First time with shock collar

L

Lointer man

Active member
How do you all do it. Ive had hard headed pups to gun shy pups, headed to South Dakota in one day and might have the best pointer I have ever hunted behind but needs reminded from time to time I don’t like it when she chases rabbits and deer. Just curious on everyone’s opinion
 
Whenever my dogs would chase a rabbit (my oldest is 9 and let's face it, she still likes to chase rabbits if she finds one in the field from time to time. Such is the life of a versatile dog owner) but I usually just say "no fur" in a gruff voice. Seems to get the point across now. But when she was young, I'd have to give her a slight correction on the shock collar when I would say no fur.

Going through it now with my 2 year old.
 
Ideally you wouldn't just head out & start using the collar while hunting without proper collar intro. Not saying you'll definitely affect your dog negatively, but for me the chances are too high to risk it. Research proper collar intro & follow the instructions. The collar should have some. And I'd see if Perfection Kennel has a video or series on it.
 
Last edited:
When considering how to deal with a deer-chasing dog, remember that if you can't stop the dog you may never see it again.
 
Fellas, I been doing this a little while not as long as most of you, I was wanting to know your point of view basically how do you all do it, I take any advice and all, apologize in advance for any confusion
 
"Here". If dog doesn't respond here is the command being disobeyed. I would then use "here" nick "here" with increased intensity for each act of disobedience.
All this is assuming the dog has been properly collar conditioned to here.
 
Lointer man said:
Fellas, I been doing this a little while not as long as most of you, I was wanting to know your point of view basically how do you all do it, I take any advice and all, apologize in advance for any confusion
Click to expand...
I collar condition first. That is done in the yard not in the field, and well before hunting season. Generally collar conditioning is a month long process and another step in obedience. You have to separate training from hunting. My suggestion to buy a 30 foot lead rope from Gun Dog Supply.
 
To sum up an hour long video or a chapter of a training book, or weeks or months of training, in one paragraph.

1. Associate the collar with fun. I put the collar on at a young age, any training or hunting session. But it's not turned on for months, until all the building blocks are in place to use it.
2. Basic obedience has to be 100% instilled into the dog. They know the commands you (or trainer) has been working on.
3. Once you start using the collar, you are providing stimulation which makes the dog uncomfortable.
4. You need to teach the dog how to turn off the stimulation.
5. Apply light stimulation, say command (sit), dog sits, then stop stimulation.
6. The dog will learn that listening to command or doing the proper thing will turn off the stimulation.

If you have a dog that is chasing deer and not collar conditioned, and you are just zapping them. They are going to be beyond confused most of the time and you could ruin a few things. All of training is like a series of building blocks. Just like school. You can't get your dog to middle school (collar conditioning, force fetching) by skipping elementary (basic obedience), or advancing right to high school (very advanced training, retrieves, marks, points, etc.).
 
I think Lointer is getting at that he's collar conditioned already but wants to know how we all go about getting our dogs not to chase rabbits/deer while in the field.

While I agree training that ahead of time is the best, not all are pro trainers or have access to scent or dead rabbits easily. I didn't, I did that "training" in the field when it occurred and it worked for me as I mentioned above Lointer. Just give them a nick when they start to chase deer/rabbits with a command. I used no fur but you can use whatever. My older dog figured out what that meant by "training" in the field. I expect my 2 year old will figure it out too.
 
Munster927 said:
I think Lointer is getting at that he's collar conditioned already but wants to know how we all go about getting our dogs not to chase rabbits/deer while in the field.

While I agree training that ahead of time is the best, not all are pro trainers or have access to scent or dead rabbits easily. I didn't, I did that "training" in the field when it occurred and it worked for me as I mentioned above Lointer. Just give them a nick when they start to chase deer/rabbits with a command. I used no fur but you can use whatever. My older dog figured out what that meant by "training" in the field. I expect my 2 year old will figure it out too.
Click to expand...

If already collar conditioned, then I agree with the above. Give them a zap in the field until they respond or back off from the chase. Eventually they will learn that chasing a rabbit or deer amounts to nothing.
 
