e collar help

Question
Hello,

I am getting a 8 week old, German Shepherd puppy in a few weeks and would like to know your thoughts on electric collars. I have a friend who is a professional dog trainer who would assist me with the training; we will use the E collar and treats. I would be training sit, stay, down, come, go, heel, and basic walk with me; do not pull my arm off.  I have a small child and a wife who is not strong and want to make sure that they will be safe when walking the dog.  My questions are what are the pros and cons in using a E collar?  What is a safe and appropriate age to use the collar?  I have been told the the e collar is more humane and safer then some of the other collars.  Is there any information  that you recommend me reviewing before using this product or training in general; books, dvd, websites, ect?

 Thank you for your time and helping me with the best training for my dog.  


Tom

Answer
Hi, Tom,

Thanks for the question.

I would not advise using an electric collar on a puppy. Ever. There may be some rare circumstances where an e-collar might be effective on an adult dog with severe behavioral problems, but generally speaking, when it comes to simple obedience training they're not something I would ever use because they tend to create more problems than they solve.

There are three phases of training:

LEARNING -- "Here's a game called 'Sit!'" (Sit and you get a reward!)

NARROWING -- "Here are the rules of the game!" (If you don't sit properly you don't get a reward.)

PROOFING -- "The rules always apply." (You have to sit no matter what else is going on around you.)

No corrections should be used until you get to that third level of training, and that especially includes electric collars.

I recommend you look at some of the material on my website and blog to acquaint yourself with what I think is the most effective form of training, whether for a new puppy or for an older dog with behavioral problems. The method I've found works best (and I used electric collars in the past) is one that uses a dog's hunting instincts as the focal point and reinforcement for learning.

Here's one example: http://www.leecharleskelley.com/thetop10myths/dogshavetobecalm.html

I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me. (But no e-collars!)

LCK
www.LeeCharlesKelley.com
"Changing the World, One Dog at a Time"