The answer
A short list, and every item on it has a stated reason. One family gets the list before their dog comes home and spends part of the visit asking why - which is the right question.
A retractable lead is required of every client, because a six-foot leash makes the walk an argument: the dog wants to smell things and cannot, so there is constant tension and the handler becomes a restrainer. With the flexi, the trainer says, there is nothing confrontational - you just walk along with your buddy. Others give the same case in their own words: a dog who keeps hitting the end of a six-foot leash ends up pulling, and backward tension builds frustration and reactivity; the simplest advice on pulling, one trainer says, is "get a flexi" (Beo, Reaper). Sixteen feet is called enough. Two conditions make it a bad idea: a recall that does not hold, and a cheap unit whose tape could snap on a big dog. Two trainers specify flat tape rather than thin cord for the same reason (Kali, Reaper). On a strong dog it is also a safety device, because he has to get all sixteen feet away before he has the leverage to drag you.
Harnesses are refused for two concrete reasons: dogs slip out of them, and they cannot steer - the line pulls the body instead of turning the head. A third reason is behavioural: a dog feels a harness's tension over his whole body, and many dogs push harder into it - harnesses "encourage specifically like pulling" (Mazi, Stormi). One trainer calls prong collars among the safest and most effective in a trainer's hands, but not for owners who do not know how to fit and use them (Stormi). A flat collar is what the dogs are walked on. For a flight risk the spec gets specific: a backup collar, the e-collar placed in front so the flat collar cannot slide off, the flat collar relatively tight. The house direction is moving dogs from prong to flat collar at go-home once the training holds; one trainer says the prong can help in the transition but a flat collar is fully acceptable once the dog is doing well.
The e-collar is preferred over leash corrections on physical grounds: a correction on a flat collar is very limited, and doing it hard enough to work can hurt the neck; a harness leaves you unable to correct at all. One trainer calls it top two among tools that have hit the market, with a bad reputation it does not deserve - and names the real danger as cheap units that break. Families are told to try it on themselves, and that the dog may wear it for a long time without it being constantly used. In the house a collar grab or a spray bottle usually does; the e-collar is truly needed off leash in unfenced places or at distance. Vibrate is not used: the dog learned the stimulation, and an unexplained buzz can be more aversive to a dog than a stimulation he expects. The September trainers add that a dog given only vibrate learns there is no real consequence (Stormi, Boog). And of the whole list, the e-collar is the one item Kali and Kane's trainer says is not worth downgrading.
The raised cot is the item owners query most: place is easier for a dog to understand when it is off the ground, and a light cot means the same command exists on a deck, in a living room or at a campsite.
Equipment is scaled to the dog - a micro prong and a small, smooth line that does not catch for a tiny dog, a thin slip lead that transmits pressure rather than a thick one that just feels like a collar - and the tool itself is treated as a stimulus: when a long line's touch visibly interfered with one sensitive dog's running, the handler ran a small experiment to find out.
Said on film: each reason above. Inferred: the list is short because each piece does one nameable job.
The extra sessions mostly add fit and purchase detail rather than new items. A prong is fitted so the ends don't meet when pulled up but it still gives (Stormy), worn with a backup collar so it can be adjusted with the dog still attached (Apollo the Sharkie), and links are added as a puppy grows. The e-collar should have enough top end for the proofing stage, so not the smallest model (Kalypso), with a rubber rather than cloth strap that won't slip loose (Rocky), and a remote the family will actually use (Kodak). It stays off while the dog sleeps (Shadow the Husky, Sputnik). Two more trainers explain the move away from prongs: a skilled handler can do with a flat collar and e-collar anything a prong does, and skip the fading step (Rocky, watch 22:47); and the trainers have 'stopped using the prawn callers as of late', partly because of public opinion (Shadow the Husky, watch 22:24). Lucia's trainer used a 33-foot retractable on a crowded trail, so 'sixteen feet is enough' is one trainer's figure, not a ceiling. Louie's trainer adds the framing that tools are 'more for the people than the dog' (watch 20:29).
