Monday, March 30, 2015

A Quiet Signal to Counter Maximum Stimulation



These are my two young pups yesterday. I was trying to take a picture of them on this little foot bridge when an unleashed dog came running up the other end of the bridge.

The two pups are on full alert -- look at their tails -- but they turned around with nothing more than a little cluck from me, and we walked the way we were going, while the woman with the black dog tried to leash up her charge. It was a nice no-drama moment without leash.

Misto and Moxie are very young working terriers, which is to say their default position is "excitable psycho."

And yet, thanks to a very short period of e-collar training with low-nick tapping and vibration, these two are very close to being no trouble at all in field or forest, and they are getting better with every excursion.

I use my voice as their first signal to come back or come in closer -- it's also the signal that they will get a treat from the kibble bag on my belt. The tap-vibrate mode is the next signal up, and it too is a "stop and come back for treat" signal. The third signal up is the regular nick, and it is set for 8 and 9 on the pups (you cannot feel 6).  It is an emphatic "don't even think about it" and also comes with a treat if they are looking for it.  The "boost" (my fourth-tier signal) has only been used once, for a herd of deer that rose up in tall grass just 20 feet away from us on our regular trail walk.  The boost is the regular nick plus 10.  The collar can dial up to 100, but even at full boost, it's never gone over 20.

One simple no-fumble remote control works both collars separately, and the levels of stimulation on both collars can be set independently of each other.

The new ecollars are light years ahead of the old stuff, and I have no hesitation at all in recommending this excellent bit of kit.  Even Mountain Girl now stays close, and she knows what lies over every hillock.  Amazing! 

7 comments:

mugwump said...

I went to the site to take a look.I found this. http://www.ecollar.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=20&virtuemart_category_id=14
I don't like this company.

PBurns said...

Yes, stupid, I would agree. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The equipment itself is pretty great however. I will pass on how stupid this is. It will be interesting to see if there is a response.

PBurns said...

My note: "I posted a short squib saying nice things about ecollar technologies, but it appears I "failed to make a sale " with one reader because of this page. >> http://www.ecollar.com/index.php…

The "first remote training collar designed specifically for women." Seriously? That's a thing in this era? Setting aside the way this phrase could be easily misinterpreted ("How to train your woman to make a sandwich and bring you a beer."), it's a dumbing down of women that I am pretty sure women do not need. Considering how many gender-benders there are in the world dogs, maybe putting the color combo out there without gender commentary is the way to go.

5string said...

What's the problem? The fact that they make them in pink and leopard print or that they target women instead of 'fashion conscious folks'?

Maybe they could make matching dog sweaters!

There are plenty of pink guns being marketed to women these days. The girls love 'em! No problem. Swishy men are free to buy them too. No problem.

PBurns said...

If you say something is "designed especially for women" and what you REALLY mean is "we painted it pink" because that's all the deep thought we have when it comes to women, then you have just said, rather loudly, that you think women are idiots. When you add stupid on top of marginalization, it becomes ridiculous. Is "The Lady Educator" the collar you strap on your lazy wife when she won't make you a sandwich and get you a beer? And why is pink for women only? They should use that color to market to the sexist macho assholes too: "Dick Head Trainer now in penis pink with matching collar."

seeker said...

I, myself, hate pink. Won't buy anything in that color. That's what my grandmother did to me by forcing me to wear their heinous color. And I think other women are stupid to pay the 2 or 3 dollars more when something is pink.

Debi

PBurns said...

I am happy to report that the folks who make the Educator collar have decided to drop the "The Lady Educator" marketing gambit, having heard from a few folks, perhaps as result of this blog. It's a good piece of equipment, and no problem with pink color -- it's just the name that I think was a bridge too far. Applause to the company for advancing in another direction. It's a good collar. Buy one if you want to teach your dog to walk leash free.