One unrelated note - when dealing with the general public, animal lovers, etc., they hear the term "shock collar" and think animal torture. I have had much better luck when talking with them by referring to it as an "E-Collar" (short for electric collar). And then referencing that it is nothing more than an extension of a leash, it just doesn't have a physical rope attaching you to the dog. Then politely explaining that their out of control animal pulling on a leash is in more physical and mental distress than an under control dog with an imaginary leash and e-collar.
 
Last edited:
jackrabbit said:
One unrelated note - when dealing with the general public, animal lovers, etc., they here the term "shock collar" and think animal torture. I have had much better luck when talking with them by referring to it as an "E-Collar" (short for electric collar). And then referencing that it is nothing more than an extension of a leash, it just doesn't have a physical rope attaching you to the dog. Then politely explaining that their out of control animal pulling on a leash is in more physical and mental distress than an under control dog with an imaginary leash and e-collar.
Click to expand...
I appreciate the info, my ol man always called it that when I was a kid and it just stuck, almost to hit SD hopefully will have some pix
 
jackrabbit said:
One unrelated note - when dealing with the general public, animal lovers, etc., they here the term "shock collar" and think animal torture. I have had much better luck when talking with them by referring to it as an "E-Collar" (short for electric collar). And then referencing that it is nothing more than an extension of a leash, it just doesn't have a physical rope attaching you to the dog. Then politely explaining that their out of control animal pulling on a leash is in more physical and mental distress than an under control dog with an imaginary leash and e-collar.
Click to expand...
I might go to those lengths if they're not idiots & seem interested in learning something.
Otherwise I tell them, "Ace's registered name is Ben Franklin & he's really good at discovering electricity. High voltage."
 
I work with people who, may not be PETA members, but thought e-collars are cruel. I've made them feel what the collar feels like on the back of their hands before at the level my dogs take normally when they need a correction. They don't think they are that cruel anymore.
 
My youngest lab used to chase deer I conditioned her slowly with the ecollar using the vibrating mode and telling to leave it. It didn't take long before we got some great results as you can see. Both dogs will just lay on the back deck and watch them walk thru the yard, goes for the ducks and geese that visit the yard also.
 

Attachments

  • Deer1.JPG
    Deer1.JPG
    167.4 KB · Views: 10
My dogs all learned through trial and error that chasing deer was s futile endeavor that just led to being more tired and not catching any deer. Rabbits about the same.

These are hunting dogs and they will want to run after things that run away from them. Eventually they figure out that the big furry things that run are not really fun to chase.
 
I train retrievers and the process is first teach without an ecollar, then enforce a command up close,
then enforce up close with an e-collar, then gradually increase the distance of enforcing.
For example, first teach sit, then enforce sit on a leash with random heeling stick corrections,
then enforce sit on a leash with random ecollar corrections, the gradually increase the distance of enforcing.
By random I mean "freebies" with no ecollar correction.
For example, whistle sit--fairly slow sit, whistle sit with ecollar correction, whistle sit much quicker ("GOOD!")
Pup learns to avoid the correction if he sits quickly and the ecollar correction is for disobedience of a command.

Most retriever trainers will precede an ecollar correction with a command (sit whistle for example).
A cold burn with no command can sometimes lead to superstitious behaviors...for example a dog smells
a running pheasant and at the same time gets an ecollar correction because a deer is running
beyond the tracking pheasant. Pup might start avoiding pheasant tracks because he thinks that caused the ecollar burn.
And pup might bolt into the next county since he does not understand how to respond to a "cold burn".
A safer approach would be dog running, deer running, whistle sit and ecollar correction.
Pup thinks he was burned because he did not sit fast enough to the whistle sit.
Eventually pup learns there is no reward in chasing deer and he better sit quickly when boss blows the sit whistle.
 
Lots of good advice above. If you just use the collar for correction Wich most of us do, just make sure your dog knows why he is getting corrected. You never really know for sure what a dog is going to associate with the juice. A couple instances that come to mind. I once knew a guy who ruined a coon dog pup by shocking him when he thought he was running trash. The poor pup associated the shock to running period. I knew another guy who ruined a slightly shy shorthair by juicing her for chasing flushed birds. She associated the juice to the birds not the chasing! The shock collar is the best and least cruel form of correction there is, but it is the worst and most cruel in the hands of an idiot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top