Remote Collar Training helps Doberman in Vancouver, BC find a new leash on life.

This is a very interesting letter that came from a woman in Vancouver, BC. It goes to show that the electronic remote training collar (aka: Shock collar) is just a tool and like any can be used well or used poorly. Jill Sharp is a former student of the TMD E-cademy program. I am proud to say that her education shines through and I’m happy she could help Roman. Congrats Jill and kudos to Lee and Roman. I am glad to hear you did not give up and finally found the right help to have a great dog.

So much has been written and talked about with respect to electronic collars and their use on dogs. Not much of this has been positive – in fact I have read very little that has been positive. And, I agree that electronic collars can be used to provide pain and punishment to some dogs as with anything it can be abused when placed in the wrong hands. Let me tell you my experience with the electronic collar.

I have a young male Doberman and his name is Roman. I purchased him 2.5 years ago as a return from the breeder. While he is a magnificent looking dog – he came with enough baggage for ten dogs – he was like a fast moving train about to be derailed. In addition to his lack of walking skills, he did not know sit, his name….well you get the picture.

Since he arrived, he’s been too much for me to handle, I’ve tried to walk him on a choke chain (that cut his neck), next I tried a prong collar (that made his neck bleed and they just kept breaking) the martingale and harness were also tried and as you can guess these tools failed miserably. I tried treats and really every possible tool and training technique I knew of. Then I simply threw up my arms and said I won’t be walking him. I tried trainer after trainer. Some were helpful and progress was made – another trainer wanted him on a gentle leader (you know how that went).

Roman did improve some as my husband worked with him religiously – but the improvement was very slow and only slightly measurable. Then a friend suggested the electronic collar and showed my husband how to use it – from there Roman got worse. This was because we did not know how to use the collar and were using it more as a punishment tool. This method only escalated Roman’s behaviour – which by this time could only be described as brutal.

Next we went away for a weekend and we took Roman and our other Doberman Madeline along. That weekend Roman ate a bird, nearly killed a cat and tried to go after a horse. We were beside ourselves. When we got home we contacted a trainer who was recommended to us and who worked with special cases and the electronic collar. My husband worked with this trainer and Roman for several months and there was some progress. Roman could now attend group classes and he was less unruly. But the progress quickly plateau and we still had not achieved any decent walking skills and I still was not able to handle or walk Roman as he still pulled and lunged like bull and his anxiety was still very very high. I could not even take him to the vet as I could not control him at all.

Eventually, we made a decision to just take him out a couple times a week and that he would mostly just be a house dog. Desperate people we were and we were making a desperate decision. I know this is crazy but walking a screeching, barking, shaking, terrified 85lb Doberman was becoming a chore – the neighbors feared him and the most common thing people said to me was “will he eat us?”. I was sure he wouldn’t but if he wanted to eat something – I could not stop him. No one could!

Then by chance through my own dog services business I met Jill Sharp at Life Without a Leash. She had been recommended to me by another ‘dog person” to help some of my clients – I contacted Jill so that I could meet her and watch one of her training sessions for my clients’ benefit – not my own. I had no intention of getting another trainer for Roman – we’d already had three so far.

I met Jill and watched her interact with a woman and her GSD and as I watched Jill I saw she had an amazing and very quick connection with the dog and seemed to tune into him immediately. Her instructions to the woman handling the GSD were simple to follow. So….I got to thinking….could Jill help Roman get back on his leash and out in the world? Could Roman one day be a well behave off leash dog like my other Doberman?

I booked a private session with Jill and she taught me how to use the electronic collar and to properly handle Roman. I had very little previous experience with the collar and did not even know how to turn it on. So I had my lesson with Jill and she gave me some simple homework to do with Roman. The next day I took Roman out into my cul-de-sac and began putting my homework into place….low and behold I was getting good results and fast too! I was in shock and could not believe it. We continued to do our homework everyday and I had two more private sessions with Jill and also attended one group class.

It has been one month and a bit and I am still doing my homework regularly with Roman – but the coolest thing is that I AM WALKING ROMAN AND HE IS REALLY REALLY GOOD ON THE LEASH. He always wears the electronic collar and a flat leather collar on our walks – he is more relaxed, happy, responsive and well behaved. I am 100% in control of him at all times. Now the neighbors say things like “Wow, he walks so nicely on a leash”, “Your dog is so well behaved”, and the best one is….”Did you get a new dog?”.

In some ways Jill Sharp and her training methods have given me a new dog – a new and improved Roman. Roman also wears his electronic collar around the house and while he was always really good in the house – he is now amazing. And, if you think Roman wearing the collar in the house is a bit much – the minute I pick up Roman’s electronic collar he comes running to me and waits for me to put it on. I know it is not just because he thinks he’s going out – he is actually comforted by it. Because he knows there is no more yelling or collar yanking corrections should he step out of line. He simply gets a command with a tap on the collar and that is it….all done he does what is asked. Roman is still a work in progress and still has his moments (as I am sure I do as well) with his anxiety but just think I’ve only been working with Jill and her methods about a month or so….just think where Roman will be in six months.

A big thank you to Jill Sharp for making Roman a better dog, a happier and more relaxed dog, and a dog I can handle and walk…but most importantly the bond between Roman and me (that was not very good before I met Jill) is incredible. And, the love I feel for Roman is now the same as the love I feel for Madeline, my other Doberman. My family is lucky and very grateful to have had Jill Sharp come into our lives.

Woof!

Lee & Roman