Here is an article that was recently published in the CAPPDT, a newsletter
for professional dog trainers in Canada. Information on the "No Limitations"
dog trainers school can be found at www.nolimitations.biz and a television
show show on this types of training can also be viewed on the site, where you
can get a 'visual picture' of what exactly takes place.

Remote Collar Training - A Report - by Roger Hild



Does a “remote trainer� or e-collar have any place in a dog trainers
toolbox? Are there any new techniques, that can be used with this tool, that
enable a trainer to work more effectively and efficiently with a dog? These
were just a couple questions I hoped to get answers to when early in April of
this year I took the opportunity to attend a three day “No Limitations,�
seminar on “remote collar training.� Two of my students (one with many
years training experience and one with very little training experience) came
with me to observe and learn.

The seminar was held just outside Toronto in a spacious horse riding arena.
Despite the freezing rain on the first day, it was well attended with
participants coming from many parts of southern Ontario and quite a large
number from the USA as well. The featured speakers were Fred Hassen and
Behesha Grist.

As the participants arrived, I noticed it was a very typical group of dogs and
their owners. A few dogs had some training already and were well behaved while
some were clearly not trained at all. Some dogs were lunging at other dogs and
were needing to be restrained by their struggling owners. Some dogs were
wearing remote trainers, some regular collars and some had head-halters on.
There were at least two dogs present that had very serious aggression issues
and both were muzzled and crated.

Before collering any of the dogs all participants were given the experience of
feeling the collar. It was set at the lowest setting and the levels were
gradually increased until the participant first noticed it and then increased a
couple levels above that. Everyone agreed that the “stim� (stimulation)
was not untoward and felt rather like the “TENS� unit one might experience
at a chiropractors or physiotherapists office.

Any dogs started on the collar were put through a similar process. The collar
was set at the lowest level and gradually increased until the dog first noticed
it (usually evidenced by an ear twitch or sideways glance in the direction of
the collar). This process was used to establish the working range/levels for
each dog.

What was most fascinating was the application of the “stim� and the role it
played. It was not used, as some might suppose, as an aversive (though, as was
explained, it could be if necessary). The approach was not corrective or
punishing but rather motivational and the first thing the dog learned was
“the language of the collar.� The dog (guided by a long line) learned to
move toward the handler at the “touch� of the collar. Once the dog learned
to move with the touch, the commands were given at the same time as the stim.
The command/stim combination could be repeated, if the behavior was not
performed, until it was performed. Sometimes the stim was applied in the midst
of the performance in a prodding or encouraging manner (similar to
“motivational leash pops�) that seemed to increase alertness and desire.
At this point there was no evidence of any distress noted, indeed the dogs
seemed quite relaxed.

What blew everyone away was when Fred worked with the aggressive dogs that I
referred to earlier. The first aggressive dog was a mature GSD male. I had
talked to the owner who confirmed this dog was very aggressive toward people as
well as other dogs. Even with the muzzle on, the fiery temperament of the dog
was evident. Fred couldn’t get close enough to the dog to put on the collar
and therefore had the owner put it on. In addition to the long line, he had a
second leash dragging from the collar in case the owner had to assist.

Fred got the dog moving with him using the collar (as described above) and
praised the dog when ever he was in close. Within two minutes he had the dog
walking calmly with him and after another five minutes or so, everyone was
shocked to see Fred reach down and remove the muzzle. The dog performed
perfectly and acted like Fred was his best friend. The dog was worked in this
way for quite some time and then remuzzled and worked closely around the other
dogs and people. He performed flawlessly and by the second day he no longer
required a muzzle and worked all the exercises in the group along side everyone
else.

Almost an identical story with the second dog - a two year old male Rotti.
This dog had several bites under his belt and this was to be his last chance -
the vet had been contacted to put the dog down if Fred couldn’t help. The
dog had to be managed on two leashes and was also muzzled. The work was much
the same but it took abit longer - somewhere between 15 minutes and a half
hour. The dog also had to be kept muzzled longer and wasn’t working in close
proximity with the other dogs until midway through the second day and for parts
of the third day.

