Check cord use

A

AndyJohnson

New member
I am totally new to dog training. I have a whistle, check cord, and e-collar on the way. I got a video on e-collar use, but despite a lot of searching I have yet to find much instruction on check cord exercises or general use. I've got an idea of how it works, but can someone either help me with instructions and exercises or point me to a good resource?

Thank you,
Andy
 
The collar is only good once you've used the leash to reinforce your commands, then introduce collar when commands on leash/check cord are solid. Use ecollar stimulation when dog doesn't listen on first command. Tug leash and press stimulation at same time. Eventually they associate the tug, the voice, and the stimultion...all to obeying master.

Use the check cord to tug and whistle for direction change, I also teach "too far" with a tug when they get beyond the range I want them (which is end of check cord). I don't use a whistle myself, I used the cord but then switched to mute training. Now that i've gotten my dog trained to quarter and stay in range I can command him silently by changing directions or using hand signals. Hand signals were easy to teach because of his love of fetch and hide/seek, but very useful to add in when beginning training. I'm a self taught/read trainer but that's what's worked for me and i've now got a great hunting companion with a second in training (6 month).
 
Also, one thing people screw up (or my parents did, which made sure I never repeated the mistake) is only using the ecollar at certain times/events. Use it daily for the first few months inside or outside...always on after work then off at bedtime (so you don't go over the recommended length of time its on). But the biggest lesson i'm trying to get across is don't let them think they only have to behave outside when the collar is on. They listen to you, not the collar...so they have to "forget" the collar is on for a long term gain of using the collar.

My parents dogs wouldn't listen if they didn't have the collar on outside.
 
The check cord is simply a point of contact on the dog to tell him you can enforce a command at some distance. Its for yard work and obedience work when you a taking him for a walk not really useful in the field on a full grown lab.

You will start teaching hup ( sit) and other simple obedience type commands like heel, kennel etc with him on a 4 foot leash next to you.

next move to the check cord let him drag it

In your case you will use it primarily to enforce the "Hup" when hes out in front of you on a walk just let him get out near the end of it give the command ( after he is doing it reliably on the leash) and tug the collar with the check cord to make him sit if he doesn't .

and to enforce recall,

you should only call him when you can stomp on the check cord and stop him and then if he doesn't come immediately grab it and reel him in and give him a "good boy" when he gets to you. Never scold a dog that's not coming to you when you finally get him back to you ....you want him to want to come in.

Don't attempt to grab the check cord with your bare hands if hes moving at any speed unless your wearing leather gloves and are strong step on it and use your weight to stop him

don't give him a command you know you cannot enforce that's just teaching him he can blow you off. So set him up with minor distractions when you can reach the cord with your boot

he should be wearing the ecollar turned off during all this preliminary yard work

when hes doing everything flawlessly on the check cord you will lay the ecollar over the cord so he learns to turn it off by complying then you ditch the cord.

this is a lot easier to teach the dog than it is to type LOL.
 
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As to a great book I highly recommend

The "labrador shooting dog" by Mike Gould

his training philosophy is identical to mine and hes one of the great lab trainers

you will start and train your untrained dog as if he is a puppy if you follow Mike schedule in his book that dog you have will be really nice and I mean really nice.

http://www.amazon.com/Labrador-Shoo...8989905&sr=1-1&keywords=labrador+shooting+dog

read the book cover to cover a couple times before you start the program
 
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On my dogs I used a check cord to establish range and hand signals (arm up: come; arm extended, left or right). I also used a spike collar when training with the check cord. Just pull the dog toward you for arm up/come, keeping your arm up, and reinforce with a treat. For range or attention signal I use a short, one note whistle (with lips). For left and right, extend an arm and turn the dog in that direction with the check cord and walk in that direction as you turn the dog, keeping your arm extended. Starting today use hand (arm, actually) signals constantly around the house, car, and yard and you will have a dog who will do things with no sound other than, if needed, an alerting one-note whistle, or you can substitute the short whistle with a vibrate or tone signal from an e-collar. Good luck to you and your dog. Above all else, get bonded with your dog and be patient.
 
BritChaser said:
Above all else, get bonded with your dog and be patient.
Click to expand...

This is the most important part I always forget...my wife constantly reminds me to be patient with our puppy training right now. I forget that he's 6 months and not 3 years old like our older dog. He's learning very well actually, but I can't expect perfection...and small gains by little bits of time here and there actually do better. Playing hide and seek while getting ready in the morning or fetch during lunch for a little bit. Spend the time, not that it matters but I can tell I have a much different bond with my dogs than my wife because of the little bit of extra time/ways I spend with our dogs (probably due to my strong desire to have well behaved/trained and prey driven successful hunting dogs).
 
Great input from others. It helps to remind me of where I have fallen off in my training.
I recommend the George Hickox DVD Great Beginnings Training the Upland Retriever. His approach made sense to me and was well demonstrated in the DVD.
 
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