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What to do
Get a good-quality retractable lead, a well-fitted flat collar (plus a backup if he is a flight risk), the e-collar your trainer set up, and a raised cot for place. Skip the harness for walking, don't swap the stimulation for vibrate, try the collar on yourself, and buy nothing cheap that could break.
On film
that you know how to do everything and that because I like to show like how to walk your dog in a way that's more enjoyable, that's not frustrating which is part of the reason that I make all the clients get one of these plexies
Because for place, it's easier for them to understand when it's off the ground.
We don't really do the vibrate because they need to understand.
What the trainers say
that you know how to do everything and that because I like to show like how to walk your dog in a way that's more enjoyable, that's not frustrating which is part of the reason that I make all the clients get one of these plexies
and it's just really frustrating the whole time um but with the flexi and having training There's not any confrontational nature. You're not a resistor or a restrainer of the dog.
With this, it's hard to get dragged when the leash changes sizes. Because he'd have to go all the way 16 feet away to drag you, right?
now the reasons that this can be a problem there are two things that can cause this to be an issue one issue can be that there are other commands are no good right so say that their recall stinks
Mostly just because, I mean, like, the reason is because, one, most harnesses I've used, it's easy for a dog to slip out of it, then come out of it. And second, you can't guide a dog directionally with a harness at all.
But on the collar, if you have a collar on and you pull to the side like this and he's facing that way, it turns his head this way a little bit and guides him towards wherever you're trying to guide him towards.
This is his first time out to the park, and Finney is a major flight risk. So he will bolt. He will try to run. So I've got his backup collar on, and I've got the e-collar in front,
It's like the best training tool that I've, one of the best, it's top two for me, training training tools that have or have hit the market for dog training but it's got a really bad rep
me out because uh I don't like hitting the dog in the neck. Um because if you do that hard, like too hard, you can like hurt the neck, right?
flexi on and I have it on a prong collar or not a prong collar because you could use a flat collar just fine as long as you have the e-collar.
on a flat collar which I'm going to be transitioning more of our dogs on flat collars when they go home
Because for place, it's easier for them to understand when it's off the ground.
so it can be a table it can be a cot it can be anything but we we recommend the cops because they're they're light they're easy to move around
mean that I won't have them wear it. Sorry, to be clear. Your dog will likely still wear the e-collar for a long, long time, but you just don't want to have to be constantly using it
really long hair black shepherd um but yeah i always recommend you try them on yourself
aversive than the vibrates the reason is because the vibrates like oh what is
The shock is important because that's how he learned it, right?
right where with the thinner ones when you're walking and he's like you can add a little pressure and it backs off the pressure right because you can feel it get tight and then loosen up
He's so little, he needs a micro-prong collar.
Because and it's a little bit smoother, so it doesn't catch on anything because he's he's small
let me try something try to experiment here see if he'll run If he's short and on the line, and then I drop it
so the simplest thing that i can say about pulling is get a flexi
flexi is because it's easier to avoid that right so one thing that creates frustration and reactivity is a lot of backwards tension and pressure on the leash
the second is you must get one that has a tape this flat tape like this they also sell ones that have a thin cord never those
The only real difference that I've ever noticed is the difference between a cord and a tape.
and the e-collar is the only one that's worth like not downgrading for anything else
But I will say harnesses are not usually a good idea, especially for dogs that pull.
harnesses encourage specifically like pulling
this is the vibrate button we don't use this button because if you only use the vibrate on the e-collar the dog eventually learns like there's not really a consequence to their actions
he's very fine with feeling a vibrate and then acting yeah he's not gonna care most dogs in general won't though that's just the thing of like it's not a real punishment
stick a carabiner on it that makes a world of difference in terms of ease of use
How it looks, dog by dog
Zeus
The fullest statement of the walking kit, at the owner's handover. The flexi is required of every client and argued for - no confrontation, no restraining, and a safety margin for an owner who could be dragged by a big dog - with the two conditions that make it a bad idea named. Harnesses are refused because dogs slip them and they cannot steer; the collar turns the head. Leash pressure is something the dog must learn to feel and come off on his own.
