Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this when I was running out of patience with my 9 month old German Shepherd mix puppy.
Even after I got this thing, I didn't use it right away. The biggest reason for this is the included instruction manual. It is an extremely well written handbook for training dogs, and it emphasizes several things:
1. Your dog must know the basic commands like No, Sit, Stay, Come, Down, etc.
2. Try a different type of leash - such as the suggested "Wonder Lead"
3. Use the collar sparingly and as a supplementary instruction tool, not a full replacement training tool
The manual was great and I found it to be more instructive than the numerous dog training books that I had already purchased. I continued working with my dog without the collar, and I bought the "Wonder Lead", a very simple nylon noose-type leash that relaxes immediately after the dog stops pulling. I like the lead very much - it functions better than a collar that I bought called "The Illusion Collar". Both serve the same purpose - to put pressure high on the dog's neck for considerably more control. But the Wonder Lead is simpler because it is easier to adjust and it relaxes quicker since the nylon is stiff.
Until I bought this collar, my dog was impervious to everything. He was terrible on the leash. He would lunge at other dogs and would make such a scene that people would glare at me or my wife, as if to say "What's the matter with you, thinking you can just walk a vicious animal around in public like that?". He knew all the basic commands like Sit, Down, Come, No... but only if I had a treat in my hand. Outside of the house he was a different dog.
Rewards or punishment... nothing seemed to get through to him. My wife and I decided one night that we'd take a relaxing stroll up to the ice cream shop. We took the dog with us. We found a table on the sidewalk in front of the store and sat there eating our ice cream, and I sat the dog next to me and scratched behind his ears because he likes that. Everything was fine until another dog showed up, and our puppy suddenly transformed himself from happy cute puppy to vicious attack dog. People actually jumped back because he sounded so bad. It was downright scary and not only were we concerned, but we were also terribly embarrassed. I felt silly for bringing the dog up there just assuming it would be okay. We got the heck out of there as fast as possible.
But I didn't give up on the walks. I've watched every episode of Dog Whisperer I could catch, man. I've tried everything Cesar says, and I've walked that dog for miles and miles, I've said "heel" a billion times, I've used treats, I've used a pinch on the neck, I've tried ignoring him, and he still pulls and lunges and growls at other dogs. I'm convinced there is a lot of training going on that doesn't make it to the final cut of the TV episodes because I've tried everything. I'll ignore him and it works about 50% of the time. I'll yell at him and it works about 30% of the time. I'll reward him and it works 100% the first time, 0% the next time because he just wants a treat and throws a fit until he gets one. The only thing that ever seemed to get a result was that if he was being bad, I would make him lay and firmly hold the scruff of his neck until he stopped panting. Then I'd slowly release him until he was laying quietly by himself and I could walk away. That was a Cesar trick I saw and since it was the only one that worked, I was beginning to fear I would wear it out. But that's a dumb way to try to be the alpha. It's impractical, no fun for you or the dog, and half the time the dog probably doesn't understand why you are mad anyway. I had to find another way. I'd take him out to rural areas and let him run it out. He would be happy, and I'd keep him nearby with a tennis ball or a bone, and lure him back to the car with treats and happy voices. But I still had to "master the walk" as Cesar says.
Again and again I would take him out for a walk, and I just couldn't trust him with other dogs. And it began to get worse, where even fast-moving kids on bikes would set him off. I was using the new leash with him at that point and it was only a marginal improvement. I worked with him daily, trying to teach him to heel and walk by my side. Finally one day when a dog was passing by, I thought I'd try something new and just relax and let it go, thinking that maybe my tension made it worse. So I let the dogs do what they would. The two dogs sniffed each other, and then my cute little puppy turned into Mr. Hyde. At that point I couldn't take it any more because I couldn't trust him with other dogs, kids, and my wife couldn't take him for walks any more. I was starting to get a sore shoulder from constantly correcting him and restraining his lunges during walks. With this last dog fight incident it was the last straw, so I marched him home, put the collar on him, and took him outside for his new phase of training.
The first thing I did was try to get him to associate the "beep" on the collar with "No". I did not use the shock yet. I was hoping that by instilling the fear of the beep, I would only have to use the beep later to teach him. Like everything else, the beep was generally ineffective. So we were out on the leash again, and he was tugging and being obnoxious as usual, and here I was saying "No" (beep) "No" (beep) "Heel" (beep) like an idiot. With no other ideas I sat him down, took off his leash, and said "Stay".
