electric collar

[claybusers al 9]

before anybody shoots me down i'm after borrowing or buying an electric collar for my lab she has started chasing the sheep on the farm i know she wouldnt do anything to them but but its the stress. she has potential and is a member of the family so this maybe a last resort there must be some one close to me with one or any other ideas thanks

[Pignut 4]

You are not alone!

 

A friend used one on her labrador. We live in a very prolific sheep area and she had to resort, having paid farmers off with bottles of whiskey, to a Pac collar. It worked on this dog, fine. It is, with all things, on how you use it. I would talk to someone who has had first hand success with this type of training and best of luck.

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

I think that the collar can be effective in the right hands, just be sure not to zap her for the slightest mistake.

 

Good luck

 

John

[TOPPER 1,809]

just let the dog get within a few yards of the sheep and zap it with the full force you will only do it 3-4 times and the dog will soon learn not to go near them , electric collars are brilliant for stock breaking i use the dogtra ones and would recomend them to anybody

[claybusers al 9]

thanks for the help i could just get 1 of ebay but i dont want a crap import and if i get it off someone who has used it i can get advice rather than learning by trial and error

[TOPPER 1,809]

if you look in the shooting times there are firms there that hire them so you can try before you buy

[spiderpig 39]

i think a certain big lamp holding member on here is after one for her lurcher

 

hhahhahahahahahahahaah

its got to be said

[heart of wales 19]

Like all thing these are tremendous tools when used correctly,read the instructions dvd with the collar and follow it to the letter,put the collar on the dog at least a fortnight before you shock as it will not assosiate the collar with the pain.only shock when the dog starts running towards the sheep and scald him when you get him back,leave it a good week before you take him back and then you should have two settings on your collar shock and noise give him noise first on the second session he will associate it with the shock,and this might be enough detterent,if not you will have to shock him again,keep doing these sessions till he shows no intrest in stock.

Prior to doing this why not by an extending lead and allow him to run out on it after the sheep the yank him back and scald him a few times this will sometimes work as good,you dont even have to be in the field you can be on the other side of a fence

[Back Stabbath 1]

Never ever correct the dog when he comes back to you.

 

Firstly, you really really need to read up about the theory behind using an e-collar. They are very useful, but in the wrong hands or with bad advice they can be a disaster. It could even make the dog more riled and go for the sheep if you dont do it properly.

 

I strongly recommend you go to leerburg.com and read up on the articles for e-collar training and any others you may find useful. Its a seriously good site, the best for e-collar training etc.

The instructions that come with the collars are not great, leerburg.com has better methods.

 

 

Before you turn the collar on, you need to put it on and take it off the dog 5 times a day for 2 weeks to desensitise the dog to the collar. Its not enough to just put it on and leave it for 2 weeks, this is completely ineffective as the dog forgets he's wearing it.

 

The dog must be obedience trained prior to the use of the collar, and must have a good foundation of corrections. If the dog has never had a physical correction (preferably a prong correction), then he wont know what the hell is happening when he gets a nick from the collar.

I recommend you do some on lead training sessions with him, using corrections when he refuses to obey and rewards when he does, before starting the collar training.

 

The nick button is really the only button necessary, you shouldn't need to use the continuous, but I do sometimes if the dog isn't getting the message. The e-collar correction can be used like a lead correction with the nick button.

 

You need to find the level of intensity on the collar after the 2 weeks are up. Turn it on and wth the remote, use the nick button starting on the lowest (depends on the collar and how far it goes up to). Press the nick button, and keep turning up the intensity and nicking, slowly, until the dog notices something.

When the dog just blinks, its too low.

When the dog jumps up and looks at the ground to see where the feeling came from, its just right.

When the dog yelps, its too high.

 

The level of intensity will vary in different situations. This is just for normal conditions such as being in the kitchen/backyard. On a walk the dog will be in higher drive and the collar should be turned up a little. When hunting or when the dog sees a cat for instance, the dog will be in very high drive and will need a much stronger correction level on the collar.

 

 

Before starting training in the field with the sheep, do some recall training with the dog with the collar in an empty field. The dog should know the nick is a correction just like the pop of a lead.

