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Studies on dog behavior!

Burning the tips of the fingers on a hot stove works even faster. LMAO :roflmao:

So I have a question for the e-collor users....how do you know what setting you are going to use on your dog? Do you go by the size of the dog or the negative behavior to judge? I don't use and e-collor, don't plan to. But I am curious how you know what to do and how strong to do it.

I can't see E-collar without thinking elizabethan collar, and I was thinking "What on earth is she talking about?!" before I caught on. I feel silly.

I bought an electronic collar that automatically adjusts to my dog's behavior. The first time he barks, it administers a weak correction. If he barks again within a set amount of time, the correction gets stronger. It has six levels of correction. I am completely comfortable using the collar on him, mostly because after a week of wearing it he caught on completely, and I no longer even keep batteries in the collar. If I put it on, he knows to shut up.

I used it as a tool while I worked on his separation anxiety. He is so improved now that I don't put it on him when we leave the house anymore. I save it for when I leave him with my parents, because their dogs egg him on and he goes a little nuts without it.
 
Interesting thread! It has been a long time since I owned dogs or horses, but I was quite involved with both at one time. I used to train my collies, and showed them in obedience back when I was a teen. At one time, I thought I might want to do dog training as a career, but never followed up on it.

I have watched several episodes of Parelli, and ALL of the "Dog Whisperer" episodes. I have observed that both men seem to understand the psychology of the species they work with, but they ALSO appear to have a real ability to read the body language of the individual animal they are working with. Thus they know what to expect next, they can see if their training method is working, and will have ideas of what to do to modify it to work better. In other words, they constantly assess whatever technique they are using, whether they are getting the desire response, and then alter their technique to get the response the want. I think that getting the desired result, while leaving the animal in a better emotional state than when you started (or "happy and balanced, as Cesar says) is the real proof, and is more important than whether the technique is termed as negative or positive.
 
My chihuahua is untrainable. This is despite the twenty or thirty minutes of half-hiney training I've given him in 2.5 years. Cesar would slap my gringo face, and Victoria would yell at me until I kicked her outta my house. But he's a cute little $&@;(/&. Recently I've employed the "yell at him until he cowers in fear" method. It hasn't been very successful, but I feel better.
 
With an e-collar it depends on alot of things. You shouldn't use one unless you know what you are doing.

IMO they shouldn't sell them in petshops, because they are so easily mis used.
 
My chihuahua is untrainable. This is despite the twenty or thirty minutes of half-hiney training I've given him in 2.5 years. Cesar would slap my gringo face, and Victoria would yell at me until I kicked her outta my house. But he's a cute little $&@;(/&. Recently I've employed the "yell at him until he cowers in fear" method. It hasn't been very successful, but I feel better.
:roflmao:

Post Of The Day.
 
I remember about 14 or 15 years ago, on Howard Stern's Show, he had an electrical device, something like an e-collar, that he used on female guest contestants in a gameshow setting, similar to Jeopardy. They received 'positive' reinforcement for correct answers, if I remember correctly. Just...can't...remember...what the name of that game was...
 
One of my teachers used positive reinforcement to train us one lecture in order to prove a point. He'd toss a quarter to students who did whatever behavior he was looking for(I think it was putting your chin on your hand), and we all caught on pretty fast! It was hilarious.
 
Caesar reads dogs and people exceptionally well, but I wouldn't consider him a dog trainer. I think Victoria is the best trainer "It's me or the dog", and she is far more successful with actual training. Caesar is just a mastermind of rehabilitating dogs, is more of a last resort, and his techniques are a last resort not an alternative to proper training.
 
I can't watch Stillwell's show. Too much unbelievably hokey editing, too much BS. I'll never forget her teaching a Weim to "track". She taught the dog nothing.

Aside from that, I find her second rate. I can show you a "good positive only trainer" - she's not it. She wanted to be an actress originally, and that's why she has a TV show.

:puke02:

Can't watch the show without wanting to pull my hair out.
 
Cesar is always telling people that he is NOT a dog trainer, but a dog psychologist. I think he says "I train people and rehabilitate dogs" - or something like that.
 
Victoria kind of gets on my nerves. I find it really annoying when she makes a face or gets disgusted by something or other that the people or the dogs are doing. Not sure if that is only what annoys me - just her manner in general, I guess. Maybe she is a good trainer - I don't really know. I have only watched her a few times, and quit watching - just can't get interested in her show.
 