On film
and it's just really frustrating the whole time um but with the flexi and having training There's not any confrontational nature. You're not a resistor or a restrainer of the dog.
With this, it's hard to get dragged when the leash changes sizes. Because he'd have to go all the way 16 feet away to drag you, right?
Mostly just because, I mean, like, the reason is because, one, most harnesses I've used, it's easy for a dog to slip out of it, then come out of it. And second, you can't guide a dog directionally with a harness at all.
not a lot um because getting the leash pressure is essential for being able to manage the dog with the leash right so he has to feel leash tension and go whoa and get rid of the leash tension on his own right
Finn
A major flight risk who arrived in a harness. The harness is retired; on his first park outing he wears a backup collar, the e-collar placed in front to help stop the collar sliding off, and his flat collar relatively tight. The trainer's view of the e-collar itself: one of the two best tools on the market, with a bad reputation, and dangerous mainly when cheap.
On film
This is his first time out to the park, and Finney is a major flight risk. So he will bolt. He will try to run. So I've got his backup collar on, and I've got the e-collar in front,
It's like the best training tool that I've, one of the best, it's top two for me, training training tools that have or have hit the market for dog training but it's got a really bad rep
Bo
The tool choice argued on anatomy, straight after the trainer's own flat-collar correction failed: a flat-collar correction is very limited and, done hard, can hurt the neck; a harness leaves the handler unable to correct at all; so the e-collar is the easier and safer instrument. Later, on a walk, a flat collar is 'just fine' with the e-collar - the prong is not needed at this point.
On film
consistency thing. But then also, number two is that flat collar very limited,
me out because uh I don't like hitting the dog in the neck. Um because if you do that hard, like too hard, you can like hurt the neck, right?
flexi on and I have it on a prong collar or not a prong collar because you could use a flat collar just fine as long as you have the e-collar.
Drago
A dated house direction with a named first case: Drago goes home on a flat collar, and the trainer says he will be transitioning more dogs to flat collars at go-home - the prong can help in the transition, but a flat collar is fully acceptable once the dog is doing well. The same approach was carried to Murphy.
On film
on a flat collar which I'm going to be transitioning more of our dogs on flat collars when they go home
although the prom collar can be helpful in transition phase I'm coming to find that a
Again, I have the same thing that I did with Drago.
Bubba Gum
Tool fading reported as progress: she is on the flat collar and the prong has not been needed. At the handover the prong returns for the heel - fading is not a straight line.
On film
she's on the flat collar. We haven't had to use the prong collar at all anymore.
Bullet
The family receives the recommended-equipment list before go-home and asks what the raised beds are for. Answer: place is easier to understand off the ground; any raised surface works, but cots are light and portable, so the same command travels.
On film
That list of things that you sent us that you're recommending we get.
Because for place, it's easier for them to understand when it's off the ground.
so it can be a table it can be a cot it can be anything but we we recommend the cops because they're they're light they're easy to move around
Hattie
For a new adoptive family: in the house, a collar grab or even a spray bottle usually does the job; the e-collar is truly needed off leash in unfenced places or at distance. She may wear it a long time without it being constantly used, and the family are told to try it on themselves - not on the fingertips, which exaggerate it.
On film
even something that works for a lot of people is like a spray bottle
mean that I won't have them wear it. Sorry, to be clear. Your dog will likely still wear the e-collar for a long, long time, but you just don't want to have to be constantly using it
Why would I ever do it? If I have lots of other options that have zero potential
Marvin (Giant Schnauzer)
Never the vibrate: an unexplained buzz is more aversive to Marvin than a normal stimulation he expects, because he does not know what it is. The same lesson shows the vibrate pressed once, apparently by accident, and his dislike of it.
On film
yeah he does not like to vibrate sorry marvin
aversive than the vibrates the reason is because the vibrates like oh what is
Thumper
The owner had only ever used vibrate. The trainer's point: the meaning is in the signal the dog was taught with, so the stimulation is important because that is how he learned it; vibrate is a different word.