Both Fred and Behesha worked these dogs and have worked literally hundreds of
dogs just like them. The results are a matter of public record - both work
with all kinds of dogs in the local pounds and shelters. Both have ample
references from these places of the results they have achieved. Aside from the
astonishing results that everyone saw for themselves, was the fact that even
the pure novice trainer was able to quickly catch onto the technique and work
confidently and well with their own dogs.

What follows is the experience as reported by one of the participants and
reprinted with his permission:

“Aside from the awful location and increment weather the seminar was an
immeasurable success for both me ___ and my dog ______. If you recall, our dog
was the Yellow Lab who jumped, mouthed and whined the first day (I was COVERED
in sand!) and was running through the mini-agility course (on command) by the
third (day of seminar). snip

“This was not ______ first class. As a puppy he went to puppy school
(socialization et. al) and then basic obedience (non e-collar, standard leash
and cookie training). He was top-of-the-class, learning quicker than other dog;
that is, UNTIL he turned about 5-6 months old at which time he
became both stubborn and damn STRONG (too strong for his own good and mine,
more on that later). It was not that he forgot the commands and boundaries he
had learned but he seemed to give us the doggy middle-finger whenever we
“asked him� to do something.

“As he grew, he became both much stronger and much more bold in his
rebellion. As a result, he lost our trust and slowly began to lose
“freedoms� he previously had. Because we could not trust him and could not
devote every waking moment to him, he began to spend more and more time
confined to his crate. His walks also became less regular as my mother became
fearful of walking him. As a full-time student I do not always have time to
accompany my mother on the walks and I thought it absurd to have to act as a
“strong arm insurance policy,� during what were supposed to be “leisurely
strolls� for both human and canine. One time, when my mother walked without
me, my mother lost grip of the dog. ______ jumped up (with all his might) to
kiss a child and ended up hurting him (long story short - he needed an
emergency dental appointment).

“It was never a matter of a bad attitude, it was just a fact that ______ was
a very energetic, loving and naturally dominant dog. This is what made
confining him troublesome to everyone in our household. We wanted him to be a
part of the family. We wanted the crate to be his bed and den during the
working day, not a tool to keep him from running around with the kitchen knife
in his mouth (something he loved to do, he would grab the biggest, baddest
knife from the counter and then encouraged us to play “catch me if you can�
with him).

“In just three days, _____ has rejoined our household. My sister and mother
can now supervise and even walk him without my accompaniment. We can watch a
movie with _____ at our feet rather than having to drag him to the crate.
snip

“I am now equipped with an answer to anyone who might frown at the e-collar:
IN 3 DAYS THE COLLAR RAISED THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THIS DOG IMMEASURABLY.
Whereas he was once crate-bound, constantly scolded and always followed by an
apprehensive eye he now has freedom in the house, will enjoy longer, more free
walks and will even be allowed to resume swimming in the water he once loved as
a tiny (harmless) 2 month old (another privilege he lost after I had to “swim
in� to retrieve my unruly retriever). Most importantly: This was NOT a dog
that was neglected or left unsocialized as a puppy. He DID get properly
socialized, he DID do obedience training, he DID get A LOT of practice using
the leash and cookie method. The bottom line was that he was smart enough to
figure out that he was faster and stronger than most and knew what he could get
away with. As soon as the leash was in the hands of a weak individual or as
soon as he was within distance to escape, he would. The e-collar puts control
BACK in our hands.

“I’ve met a whole bunch of other people with dogs in the neighborhood who
have failed the e-collar. I walked into this guy that had a pretty well
behaved brown lab; I quote: “we tried the e-collars but they did not work for
her� Compared to our pre-e-collar dog his dog was almost well-trained when
well anchored by a leash. I know this would have been our experience had we
not been taught how to use it first. I shudder thinking the many people who
have purchased these off-shelf, without training, to use as a strictly
punishment device (+ the people like us, who would have given-in to our dogs
manipulative nature).�

Bottom line is this piece of equipment, like any piece of equipment, must be
used properly. When it is used properly, the results are very impressive. Is
there a place for it in a dog trainers toolbox? I leave that question for you
to decide - I found room in my toolbox for mine.