So he started to wonder off in leashless bliss. I told him to come. He would not. He kind of looked over his shoulder with a look that said: "See ya." So I said "No!" emphasized by the beep, but there was no response. So I hesitantly set the collar on two, told him to come, and when he did not obey I hit the button.
He didn't even flinch.
Now I had tested this thing on my forearm the day I got it. I knew that 2 and 3 were nothing more than an itch on your skin. But 8 gave me a surprise. It made my hand involuntarily clench, but the effect of the surprise was most evident for me - it wasn't painful, just surprising.
So I moved it up to 3. I commanded him to come, and when he did not I hit the button. It did not phase him at all, and at this point I was wondering if the collar was working. The same process was repeated until I was all the way up to 8. Finally he jumped a bit and gave me a look like "What the h*ll was that?". He hesitated, but when I told him to come, he continued on. He continued to disobey my command so I gave him another jolt and he looked at me again, this time with a bit more concern. But still he disobeyed, and by now it was obvious that 1) I was angered with him and 2) he did not care. With one last command to come, I used the button again. He let out a little yelp and came running back to me and sat down. I was elated but I tried to restrain myself. I put his leash back on, hoping to just walk him home and be done for the day.
On the way back, I was lost in thoughts about what I should do with this new power because I was also struggling with causing him pain. One of the reasons I love this dog is because he's got a lot of spirit and spunk (he's a brat but he's a fun dog), and I didn't want to scare it out of him. It bothered me greatly that I had obviously hurt him. But, just then, my thoughts were interrupted by another dog encounter and my dog's instantaneous growling and lurching. Panicked, I used the collar and simultaneously yelled "No!", forgetting it was still set on 8. But holy cow did I get instant conformance. He went silent and immediately lay down. Meanwhile the other dog was going crazy. At that point I ran home with him to get him in the house and out of trouble.
That was about 2 months ago. These days I do not have to use the collar often, and per the suggestion of the manual, I never let him associate the collar with bad things. I put the collar on him when we go play fetch. Sometimes I'll put it on him for no reason in the house and let him wear it all day and never turn it on. He thinks it is me that has the Magic Invisible Command From A Distance and I don't think he knows it is the collar. I am at the point now where I regularly walk him without a leash. I let him wander as he pleases but he never goes farther than 10 feet or so. If he sees another dog all I have to do is mutter "No" and he comes back to me and sits. I think that is the greatest gift this collar has given: the dog understands "No" better than he ever did, and now we both enjoy going for walks much better. He has more freedom now than he did before when I was tense and trying to reel him in with a tight leash. Now he can roam free as he pleases, and he doesn't get into trouble any more. On the rare occasions the collar is required, I have never taken the collar above 4 since that first day, and these days I can take him for short walks even without the collar or a leash and he is generally well behaved. He obeys command, and even though he isn't a perfect leash dog, he is manageable and my wife can now walk him comfortably. We took him out in the crowds on the 4th of July at the local festivities, and despite kids and dogs, his worst offense was sniffing the butts of other people passing by.
On occasion I still use the collar for corrective measures, but 3 seems to be adequate and it is only a reinforcement of the word "No." I hope that in a few months I will not need the collar at all.
I am very happy with this product but I think its effectiveness is completely dependent on the user. I do not think my story is the ideal way to handle a dog. I have made many mistakes with him but finally he is learning from me and I am learning from him. The collar is really one path of many to take to eventually build...Read more›
Click Here to see more reviews about: SportDOG FieldTrainer 400
The compact SportDOG FieldTrainer 400 is ideal for training in the yard, field, or for hunting with dogs that hunt close. Because no 2 dogs are alike, the FieldTrainer 400 is designed to provide more stimulation to large or stubborn breed dogs. Choose from up to 16 levels of continuous or 8 levels of momentary stimulation that causes no harmful effects. The 3.2-ounce transmitter fits snugly in the palm of your hand. Press a button to stimulate your dog from as much as 400 yards away. The comfortable Soft Coat finish makes the transmitter a pleasure to handle. DryTek technology makes the very small 2.8-ounce receiver waterproof and submersible to 25 feet, per NEMA 6P and IP67 standards.No field trainer in this price range is smaller or offers more advanced features. Choose either tone or stimulation to train your dog. A low-battery detection feature monitors your transmitter and receiver. Rechargeable Ni-MH batteries, a lanyard, and a limited lifetime warranty are included.
Click here for more information about SportDOG FieldTrainer 400
No comments:
Post a Comment