There are days I wonder if I have something seriously wrong with me, ok, don’t answer that, you’re right, there are a few things, but about the strange obsession with the “shock collar”…
Hardly a day goes by that I am not thinking about their applications for dog training, writing about them, wondering how I best explain them so we have a better understanding of the tool and training…
But most importantly how do we get people to stop thinking of them as a “SHOCK COLLAR”?
because those of you that know me are aware I don’t actually call the tool by that name. In my world it is a remote training collar, electronic collar or e-collar for short. But it is the term that resides in the minds of most people when they think about an electronic collar for dogs.
Case in point when the shock collar words came up again today.
My daughter had a dentist appointment this afternoon, well orthodontist actually. He tells me how great things are looking and how the alignment is corrected, but do we risk taking the hardware off yet? That is the question.
Then he says; “just like taking the shock collar off the dog, you know what I mean? Are we ready?”
My daughter has been in the process of having a mis-alignment fixed for about 18 months. A pretty significant open bite due to tongue thrusting behavior that went on for years undiagnosed…don’t get me started on the multiple times I had her tested for a lisp I was hearing and the school speech pathologist kept insisting was normal…..(yep, $5,000 in braces later along with $1000’s in speech therapy to get back on track) but, I digress.
So the implication is do we leave the hardware in place for a bit more time so the tongue gets further reinforcement in staying put. We also discussed the need for further reinforcement through the use of a special retainer plus commitment to the process of keeping the tongue trained to stay in it’s proper place. (how weird did that sentence just sound?)
I guess we are never 100% certain of what will happen when the training appliances come off? Be it the leash, the remote collar or the training treats…..when we step out with a naked dog we will find out how adequately we did or didn’t prepare.
One thing that is clear, it is not a cold turkey kind of thing. There is a transition period. A time frame of going from complete management to partial in hopes of new habits being acquired.
I will say it was kinda cool that the Dr. used an analogy that was relevant to me in my world. BUT, there were those words again, shock collar.
Perhaps next visit I should say “are we done twisting metal shards and wires into my daughters mouth yet or do we need to torque the teeth some more?”
Say “shock collar” and smile!
I saw a YT video once of someone demo’ing why the pinch collar would be a better choice for a particular dog than the tool he was wearing when he came from the shelter, a headcollar…in particular, the “Gentle” Leader. At the end of his discussion, he made a little comparison about how we view tools based on their name. Of course, the “Gentle” Leader sounds good, but what about calling it a “Neck-twister”? After all, that’s what it does. Instead of the evil-sounding “Pinch collar,” why not rename is the “Gentle Necklace”? After all, that’s what it is. I much like the words “e-collar” and “Remote Training Collar” than simply saying “shock collar,” even though, in the end, that’s what it is and does, even though the degree isn’t to the point that ignoramuses are willing to admit. Or, let’s re-christen the common buckle collar, the likes against which I see many dogs struggling on their walks, as the “Oppositional Force Collar,” since the pressure on the dog is opposite that of the leash, and is usually focused over the windpipe in such circumstances.
I know the name doesn’t change the tool, but it’s interesting how it can make someone look at it differently.
Just an early-evening thought on that matter 🙂
I love it! That last sentence and photo made my day!
Robin said, “Perhaps next visit I should say “are we done twisting metal shards and wires into my daughters mouth yet or do we need to torque the teeth some more?””
….. hilarious Robin!! Yesterday I was presenting how dogs can be part of a healing team for clients during their stay at a hospice, as a therapy dog. A board and train dog, Bennie, accompanied me as my demo dog. He didn’t “need” to wear the remote collar as he has come so far in his training. I knew he would be on his best behavior even amongst a crowd of 800 people even if he “went naked.”
I had him wear it partly to see what the reaction would be from folks in attendance as well as so I could get more training opportunities in during the down times between presentations. Out of all the people that met him (800 people attended the conference and we were the only dog team there so you can imagine how many came up to greet Bennie the gentle giant ), one asked about the collar as they had considered learning how to use one properly with their own dog, one stated she was a clicker trainer (which I replied, “yes I’ve used a clicker sometimes too but find the remote collar to be the most effective, reliable and humane training tool) and all the others didn’t even ask about the collar. They were so taken by Bennie’s new calm demeanor and good manners (which was a direct result of the remote collar training as three weeks ago he was dragging me down the street and jumping on everyone he met).
So my little experiment yesterday shows me that we will educate others of the remote collar’s effective and humane use when we show the result of the training and are not afraid to have our dogs proudly wear the remote collar in public.
Benny could’ve gone naked but I didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to educate folks and we also got in some off leash training time in between presentations.
This is a great analogy! “How long does my dog have to wear the ecollar?” is the first question I am asked 80 – 90% of the time during a consult.
Shock collar, schmock collar – it’s the training/teaching that makes the difference people! Just like the visits to the orthodontist for braces and maintenance, or the visits to the dentist for a root canal or crown, it’s a process that requires patience to get to the end, desired result. That first bite of food after the new crown can be scary, make us a little tentative, but if the dentist did the job properly . . .
It’s the same with Remote Training Collar. If you have been consistent, clear and kind with your dog, it can be scary the first time you take off that leash, but it sure feels good to know you have done your part, taught your dog well, built that trust and reliability. You have taught balance to your pooch. Balance=Peace=Trust=Freedom. Life is a process, so is training.
We use all kinds of tools – pencils, hair dryers, screw drivers, etc. – to make OUR lives easier, why not use tools to make our DOG’s life easier? Just sayin’.
Andi@ Watson
EZ DOG training
Burlington, NJ