Question on E- Collars - Page 2

Dennis,

With mark training (operant conditioning, clicker, whatever you want to call it)  the tone, mark, or click is after the dog does the correct behavior, not as a second command.  It is the method to let the dog know it did the correct behavior and a reward is coming.    When the command "sit" is given, as soon as the dogs buff hits the ground a "mark" is given followed by a reward.  Over time the rewards become fewer then the "marks" become fewer.  I have watched it work with some dogs quite well.  Others, not as well....

I understand what you're are talking about. But I can give the dog a verbal marker the moment the dog gives the desired bahavior.. So I do not need to cary an object that makes a noise to tell the dog how good the sit was. I can tell him the moment I see the correct bahavior,( Good, super, very good etc etc).. Or if I decide to release the dog and reward him than I give the release command and I reward him/her with the toy or food... Both my hands are free and there is no delay between the moment I see what I want and when I praise or release.. Good topic..

Either way, I agree with Hundguy that it is a good topic!  These are the types of topics that are educational and cause one  to look at things from other perspectives, as long as being right is not the ultimate goal  then there is a wealth of information, but more important it causes one to think. Thanks

It was interesting when clicker training first became a fad I thought how silly....  Same reaction you have Dennis, I need my hands free.   Then I met somebody that used a voice mark as part of her training reward system to great affect.  At that point in time, using her methods, it made sense to me and I've used it in obedience training quite a bit since then, though it did and still does take practise on my part to get the timing right.  I do think for some applications a tone would be good also, if one was doing training that eventually required a distance the tone could work better.  I still like my hands free.......

This has been a good topic. 

Dennis,

Thank you for responding to my question.  When I said that I used a tone only was if she was outside barking at the fence and I just want her attention off the fence.  She comes to my "come" command every time I call her.  I had meant when she is outside and I am not and can not easily get to her then if I tone her she stops what she is doing and comes looking for me and will meet me at the door.  I used correction originally to get them to understand that not coming when I called had a consequence (they are not so easy to catch when they were being disobedient).  As they have matured many of those issues have long since been put to bed.  Where we live now has a very large fenced in yard with lots of hiding places and they are not so easy to locate sometimes.  My husband loves lush tropical landscapes and they thing it is their personal Garden of Eden :-) ...and they are hiding .... they always know when they are being bad and I will have to give lots of thanks here because being bad to me is barking more than is necessary at a passerby (usually with dog in tow).  Overall they have never chewed up shoes, furniture, carpet, doors or anything, and have been great dogs.  Any obedience issue was usually my bust and was fixed when I figured out what I was doing wrong.

I also see you are from the Raleigh area, I grew up in Apex and still have close family in the area.  I was planning on sending a pup to my sister and glad to see I have somewhere to send her for training.  I will email a link to your website to her.  (It may be a few more months yet before she gets him) .

Yes all, this is a good thread, gotta love some of those others for entertainment value though - always go to them when I need a good laugh or hormones are blasting....LOL....

Lorna

 www.clewsk9s.com

P.S.  It has worked so good on Thor that in the past 4 weeks he has had a Quaker Parrot and an Owl in his mouth and been told to "leave it" and he dropped them immediately and stepped back 4-5 feet and sat.  He's my gooooood boy.....(the parrot we kept and the owl we released after verifying it was ok)