Another testimonial from satisfied e-collar users. This one from a couple in Fort Wayne, IN who found help with Clarice at Flying Colors Canine. It is always nice to hear from owners of small dogs regarding their success with the remote collar. It is even nicer to hear how successful the training was for a dog considered sensitive to correction.
One of the most important things to learn about the e-collar is how versatile the levels of stimulation can be. There is a huge misconception that they must be strong, sharp or *hurt* in order to work. That just is not true. What is true is that the stimulation is adjustable.
The e-collar can be used at a level that causes a disruption to the dog’s behavior without being painful. Just like any small annoyance can disrupt your behavior and distract you from a course of action, the stim can be used in the same way.
Let me explain it this way; have you ever had a stray hair tickle your nose? One of those itty-bitty fine hairs that kept brushing against you and you kept rubbing to find it and remove it? It didn’t hurt but it sure was annoying enough to get you to stop doing whatever you were doing and find a way to make it go away. The e-collar can be used in this same fashion. The level can be set at an annoying but NOT painful level that can disrupt unwanted behavior (think digging, jumping up, nuisance barking) It will cause the dog an interruption to his course of action. And when he stops doing the annoying thing, the sensation goes away. It doesn’t take too long for a dog to put two and two together and learn how to modify behavior to avoid the annoying tickle.
It sounds like this process helped Rupert learn the difference between what was acceptable behavior and what was not. I am glad that a solution was found for this little guy. Too bad he had to go through several alternatives and lost his first home before finding Clarice. If more professionals understood the value in proper remote collar training, there would be less frustration and more happy stories like this one.
A note from Clarice: Little Rupert came to me in November of 2009. He was a little dog with a big attitude and a bite history. As you can see, his owners are very happy with his progress! The photo I have attached is of Rupert minding his manners around my rabbit, Rita.
“Rupert, a 7 and 1/2 pound min-pin mix our children adopted from a shelter, came to us from our son and daughter-in-law when they had to give him up before he destroyed their home and marriage. He is high energy and dominant, but at the same time very sensitive. Even a cross word would start unacceptable behavior. In other words, he needed a very firm but very light hand. We were introduced to the e-collar by our trainer, Clarice at Flying Colors Canine Academy in Fort Wayne, IN, and it turned out to be the perfect solution. He is a pleasure to be around, gets along with others, and minds even when the collar is off. He can be rebuked in a calm voice, and immediately responds positively. We take him everywhere we can, and use a rebuke 2-3 times a day at most. Our children tried everything, including a dog psychologist from a leading vet school, and nothing worked.
The e-collar is a life-saver.”
-Bill & Nancy Sweet
Rupert reacts negatively to anything that he perceives as force or excitement. The e-collar is the perfect way to deliver the “very firm but very light hand” that he needs!