The answer
On film, the trainers rank corrections by what the behaviour could cost the dog's life. On a trail with Reaper the trainer says it outright: going after people or a dog is 'as big of a punishment as I'm going to give him', chasing wildlife slightly less, and ordinary things like leash yielding or reinforcing a command 'way less'. With Piglet, Kelton sets the collar higher than usual when she goes for a cat in the family home, because a dog that attacks cats in a house with three of them risks rehoming or euthanasia and a life made 'really small'; he justifies it by the total outcome for the dog outweighing the moment's discomfort.
With Wiley, Kelton puts the same idea as a fine. The number on the collar 'means almost nothing' by itself: for Wiley a squirrel chase might need a 70 or more on that collar, a broken sit maybe a 20 or 25, and a 40 was too high for the sit. Like a fine, the level has to outweigh what the dog wants at that moment, and it rises as he 'knows better' - 'the fines are higher for a responsible person'. When Wiley starts watching other dogs in the park, 'the fine is a little bit higher'.
The numbers are Kelton's settings for Wiley on the collar he was using that day; he tells owners himself that he cannot give them a number without knowing the situation. What is stated is the ranking and its reasons. Not on film: any outcome comparison between dogs corrected this way and dogs corrected otherwise.
What to do
Don't use one level for everything. Your trainer will set a low level for obedience slips and a higher one for the few behaviours that could cost the dog his home or his life, and the right level also depends on how much the dog wants the thing at that moment (watch 24:31; watch 13:22). Ask which is which for your dog.
What the trainers say
boy i have to make sure to uh adjust the e-collar properly based on
the situation right going after people or going after a dog like that that's for him that's
But for chasing wildlife, it's going to be slightly less.
And then for, you know, like regular things like this,
is because I turned around so it's higher than you would typically use it because I want the
can't live with that that's true it will make her life really small right and so
Well, you're going to do something about that because the total outcome outweighs the momentary negative affect.
out to people that it's not about the number number means almost nothing the
that I need answered before I can tell you what what level are they about to go
the fines and his obedience is getting better so if somebody knows better the
What I'm going to do is up the ante a little bit so that if we see some dogs again, or
How it looks, dog by dog
Reaper
A reactive dog on a public trail. The trainer lays out a fixed order: people and dogs at the top, wildlife slightly below, leash yielding and command reinforcement far lower.
On film
like leash yielding, something else, it's got to be way less, right?
Piglet
At her home lesson Piglet goes for a cat and is corrected at a higher level than usual; Kelton explains it to the family as protecting a big, happy life with the other animals and the kids. On a later trail walk he states the principle: total outcome over momentary discomfort, because a cat-attacking dog in a three-cat home risks rehoming or euthanasia.
On film
I don't want that right I want her life to be big and happy and I want her to be
Well, because she has three cats at home.
Wiley
The level treated as a fine. Kelton tells viewers he hit Wiley with a 70 when he saw a squirrel and Wiley tolerated it fine; a broken sit might be a 20 or 25; a 40 was too high for obedience. The fine goes up as Wiley 'knows better', and when he starts watching other dogs.
On film
and by the way i did hit him with a 70 there earlier when he saw the squirrel and you can see
then maybe a 20 or 25 that's what it was on earlier and then you saw when I had
Why it works
Stated: a behaviour that could cost the dog its home or its freedom justifies a larger penalty, because the total outcome outweighs the momentary discomfort (watch 11:52; watch 22:34). Stated: the level is a price against the temptation of the moment, so the same dog needs different levels for a squirrel and a sit, and a higher fine once he knows the rule (watch 13:22). Inferred: the number on the dial only means something against a particular collar, dog and moment.
Common owner mistakes
- Asking for one 'right number' for the collar.
On film
after I've trained their dog what number should I put the e color I tell them I
Watch at 13:35 ↗
Questions owners ask
What level should my e-collar be on?
Kelton's answer to owners is that he cannot say without knowing the situation: for Wiley, on the collar he used, a squirrel chase might take a 70 to 80 and a broken sit a 20 or 25. Collars differ, so these are his settings for one dog, not targets.
On film
chase a squirrel and need to recall them well for Wiley it might need to be on a
Why would a trainer correct harder for a cat than for pulling?
Because, Kelton says, a dog that attacks cats in a home with cats risks being rehomed or euthanised; pulling does not threaten the dog's life.
On film
she has a habit of, she wants to attack cats, actually bite them.
The lesson
The goal
Rank behaviours by their stakes and set correction levels accordingly.
Learn first
Watch out for
- One level for every behaviour
- A weak correction for a life-or-death behaviour
- A heavy correction for an obedience slip
Check yourself
Why might the same dog need a higher level for a squirrel than for a broken sit?