Cesar is always telling people that he is NOT a dog trainer, but a dog psychologist. I think he says "I train people and rehabilitate dogs" - or something like that.
Ya, that's one of my favorite lines!. It's true too, he's able to gain the respect and trust of the dog's instantly, but it takes him a lot longer to get through to the people. I think it's because people tend to get themselves in a rut of "well my dog just can't be taught", and he shows them that the problem is within them. Once they see how quickly their dogs respond to Cesar, they realize that it's themselves who have been doing wrong. After that they become eager to try what Cesar does and they take it more to heart. I think that's what makes him so great is that he gives owners a refreshed look on things, and brings hope that it is possible to fix their situation.

I can't watch Stillwell's show. Too much unbelievably hokey editing, too much BS. I'll never forget her teaching a Weim to "track". She taught the dog nothing.

Aside from that, I find her second rate. I can show you a "good positive only trainer" - she's not it. She wanted to be an actress originally, and that's why she has a TV show.

:puke02:

Can't watch the show without wanting to pull my hair out.

Victoria kind of gets on my nerves. I find it really annoying when she makes a face or gets disgusted by something or other that the people or the dogs are doing. Not sure if that is only what annoys me - just her manner in general, I guess. Maybe she is a good trainer - I don't really know. I have only watched her a few times, and quit watching - just can't get interested in her show.
My mom hates "It's me or the Dog" as well. I used to think Victoria was a square too, but after watching the show a bit I've changed my opinion. I do agree about being annoyed when she acts disgusted, because it doesn't really do anything for the people, and it comes across as heartless, but her techniques are very good. I just don't like it when she say's things like "All right, let's see how these dog's do at the park?", and once they get there she just scoffs at the dog's the whole time; What does she expect?!. I think if she cut to the chase she could accomplish more as far as teaching viewers more training techniques, but Animal Planet tends to be a little more dramatized anyway.

On a side note, I don't know who that new trainer on Animal Planet is, or even the name of the show, but I can't stand him. He's very strange, and his techniques are awful. In the first few minutes I saw the show he dragged a Chihuahua by it's collar across the floor. He did it in the name of "asserting dominance", but his approach was just barbaric. I give him 2 thumbs way down for sure!!.
 
Caesar is just a mastermind of rehabilitating dogs, is more of a last resort, and his techniques are a last resort not an alternative to proper training.
So if that's the case, why is he a must for me to train my new puppy . . .
Also, "Dog Whisperer" is a must. Cesar Millan is a genius and I've seen a few Viszla's on the show already!. Good luck, and congrats on the new puppy!!!.

Seriously, you guys need to make up your mind(s) and pick a side of the fence to straddle.

Also, Gary Wilkes, who was a huge pioneer of clicker training (he was actually Karen Pryor's partner, but he simply hasn't capitalized on everything like she has), has an excellent article on the use of positive punishment why he feels it has it's place
Thanks Emily for that wonderful quote. Sums things up pretty well. I really appreciated your comments regarding chokers, prongs, the martingale, and head halters. I'm personally more adverse to spinal and neck injuries and esophagus crushing then a bit of a shock to help in training where needed (bolded for emphasis since some people tend to miss this part of my comments).

D80
 
I watch Victoria Stilwell's show...well...kind of...because she is almost...well...a hottie.
In a certain spiked heels and leather & vinyl kind of way.

It has dogs in it?
 
Back when I was training my collies (way back in the '70s), we all used choke chains. But we didn't use them to CHOKE. We just gave a quick little correction, similar to what Cesar does to get the dog's attention. It is normally very loose. My dogs never objected to it.

I have never seen martingales for dogs, only horses. And I am not familiar with the various types of headgear that are being discussed - just muzzles, which I never had to use.

I don't know anything about a new dog trainer show. I rarely watch Animal Planet. I was very disappointed when we first got it. It does have SOME interesting shows - but seems to specialize in sensationalized, emotionally charged type shows - typical media, I guess. I find that nature shows on Nat Geo, Discovery, Discovery Science, etc, are generally more balanced and interesting, although any of those can have their share of sensational stuff, too. They DO have to cater to the lowest common denominator, lol!
 
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