different training tools is certainly important. After learning how to correctly use a prong collar in a basic obedience class I took and that it always needs to sit right behind the ears (never around the throat – that can do some serious damage), I cringe every time I see someone using that particular type of collar incorrectly.
It also must be sized correctly. That is another mistake that I see people make.
It took me awhile to buy into using e-collars but when my trainer showed me how to use them properly, like you said they are nothing more than a training tool like everything else. All I need to use is the “tone” setting, and the only time I’ve had to nick them hard with it is when they’ve chased jack rabbits or deer out into the desert where they might never be found.