 

Let the dog off (have some treats with you), call him. If he comes, give him a treat when he gets to you. (markers such as a clicker or a word can be used here at the exact point the dog turns to come, but are not necessary

 

Let the dog go again. Call him back when hes some way away. If he refuses to come immediately, shout "NO" Nick him, and call him again. He should come back. Treat him and praise.

Remember this is the sequece for a correction-

"Come" (dog refuses to come)

"NO"

Correcton

"Come"

 

The correction comes after the no, this way your voice is the source of the correction.

 

 

The sheep fild is a major distraction. Without foundation training and a good recall you absolutely cannot expose the dog into such a high distraction. The steps of training are as follows -

The learning phase (no corrections used)

The correction phase

The distraction or proofing phase. (where the dog should eventually behave under extreme conditions/distractions)

 

 

With this basis training with the e-collar and after introducing some distractions (your wife or husband running across the garden while you train the dog/a cat in the room), you will be able to bring the dog into the sheep field. Remember, the different drive levels. Sheep will put the dog in major drive so turn the collar up.

You would preferably have the dog on a long line for the sheep field as a precaution.

Do the recall excersise. After a while, with luck and skill, your dog will come to you and gradually begin to ignore the sheep.

NEVER let the dog off without the collar near the sheep, even with this training!!! Why take the risk? Always keep the collar on when near them as a safety measure.

 

I recommend a Dogtra 1900NCP Field Star. Its a very good collar with a good intensity range and I think a half mile remote range. Its very suitable for a Labrador, or any medium to large dog.

 

 

This is just a brief guide. Go to leerburg.com for more comprehensive info. You will need to be a fairly good trainer before starting with the e-collar.

 

Good luck!!!

[Ali N 0]

My grandfather used to put a dog that chased sheep in a high sided pen with the tups. The dog never worried or even looked at sheep again. I am not usre if this is teh right approach, and probably works along similar shock/pain as teh collar

[Pignut 4]

Tomorrow me, my Patt terrier (who nearly killed a hill sheep this afternoon) and the Pac collar are going for a little walk ....... I'll let you know how we get on.

 

She nearly got one today and got a beating for it and is confined to quarters. A few months ago, she chased a ram into the hill for about 1/2 a mile while he would attack her and tumble her down the hill. Luckily this one had no horns otherwise he could've killed her. She thought it was great sport and we couldn't get near her. When she came home eventually a few hours later, having done no damage or received any, she has got worse and worse.

 

Sadly our house is surrounded by open hill ie 20 miles of hill with sheep everywhere. It only takes one hill ram with a good set of horns who does not see the funny side and my Patt will be dead.

 

So, walkies with Pac collar - wish us luck! The day has finally arrived and I hate doing this but I am also a realist. Better this zap than to be dead IMO.

[claybusers al 9]

thanks for the advice tried all the usual i even had her sat in the middle of the field as the sheep surrounded her she panicked and ran so i know its not malicious just play but i wont have her think sheep are for playing with as this is just as bad she just refuses to listen to commands or the whistle and now when she puts up a bird she just keeps chasing to point were she put off a bambi and cleared 3 fields chasing it had to drive round to get her back i am hopeing its just the teenage years in her but its getting worse

[Pignut 4]

Well.....I've just been lent a Pac colllar (old type) and I can't flippin' get it to work so I am looking at buying one now. It is that desperate where I live and I have no option. They are not cheap. Is there a cheaper UK version?

 

Cheers

Pignut

[Guest oldskool]

mine worked wonders for any of the dogs i had except for one bitch that just couldnt help herself... she learned just to do it when i wasnt there but maybe if i had of hidden out of sight somewhere she might have stopped her habit..

 

only thing i can recommend (if it hasnt already been said) is that its very important to let them wear the collar a few days before activation... otherwise the dog will just learn to go back to its old ways when the collar is taken off...

 

 

ps, it might just be a flat battery with the one you were lent... the collar battery is an odd size but i think some stores where they sell cameras might have what you need

[Pignut 4]

I am busy a-charging - attached to the mains.

 

I will phone Pac tomorrow also to get them to talk me through as I have no instructions and it is one of the older types.

 

Failing that, i will spend that £210 and buy one because it is worth every penny if it stops her. (there are also plenty of folk up here who would make a small "donation" to borrow it!).

 

Bloody terriers. Bloody sheep. Bloody hell.