Beautiful article!!
Thanks for posting... There are many training methods, and many can and are
used improperly. Correct timing of e-collars is critical, but they are very
effective because the dog doesn't know where the correction comes from.
Andrea

"Sitmeanssit" wrote in message
...
Here is an article that was recently published in the CAPPDT, a
newsletter
for professional dog trainers in Canada. Information on the "No
Limitations"
dog trainers school can be found at www.nolimitations.biz and a
television
show show on this types of training can also be viewed on the site, where
you
can get a 'visual picture' of what exactly takes place.

Remote Collar Training - A Report - by Roger Hild



Does a "remote trainer" or e-collar have any place in a dog trainers
toolbox? Are there any new techniques, that can be used with this tool,
that
enable a trainer to work more effectively and efficiently with a dog?
These
were just a couple questions I hoped to get answers to when early in April
of
this year I took the opportunity to attend a three day "No Limitations,"
seminar on "remote collar training." Two of my students (one with many
years training experience and one with very little training experience)
came
with me to observe and learn.

The seminar was held just outside Toronto in a spacious horse riding
arena.
Despite the freezing rain on the first day, it was well attended with
participants coming from many parts of southern Ontario and quite a large
number from the USA as well. The featured speakers were Fred Hassen and
Behesha Grist.

As the participants arrived, I noticed it was a very typical group of dogs
and
their owners. A few dogs had some training already and were well behaved
while
some were clearly not trained at all. Some dogs were lunging at other
dogs and
were needing to be restrained by their struggling owners. Some dogs were
wearing remote trainers, some regular collars and some had head-halters
on.
There were at least two dogs present that had very serious aggression
issues
and both were muzzled and crated.

Before collering any of the dogs all participants were given the
experience of
feeling the collar. It was set at the lowest setting and the levels were
gradually increased until the participant first noticed it and then
increased a
couple levels above that. Everyone agreed that the "stim" (stimulation)
was not untoward and felt rather like the "TENS" unit one might experience
at a chiropractors or physiotherapists office.

Any dogs started on the collar were put through a similar process. The
collar
was set at the lowest level and gradually increased until the dog first
noticed
it (usually evidenced by an ear twitch or sideways glance in the direction
of
the collar). This process was used to establish the working range/levels
for
each dog.

What was most fascinating was the application of the "stim" and the role
it
played. It was not used, as some might suppose, as an aversive (though,
as was
explained, it could be if necessary). The approach was not corrective or
punishing but rather motivational and the first thing the dog learned was
"the language of the collar." The dog (guided by a long line) learned to
move toward the handler at the "touch" of the collar. Once the dog
learned
to move with the touch, the commands were given at the same time as the
stim.
The command/stim combination could be repeated, if the behavior was not
performed, until it was performed. Sometimes the stim was applied in the
midst
of the performance in a prodding or encouraging manner (similar to
"motivational leash pops") that seemed to increase alertness and desire.
At this point there was no evidence of any distress noted, indeed the dogs
seemed quite relaxed.

What blew everyone away was when Fred worked with the aggressive dogs that
I
referred to earlier. The first aggressive dog was a mature GSD male. I
had
talked to the owner who confirmed this dog was very aggressive toward
people as
well as other dogs. Even with the muzzle on, the fiery temperament of the
dog
was evident. Fred couldn't get close enough to the dog to put on the
collar
and therefore had the owner put it on. In addition to the long line, he
had a
second leash dragging from the collar in case the owner had to assist.

Fred got the dog moving with him using the collar (as described above) and
praised the dog when ever he was in close. Within two minutes he had the
dog
walking calmly with him and after another five minutes or so, everyone was
shocked to see Fred reach down and remove the muzzle. The dog performed
perfectly and acted like Fred was his best friend. The dog was worked in
this
way for quite some time and then remuzzled and worked closely around the
other
dogs and people. He performed flawlessly and by the second day he no
longer
required a muzzle and worked all the exercises in the group along side
everyone
else.

Almost an identical story with the second dog - a two year old male Rotti.
This dog had several bites under his belt and this was to be his last
chance -
the vet had been contacted to put the dog down if Fred couldn't help. The
dog had to be managed on two leashes and was also muzzled. The work was
much
the same but it took abit longer - somewhere between 15 minutes and a half
hour. The dog also had to be kept muzzled longer and wasn't working in
close
proximity with the other dogs until midway through the second day and for
parts
of the third day.

