Tricks of the Trade

 Dear Darcian's,

Do you like the new name for my dearest of readers? We need to be in a goofy mood as we talk about a more serious and controversial topic. E-Collars and Prong collars are what we will be discussing today. Many people see these scary looking training tools and immediately assume that because they look scary, that is equated to dangerous.

In this post I want to discuss common questions and concerns people have when using these tools, the right and wrong way to use them, and when they should be used. However, throughout I will repeatedly be saying one phrase. These should only be used if you have been PROPERLY taught how to use it. Just like anything in life, not using something the way it was made can add a certain amount of harm to you or your pet(s). 

First let's talk about people's concerns on why they wouldn't use these tools for training their pets.

1. It chokes the dog.

    - I will have to agree with this statement to an extent. But regardless of these tools- prong or e-collar- a flat collar can choke a dog all the same. That is why I say knowing the proper form for a prong collar makes all the difference. If your dog is pulling you, and you add a prong thinking it will fix the issue, BUT you don't change the way you actually are walking it. Then yes, the dog will choke all the same as if it was wearing a flat collar. Dog trainers that are educated on the techniques for a prong collar will tell you to do something called a "pop" motion. This will be discussed in a later aspect of the article.

2. The e-collar traumatizes the dog.

    - If we want to look at this in black and white, the short answer is yes. But, the world is not in black and white, but different colors of grey. If you don't know how to properly utilize an e-collar, then you do run the risk of traumatizing the dog. But again, that is why when working with a dog trainer, they should properly show you the correct way to use it. Not only that, but the different signs to look for on a dog. I also will be the first to say not every dog should wear or use one. Some dogs are more submissive then others, and tend to shy away from any negative connotations. Therefore, using negative reinforcement would not be proper. 

But, if you are properly taught, and utilize the right techniques, such as looking at the dogs body language: an ear twitch, tail ducking, and head dipping. You aren't harming the dog, you are getting them out of the fight or flight response they are stuck in, this part will be discussed in more depth later.

3. If you need these tools, you aren't willing to form a bond with your dog.

    - People who say this are naive to the way dogs in packs work. When it comes to training and bonding with a dog, we cannot think in human terms. While many of the aspects we use in negative training can be seen as "cruel" in human terms, but its actually the way packs have been observed out in the wild. Dogs are descendants of wolves, and to think that their animal ways and behaviors have simply vanished, is understating what a dog is capable of. 

Packs in the wild have a ranking system, so the terms "Alpha" and "submissive" are actually scientifically used. But, the alphas in a pack tend to be the parents or breeding pair. The alpha's snap, bite, and growl in order to get their puppy litter and pack to submit to their authority. In this environment, dogs actually thrive off of having a leader that keeps them in line. They actually feel protected and safe when rules are enforced. Otherwise it doesn't feel like a pack and the dog assumes its a lone wolf needing to fight in order to protect themselves. 

4. Dogs should be free to roam without consequences.

    - Yeah, no. While there was a time when dogs were allowed to roam freely, it has long since passed. I say that because we live in a society with rules. A dog that is unleashed without any form of recall or consequence is more likely to injure other animals and people. Not only that but even packs don't roam around the wild without a set of rules and respect for other animals and groups of wolves. In the wild, a wolf that doesn't respect other animals boundaries is seen as a humungous threat and would be injured or even killed. There is usually only two reasons a wolf would not respect a packs rules and territory. One is the search of a mate. Packs consist of families, usually the alphas which are mom and dad, then the siblings. Wolfs don't mate within the family, therefore they need to expand their search into other territories. This is a common enough practice that wolf packs still respect the hierarchy and pay homeage to the alphas of the pack they are visiting. 

The second reason a wolf doesn't respect the laws and hierarchies of other packs is when they are sick. The most common being rabies. The lone wolf would be rabid and experiencing symptoms, which would lead a pack to defend itself from the unwanted and sick visitor. So, while humans can say dogs should have the freedom to roam as they do in the wild, this isn't exactly correct. 

5. Positive reinforcement will always yield better results then negative. 

    - Yes and no, it really depends on the dog. Some dogs have low adrenaline and can easily see what they are being asked to do. But reactive and aggressive dogs have a high amount of adrenaline in their fight and flight response that they need to feel a correction in order to break the haze they are in. It is the same response when a person is having a panic attack and they place a hand over someones heart to feel the beat. It is a way of grounding for dogs in a way they understand and normally communicate. Some dogs don't need it and can be trained with primarily just treats. There is nothing wrong with this method. Where the issue comes in is when we as owners associate and group every dog together. "All dogs need to be trained with treats." or "all dogs need negative reinforcement." It simply isn't true.

Now that we have responded to the concerns, we can begin talking about the right AND wrong way of using these training tools.

    The right way: A prong collar should be placed high up on the dogs neck, and when they are in heel position your arm is slack (loose leash). This way, when the dog tries to go ahead of you, you swing your arm back in a "popping" motion. The minute there is tension on the leash, you MUST relax the leash. If your dog did not correct its behavior the first time, do it again. But never allow your dog to be ahead of you and have tension on the leash. While there is not as much pressure on the trachea as there is with a flat collar, it can still cause some damage if there is always pressure on the neck. This is why it is of upmost importance to train the dog to walk on a loose leash in a heel position. 

    The right way to use an e-collar: E-collars are different to the first generation "shock collars." Shock collars have three levels, 1, 2, 3. This would literally shock the dog and it did traumatize many of them. The collar I am talking about and use in my everyday practice is an E- Collar. These have a steady lateral trajectory from 1 to 100. Depending on the dogs adrenaline, you might need level 3 or 60. The way to tell were your dog is at is by starting low and moving upwards. 

When the dog starts to feel it, the ear will twitch, the tail will lower, and the head dips down. BUT, there is an important aspect that many people miss when using this tool. Dogs need both physical and verbal commands together. So you can use the e-collar but you also have to use a firm and loud "No!" command at the same time. This breaks the dog out of the adrenaline haze and starts to calm them down.

    Now, when should these be used? Should every dog wear one? Here is a list of questions to ask yourself when not sure.

1. Do you want to do off leash work?

2. Is your dog aggressive or reactive?

3. Does your dog pull on the leash during walks?

4. Does your dog have a high prey drive?

While there are many more questions you can ask yourself, with an endless amount of scenarios you might use these tools for, here are four questions. If you answered yes to one of these, then these tools would be an amazing add to your toolbox. It is all about examining your dog and understanding what their needs are. 

If you have read the whole article and are still skeptical about these forms of training tools, that is okay. One thing I always do with my clients is allow them to test it on themselves first. A prong should be able to go on your wrist and have the popping motion be used (with the same force you would use with your dog) and it not hurt. An e-collar should be able to be held in your hand on a low setting (as you are normally not buzzing with a high load of adrenaline) and be able to feel that it does not hurt but tingles. 

As always, if there are any questions about the article or dog training, feel free to write a comment!