On film
Because I've always just used it on just vibrate.
The shock is important because that's how he learned it, right?
Major
A very small dog gets small equipment: a micro prong, a small flexi, a micro e-collar - and a lighter pop.
On film
He's so little, he needs a micro-prong collar.
you know how to do the leash pop even if it's just you don't have to do it strong because he's a
Ace (Chihuahua-terrier mix)
A small dog gets a shorter, lighter, smoother line that does not catch, a ball that fits his mouth, and a collar refitted when it swings loose.
On film
Because and it's a little bit smoother, so it doesn't catch on anything because he's he's small
A little too loose, it's too loose for you.
Teddy
The lead chosen for how clearly it transmits pressure: a thin slip lead lets the dog feel it tighten and release; a thick one just feels like a collar. The speaker is not identified and the remark is not said about Teddy.
On film
right where with the thinner ones when you're walking and he's like you can add a little pressure and it backs off the pressure right because you can feel it get tight and then loosen up
Louie
The tool as a stimulus: the long line's touch visibly interfered with a sensitive dog's movement, so the handler kept him short and then dropped the line to see whether the running changed.
On film
Why does the line freak you out so much? Interesting, he's a sensey dog.
let me try something try to experiment here see if he'll run If he's short and on the line, and then I drop it
Bandit
At Bandit's go-home the e-collar is fitted with a reason for each choice: longer contact points because he has a lot of fur, so the strap does not have to be tight to make contact; the receiver always above the regular collar, never below; and a carabiner to clip the remote on, so the handler's hands are free. The trainer is not named on this audio.
On film
got fur lots of fur so this will make it where you don't have to make it so tight to try to get contact
i always have it above i never put it below the regular collar
stick a carabiner on it that makes a world of difference in terms of ease of use
Beo
Narrating a walk, Beo's trainer gives the mechanical case against the six-foot leash: the dog can never reach what he wants to smell, so he keeps hitting the end, pulls, and the walk becomes a series of confrontations. His simplest advice on pulling is 'get a flexi' - with let's go and come, most of the pulling problem is already solved.
On film
If you're constantly on a six foot leash like this, I really hate on the six foot leashes because they suck um they have limited usage
so the simplest thing that i can say about pulling is get a flexi
and your dog knows two commands let's go and come right if they know let's go and come and you walk on a flexi uh most of your pulling problem is completely solved already
Boog
The owners' collar has beep and vibrate.
On film
he's very fine with feeling a vibrate and then acting yeah he's not gonna care most dogs in general won't though that's just the thing of like it's not a real punishment
if your dog is not listening it is way too complicated to say a marker hit the beep then hit the button that like it's yeah at some point it turns into like a math formula
Coco
On a walk handed to a second handler, the flexi is used locked with the leash kept completely loose, and the e-collar does the reinforcing: when she pulls on the locked flexi, hold the stimulation until she stops. The handler's own trouble with the flexi (tripping over her while it was locked) is part of the session.
On film
uh when she pulls in the flexi's lock just just hit the e-collar and just hold it till she stops pulling
I want you to keep the leaf completely loose. And then just use the e-collar to reinforce everything.
Kali
At Kali and Kane's in-program lesson the trainer goes through the family's gear. On retractables the only difference he cares about is cord against tape: cord can break when the dog hits the end hard, tape is far more durable. For two dogs he recommends one remote paired to two collars, and later a leash splitter on a flexi for walking both together. Cots can be any kind; the e-collar is 'the only one that's worth like not downgrading'.
On film
The only real difference that I've ever noticed is the difference between a cord and a tape.
They, if the dog hits the end of it hard, it can break. The tape is way more durable.
one remote and that one remote works for both dogs at the same time
and the e-collar is the only one that's worth like not downgrading for anything else
take one of those leaf splitters and put them on the end of a flexi
Mazi
Asked about a 'full body leash' at an in-program lesson, Mazi's trainer says harnesses are not usually a good idea, especially for dogs that pull: the dog feels the pull over the whole body, and many dogs, bullies especially, push harder into it - which is why sport trainers use harnesses to make a dog drive forward. He recommends the flat collar.