Both Fred and Behesha worked these dogs and have worked literally hundreds
of
dogs just like them. The results are a matter of public record - both
work
with all kinds of dogs in the local pounds and shelters. Both have ample
references from these places of the results they have achieved. Aside
from the
astonishing results that everyone saw for themselves, was the fact that
even
the pure novice trainer was able to quickly catch onto the technique and
work
confidently and well with their own dogs.

What follows is the experience as reported by one of the participants and
reprinted with his permission:

"Aside from the awful location and increment weather the seminar was an
immeasurable success for both me ___ and my dog ______. If you recall, our
dog
was the Yellow Lab who jumped, mouthed and whined the first day (I was
COVERED
in sand!) and was running through the mini-agility course (on command) by
the
third (day of seminar). snip

"This was not ______ first class. As a puppy he went to puppy school
(socialization et. al) and then basic obedience (non e-collar, standard
leash
and cookie training). He was top-of-the-class, learning quicker than other
dog;
that is, UNTIL he turned about 5-6 months old at which time he
became both stubborn and damn STRONG (too strong for his own good and
mine,
more on that later). It was not that he forgot the commands and boundaries
he
had learned but he seemed to give us the doggy middle-finger whenever we
"asked him" to do something.

"As he grew, he became both much stronger and much more bold in his
rebellion. As a result, he lost our trust and slowly began to lose
"freedoms" he previously had. Because we could not trust him and could not
devote every waking moment to him, he began to spend more and more time
confined to his crate. His walks also became less regular as my mother
became
fearful of walking him. As a full-time student I do not always have time
to
accompany my mother on the walks and I thought it absurd to have to act as
a
"strong arm insurance policy," during what were supposed to be "leisurely
strolls" for both human and canine. One time, when my mother walked
without
me, my mother lost grip of the dog. ______ jumped up (with all his might)
to
kiss a child and ended up hurting him (long story short - he needed an
emergency dental appointment).

"It was never a matter of a bad attitude, it was just a fact that ______
was
a very energetic, loving and naturally dominant dog. This is what made
confining him troublesome to everyone in our household. We wanted him to
be a
part of the family. We wanted the crate to be his bed and den during the
working day, not a tool to keep him from running around with the kitchen
knife
in his mouth (something he loved to do, he would grab the biggest, baddest
knife from the counter and then encouraged us to play "catch me if you
can"
with him).

"In just three days, _____ has rejoined our household. My sister and
mother
can now supervise and even walk him without my accompaniment. We can watch
a
movie with _____ at our feet rather than having to drag him to the crate.
snip

"I am now equipped with an answer to anyone who might frown at the
e-collar:
IN 3 DAYS THE COLLAR RAISED THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THIS DOG IMMEASURABLY.
Whereas he was once crate-bound, constantly scolded and always followed by
an
apprehensive eye he now has freedom in the house, will enjoy longer, more
free
walks and will even be allowed to resume swimming in the water he once
loved as
a tiny (harmless) 2 month old (another privilege he lost after I had to
"swim
in" to retrieve my unruly retriever). Most importantly: This was NOT a dog
that was neglected or left unsocialized as a puppy. He DID get properly
socialized, he DID do obedience training, he DID get A LOT of practice
using
the leash and cookie method. The bottom line was that he was smart enough
to
figure out that he was faster and stronger than most and knew what he
could get
away with. As soon as the leash was in the hands of a weak individual or
as
soon as he was within distance to escape, he would. The e-collar puts
control
BACK in our hands.

"I've met a whole bunch of other people with dogs in the neighborhood who
have failed the e-collar. I walked into this guy that had a pretty well
behaved brown lab; I quote: "we tried the e-collars but they did not work
for
her" Compared to our pre-e-collar dog his dog was almost well-trained
when
well anchored by a leash. I know this would have been our experience had
we
not been taught how to use it first. I shudder thinking the many people
who
have purchased these off-shelf, without training, to use as a strictly
punishment device (+ the people like us, who would have given-in to our
dogs
manipulative nature)."

Bottom line is this piece of equipment, like any piece of equipment, must
be
used properly. When it is used properly, the results are very impressive.
Is
there a place for it in a dog trainers toolbox? I leave that question for
you
to decide - I found room in my toolbox for mine.