Congratulations to the newest graduates of our remote collar training E-cademy program. These ladies spent 10 days at That’s My Dog! Inc in Dubuque, Iowa learning more about my approach to using electronic collars and enhancing this part of their skill set. It is a challenging course. The days can be long so I am always proud of the endurance of students who are away from their homes, their dogs and their businesses. Job well done gals!
The training course starts out by laying a solid foundation of e-collar conditioning based on what has long been know to be the 3 Action Introduction…meaning we teach the dogs that stimulation can be used to motivate behavior in 3 directions: Push, (move away) Pull (move toward) or Stop (stationary).
Once dogs fully comprehend those 3 actions the training that can be accomplished with remote collar guidance is virtually limitless.
We spend a great deal of time talking about what really makes this training an art form; a trainers ability to have a deep reservoir of ideas on how to help a dog understand exactly what we’re trying to communicate through the tactile sensation. We covered the use of food luring, marker training, leash manipulation, body language that utilizes spacial pressure to shape behavior, using toys, manipulating drives and more.
In addition to working with the dogs we discuss how to solve the other half of the training equation: the humans. Teaching dog owners how to use the remote collar (rather than how to use a “shock” collar) is an essential part of the program. If the human can’t be taught easy to replicate techniques for working with their dog, no program will be successful regardless of the tool.
Beyond the basics of how to use a remote collar for obedience training, we also discussed how the tool can be incorporated into rehabilitation programs. The cadence of tapping can be used to calm or to excite and thus change emotional programing. Much the way patting a baby can be used to lull in calmness or swift paced marching & chanting takes adrenaline to a higher level. Cadence has a purpose and it is a powerful influence once there is understanding of how to use it.
On the final written test I asked the students to share some of the most valuable lessons they learned during their time here. Here are a few of the answers:
* Opening my eyes to what I see as a much more fair, non-confrontational method.
* More solid ways to proof a dog’s reliability.
* The importance of obedience and how it can be used to redirect a dog’s mind.
* How important it is to help the dog when learning new behaviors with a remote collar.
* How to engage a dog who’s body may be with you, but his mind is not.
* Learning to read the dog’s body language.
and one additional comment that I personally gained satisfaction from.. That “the $3500 + for this learning experience was a very good investment!”
That makes me feel good. I never want to fall short on giving my students value for the time and energy they devote to coming here. Knowing that another trainer took time to study remote collars more fully means they can go forth and make choices for their clients based on experience, rather than hearsay.
It’s great to see that remote collar training is getting more positive recognition. Like any training method, remote collar training is only one tool in the toolbox – it’s not a cure-all for every dog’s training needs. But when used correctly, it can be an extremely effective way to train dogs.
I’m so grateful for this experience with Robin. It’s not just that it’s great information, because it is, it’s the fact that I walked away feeling incredibly empowered and motivated to replicate the information and skills that I learned both with dogs and human clients. I feel like I’m a better teacher for it. Everything was broken down into clear and simple instructions. I highly recommend this course for anyone who wants to learn about the e-collar. Whether you’ve got prior… Read more“Improved Instructing Skills!”
Meg Clairborne