Category: E-collar Training

How Do I Use a Shock Collar? The Difference Between Momentary and Continuous Stimulation.

My How Do I Use a Shock Collar video Frequently Leads to One Question…When Should I Use the Continuous Button? Since the technique in the how to video focuses on a tap, tap, tapping cadence using the momentary button, first time e-collar users often have concerns that it might be “wrong” to use the continuous button or they wonder when it is appropriate. I’ve spoken to numerous professional trainers who tell me they prefer using the continuous button for the majority […]

Just pull the throttle and go…..

thought I’d share a photo from my recent vacation. My partner and I were trying to decide on what excursions to take while visiting St. Lucia. While I gravitated toward the hiking, horse-riding and sail boat options, he was more interested in the high paced activities, like ATV’s, Dune Buggies & Jeep excursions. Figuring vacation was no place for a debate, I opted to let him pick. ATV’s would have been pretty low on my list since my comfort zone […]

To Use an E-Collar or Not? Is It a Question of Too Many Dog Training Tools?

There are many dog training tools available to help us find solutions for training problems. I’m grateful for that, but recently, I had an evaluation with someone whose response to the idea of using a remote collar surprised me. The new puppy owner was seeking help due to concerns over the puppy’s biting behavior. While playbiting is normal puppy behavior, this little guy would resort to the higher end of the intensity scale if he decided he didn’t want to […]

Does flooding have a place in the world of dog training?

I recently hosted Chad Makin for his Pack To Basics workshop. We had a wonderful event and many trainers went home with new skills and knowledge to add to their programs in helping dogs and humans deal with aggression issues. Because the work involves immersing dogs into a group (“pack”) as a main part of the protocol for dealing with dog – dog aggression  issues, Chad discussed several concepts early in the day before we moved on to practical applications. […]

Remote Training Collars and Dog Aggression

Remote Training Collars and Dog Aggression: : It Isn’t All About the Tool This past weekend I hosted a guest speaker at my dog training facility in Dubuque, IA.  Chad Mackin joined us to present his Pack To Basics Workshop. We had about 25 professional trainers and a few pet owners join us for 2 days of discussion and hands on work tackling the difficult problem of dog to dog aggression. We had a few interesting cases including Soldier Boy who […]

E-collar dog training: What the Sharpie had to say.

Last weekend I taught a workshop on advanced concepts in e-collar training. The workshop hosted by Flying Colors Canine touched on many topics. We discussed improving precision, adding tricks to the repertoire, how to deal with behavioral problems like aggression and anxiety, how to begin with puppies plus a bit more. While all the topics had the use of remote collars as a common denominator there were other messages I was trying to convey in my teaching. One of the […]

How do you use a remote collar for training a dog?

That is a question a lot of people ask, including other Dog Trainers. Using the tool effectively, at a low level to gain and retain a dogs attention is not something everyone intuitively understands, which is why there is such a need for education. Here at That’s My Dog! one of my responsibilities is to oversee our Professional Trainers remote collar course. The final session for the year started this week and it is always fun to meet new friends […]

Remote collars only make aggression worse. (or so they say)

Below is video footage of a dog-dog aggression case we worked recently. A remote collar was one of the tools used in working to modify the behavior. Some people will tell you that using a remote collar for these types of cases is only going to make things worse. You can be the judge. Did it work, didn’t it work? Did it make things worse, did it make things better? My opinion? It depends who’s doing the work and how […]

Remote Collar Dog Training: Six Things That You Need to Know

Tips for Remote Collar Dog Training I spend a lot of time on this blog sharing success stories from people who have used remote collar dog training as part of a balanced training program to rehabilitate their dog. I also spend a fair amount of time expressing my opinions on training in general and talking about what to do if you are thinking about purchasing a remote collar to add to your dog’s training tools. What I try not to do is […]

Invisible Fence for Dogs

Invisible Fence for Dogs: Good, Bad or Ugly? Lots of people ask for an opinion about invisible fence for dogs and the system. Do they work, are they necessary, will they make a dog aggressive? If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you are already familiar with my general stance that it is never so much about the tool as it is about the person doing the training. As the old saying goes “It’s the fool, […]