On film
But I will say harnesses are not usually a good idea, especially for dogs that pull.
they'll actually feel all that pulling on their whole body and most dogs especially bullies their instinct is like oh i feel that tension i want to like push even harder
Pepper
Going over the list the family bought (cot, toy, collar, a long paracord leash), Pepper's trainer says the leash should be about eight to ten feet, and that he uses a light one mostly 'for legality purposes' - so people in the park are at ease, without a heavy leash dragging.
On film
Yeah, I would say it should be like 8 or 10 feet, something like that, yeah.
Yeah, and we like, honestly I use those just more for legality purposes.
Reaper
At Reaper's first owner lesson the trainer gives the flexi a behavioural reason: backward tension on a short leash builds frustration and reactivity, and a retractable makes it easier to avoid. He specifies flat tape, never thin cord, and the 50-foot long line as the safety for a dog nobody could catch: all you have to do is catch the rope.
On film
flexi is because it's easier to avoid that right so one thing that creates frustration and reactivity is a lot of backwards tension and pressure on the leash
the second is you must get one that has a tape this flat tape like this they also sell ones that have a thin cord never those
But if he has a 50 foot long line attached to him and all I have to do is catch that rope, I can do that.
Stormi
Stormi's trainer gives the full equipment talk across two lessons. At the in-program lesson he goes through the remote: the vibrate button is not used, because a dog given only vibrate learns there is no real consequence. At go-home he explains the harness problem - harnesses encourage pulling, and pulling back on the dog makes it worse, which is why his corrections are e-collar taps rather than leash tension - and states his preference: e-collar and flat collar. Prong collars, he says, are among the safest and most effective in a trainer's hands, but only if you know what you are doing; slip leads come second.
On film
this is the vibrate button we don't use this button because if you only use the vibrate on the e-collar the dog eventually learns like there's not really a consequence to their actions
harnesses encourage specifically like pulling
I'm more of a fan of, like, e-collar, flat collar, personally.
if you know what you're doing they're the safest and the most effective collar to use as a trainer but you have to know what you're doing
I'm a big fan of the slip leads too they work really really well
Apollo (the Sharkie)
On a loose-leash walk the trainer names what Apollo is wearing - a prong collar, a backup collar ('which i always recommend') and an e-collar - and shows why the backup matters: he takes a link out of the prong to improve the fit while the dog is still attached through the backup collar, and he carries spare prongs.
On film
him again after that but we have a prong collar on this is the herm springer prong collar and then
we also have a backup collar on which i always recommend and then we have an e-collar on and
it's still on because of the backup collar so we technically are still attached here yeah that's
Kalypso
Buying advice for the e-collar with a reason: not the smallest unit (a 'micro' model or a tiny-dog model) but at least a mid-sized one, because the collar needs enough top end for the proofing stage, when she is intensely after something. The trainer adds that Kalypso is far more sensitive to the prong than to the e-collar.
On film
about it is that you don't want to get like the micro educator you want to get like at least like
a if you get the eco technologies you want to at least get like a mini educator um and then for
something like that only because you want to have enough top end that when we get to the proofing
stage and she's like really after something right and really intense about whatever it is
she's way more sensitive to the prong collar than she is the e-collar because like right there like
Kodak
Why a better e-collar is required rather than suggested: a remote that is awkward to use means owners stop using it at home, and a dog trained on one unit can be thrown by a different one. (The lines just before, about making clients buy it so they succeed, are uncertain audio and are paraphrased here, not quoted.)
On film
because they'll thank us later yeah yeah nope this is mine and i was worried about like a consistency
problem with like if if they go home one they won't use it because this the remote sucks so
compliance is a problem and the second problem is that um if they've been trained with this
Louie
Louie has been walked on a slip lead and hasn't needed a prong. Asked whether the family needs an e-collar, the trainer recommends one as a 'seatbelt' - and says tools are more for the people than the dog: he can train without them, it just takes longer.
