tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346913847456741393.post3019828839060823889..comments2014-11-14T07:09:14.536-06:00Comments on The Vanya Project: Teaching Vanya not to chase livestock or deerNancy Langstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11970067690038342512noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346913847456741393.post-88401609255642867922013-12-10T20:56:57.940-06:002013-12-10T20:56:57.940-06:00An excellent post about a much-maligned tool in th...An excellent post about a much-maligned tool in the positive training circles. I'm surprised to see it, actually. The vitriol and abject hatred directed by so many so-called "positive" trainers (who have never seen it used correctly) at this incredibly flexible tool (and those of us who have it in our toolboxes) is legion.<br /><br />You used it exactly the way hundreds of trainers do. And what you said about stress is true, as well. The stim can be stressful, but if taught properly, the dog benefits from this stress because he learns that he can avoid it completely.<br /><br />The benefits of having a dog that can run and play off-leash--truly, a dog's greatest joy besides being with his humans--is immeasurable. That so many dogs will never have this freedom, even in their owners own yards, because so many people think e-collars should never, ever be used makes me sad.<br /><br />R+ is a great tool for teaching behaviors. But it has limits. R- is also a great tool, and should not be maligned the way that it is. All 4 quadrants have value. Every dog is different!<br /><br />Low-level e-collar work can truly save dogs' lives. No tool is right for every dog, of course, but this tool does not deserve the hate it receives--especially since most of that hate comes from people who have no idea how the tool is used properly. If they aren't willing to learn, I wish they'd just take a "no comment" stance and stop poisoning dog owners' minds.<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346913847456741393.post-58551628083472880642011-09-28T17:33:52.810-05:002011-09-28T17:33:52.810-05:00Wow, just today I asked for advice for my Pittie b...Wow, just today I asked for advice for my Pittie because for some reason, just out of the blue, he wants to use the neighbors cats for snacks. We do not have a fenced yard but Harley is always supervised except when he escapes the house. he literally has learned to open the doors. So I took new precautions with that today but i'm stumped on the sudden change of heart regarding the cats. he loved them last week! Anyway, I really don't want to go the route of an e-collar but the more I read about Vanya, the more I realize how much my Harley is like him. We are going to work on things in other ways first, but i'm so glad to see a process I can use if i have to resort to other measures. Thank you soooooo much for sharing this awesome information.Nessahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14397855623120393371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346913847456741393.post-77164184749195531252011-08-15T11:07:55.202-05:002011-08-15T11:07:55.202-05:00I loooove how well you've broken this process ...I loooove how well you've broken this process down! I only wish that I had had access to this protocol when I owned my first dog - a dedicated critterer who ended up being restricted to leash walks only for the last 4 years of her life because no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get a reliable recall off of prey. <br /><br />*This* sort of e-collar work is the kind that I have struggled with my feelings on in the past - it's not a magic wand but it's also not a tool of torture if used correctly, and as elegantly, as this protocol explains.Erinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00469762117959814350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346913847456741393.post-49249170864995697172011-08-13T17:02:44.930-05:002011-08-13T17:02:44.930-05:00Thank you for this post, I'm here from CS-List...Thank you for this post, I'm here from CS-List.. very interesting, gave me a different perspective about using the e-collar...I can see how you'd use them in this situation. Don't think I'll ever "like" them for general dog behavior problems, but yeah. :)<br /><br />Erin, Rob, Bubbles & TexasErinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06193391675658982926noreply@blogger.com