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What is your "I use an E-collar because..." story

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Eric Whitacre

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
My thought is that if you are allowing your dog to run free (even in a dog park) you need to have 100% control of your dog or you are being reckless.

Here is my "This is why i use an e-collar story"...I was on a goose hunt where we knocked down a goose and it sailed to the other side of the pond. I sent the dog, it gets within 20 feet of the goose and the goose takes off running, flapping and honking w/ the dog right behind it. Then, over the crest of the hill, directly in the path of the dog/goose comes 20 head of cattle running at almost full speed to see what the commotion is. I immediately started blowing my whistle, yelling “HERE…HERE…HERE” and nicking the dog to make 100% sure that I had her attention. My dog turned around and immediately started running back to me. It was definitely a scary situation and I am not sure how it would have ended if my dog had not immediately obeyed my commands.

I use an ecollar to train my dog on here/sit/etc for the safety of my dog.

I was wondering if anyone else had a “I use an e-collar to train my dog because...” story?
 
#2 ·
I personally would have never used e-collar to my dog. But to get him trained and help him understand the things better, it looked as a necessity to use it. And I 'm happy that my dog is a lot obedient now and I can take him for hunting without putting any collars to him. He very well responds to each of my commands and helps me with hunting.
 
#3 ·
Stone you have no idea about the value of an ecollar since you have never bothered to learn. Whitacre gave a perfect example. Don't care how well trained your dog is there are times they will disobey. Even the perfect dog like yours.
 
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#4 ·
Because your dog may end up dead if it escapes the front door and won't recall off a squirrel. Stories are innumerable. I didn't need one to get me started, but I have seen/heard 1,000 different ones since.

Sad part is the "it won't happen to us" mentality prevents people from using this very humane, useful safety net.
 
#5 ·
One of my dogs spotted a fox crossing the road coming from a cow pasture in to my neighbors yard. The chase ensued and the two of them disappeared on the other side of my neighbors house heading back to the road. This is a 45mph main road. It could have ended with my dog hit in the road or the two of them fighting it out had she caught that fox. The e-collar is what turned her around and recall to me. Good luck with that to those who oppose the use of an ecollar. The use of an ecollar saved my dog that day.
 
#6 ·
DarrinGreene said:
Sad part is the "it won't happen to us" mentality prevents people from using this very humane, useful safety net.
Click to expand...
Yup!

Pheasant hunting rural ditches in SD, lots of birds and the corn haulers that run those narrow roads between the cutting fields and the storage depot. They don't slow down for anyone or anything!
 
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#7 ·
I have seen too many dogs die due to handler incompetence, dog disobedience , etc because however trained they did not obey this ultimate command-"NO." Stop dead in your tracks and sit. All my dogs from 8 weeks on are taught this. KISS.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I use an e-collar because, in the early days of training my first dog. At a heavily attended training day on a rather brisk spring morning, my girl went out on a short mark over a dike, and choose to swim circles around a bird rather than pick it up. Secure in her knowledge that I was unable to do anything about it. New cell phone, wallet, heavy clothes, shoes, and I; all went into cold water which was deeper than expected; and she learned differently. But of course this lesson took about 3 retrieves, to enforced. I believe I was still dripping water, while in line at bass-pro; had to dry my wallet out on the counter. Makings of a good commercial.
 
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#9 ·
Not my dog, but a story that made me realize even more how important of a training tool an e collar is. A friend was staying at his camp last hunting season. He has about a 20 min drive to where he hunts. When he woke up that morning before he loaded the dog in the truck he was airing him out in the front yard. HE always puts his e collar on after he leaves the camp and gets him out of the truck at the lease. The Camp is about 60 yards from a hwy. A stray dog came into the yard. The dog saw it and bolted after it. HE was blowing whistle , commanding here, and dog kept going. THe dog chased the stray across the hwy. When his dog was crossing the hwy a truck going about 55 hit his dog and that was the end of him. The dog was well trained, owner never thought he would bolt like that never did it in the past.
 
#10 · (Edited)
"I use an E-collar because" it makes more sense to me and my dogs.

Dogs were doing all the things they are doing now before e-collars but now they are doing them better. I value the experience I had gained in the pre-collar era and it is that experience gives me an appreciation for how much a e-collar helps a dog learn the same tasks( go ,stop, handle, ... return) we have always been teaching.
IMHO the greatest part of e-training is timing. In the dark ages there was a time lapse in command/response such that the dog could not always associated their behavior/response, good or bad, with the command. E training timing shortens the leaning curve.
 
#12 ·
The definitive episode was with my non collar trained first duck dog. Hunting by myself for early season geese on a river sandbar. Nice flock skirted the edge of the decoys and I knocked down 2. Sent dog but both geese were headed across the river. I blew the pea out of the whistle trying to recall the dog. Thought I had lost her forever by the time I pushed the boat into deeper water, dropped the blind and got the motor started. Found her on the other side of the river coming out of the woods with a goose. A jetski, bass boat or barge could have easily ended her life. Didn't have the stomach to hunt any more that day.

Fast forward to this past weekend. Dove fell onto or just across a lightly travelled county road. Sent dog but as she approached the right of way a car turned onto the road. TOOT. Dog stopped but my finger was on the e collar transmitter. After the car passed the dog was cast to the bird. Glad I had the tool available even though it wasn't needed.
 
#17 ·
I transitioned from competitive obedience to hunt tests a while back. I remember going out to watch a training group when I got my hunt test puppy and realizing that I would need an E collar if for nothing else to be fair to my dog. In my obedience training with my dogs I felt like the timing of a correction made all the difference in the world in the understanding process of a dog, and I knew I would never be able to give a quick enough correction if I had to haul a** across a field to get to my dog, and I knew in a foot race...the dog would win, and then I would get mad....and it would get ugly. I have been thankful to have had great teachers to help me understand the proper use of an E collar.
 
#18 ·
Well, I use an e-collar in training, but at the beach, at a friends house, or just messing around the neighborhood, she usually does not have it on. Every day, I practice NO, SIT, whistle sit, remote sit with whistle, Traffic Cop sit. No kidding, EVERY DAY. Just for the time she takes off like a bolt after something/someone. The collar is a great tool, she just can't wear it 24-7.
 
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