On film
think we need to get an e-collar? Uh, I would recommend it, just because it's a good wean
But it's nice to have as a seatbelt, right?
Right. Takes me longer. But the tools are more for the people than the dog.
Lucia
On a packed holiday trail with a fresh case, the trainer uses a 33-foot retractable - the longest well-made one the trainer knows of - so Lucia can explore and sniff at a distance; the reason given is that an overstimulated dog on a short line gets frustrated, and so does the owner. This is longer than the sixteen feet other trainers call enough.
On film
close and stuff and we're doing it on a really long flexi so this is a 33 foot retractable leash
but the reason that we're doing it there is because a lot of times when a dog is
really overstimulated by the environment they get really frustrated
Peque (PK)
At the equipment talk the trainer explains the prong as help for a dog who wants to pull (in the trainer's words it stops the pulling rather than hurting), leaves written guidance on the prong and e-collar, and shows why not a harness for a puller: held from the back it encourages the dog to pull with her whole body - which is exactly why harnesses are used in protection work.
On film
just like the metal that kind of pushes in yeah so the prong collar is um helps with walks when
yeah so for example um this is what you call a harness and actually we use harness in our
trainings but we use it for protection and it's because when you hold the harness from here it
it encourage it encourages her to pull because she uses her body to pull oh i just use that to
Rocky
The trainer explains the move away from prongs mechanically: anything you can teach with a prong, a skilled handler can teach with a flat collar and an e-collar, and going straight there skips the step of fading the prong later. He also recommends one change to the family's e-collar - swap the cloth strap for a rubber one, because cloth slips, goes loose and then the collar doesn't work.
On film
figured out that they can kind of do everything and there's a step you can skip because you have
to fade off of the prong collar if you want to get them back onto a flat collar. But you can skip
because anything that you can teach with a prong collar if you're skilled you can do it with a
fits in there switch it from a cloth to like what those are considered rubber yeah the rubber because
this one i've used them before they have a tendency that this will slip and then it'll be
Shadow (Siberian Husky)
At go-home the trainer shows the kit: a flat collar he puts on every dog plus the e-collar, and no prong - the trainers have stopped using prongs lately, partly because so many people have things to say about them. For maintenance the e-collar stays on around the house and on outings, but not while the dog sleeps.
On film
really important um obviously like you don't want to leave the e-collar on him while he's sleeping
my kong flat on there which i put on every dog okay and then i also have yeah my e-collar over
there um which no need of using the prawn collar okay yeah we've actually stopped using the prawn
callers as of late um just because a lot of people have a lot of things to say so we've we've uh just
Sputnik
At the household handover each dog's retractable is labelled because each is a different length, the prong goes on the swivel end, and there is wear-time guidance: no e-collar or prong when the dogs settle down for bed; on most of the day when they are out and active together.
On film
I put their name on it because each one is a different length.
back here yeah it doesn't make sense they shouldn't wear e-collars or prong collars
when they're like settling down to go to bed yeah um it's only either if they're all out in the room
Stormy
Fitting a prong on a growing guardian puppy: when you pull up on it the two ends should not meet, but it should give a little; add links as she grows, because she will outgrow it. The trainer also checks the family has the specified size.
On film
yep and that's a good size for her okay yeah so the the key to this thing is that
when you pull up on it these two should not meet but it also should give some so that's perfect for
her right now okay so you'll have to add prongs as you go along because as she gets bigger she'll
Why it works
Each item is justified mechanically on film. The retractable removes the constant tension of a short leash, so the handler is not a restrainer, and makes dragging hard (Zeus). A collar steers because a sideways pull turns the head; a harness pulls the body and is easy to slip (Zeus). Flat-collar corrections are limited and risk the neck, so the e-collar is the safer correction (Bo). Place is easier to understand on a raised surface (Bullet). A thin lead transmits the change in pressure (Teddy). The stimulation is the signal the dog learned, so vibrate is a different and, for some dogs, more unsettling word (Thumper, Marvin). Once training holds, a flat collar can do what the prong did (Drago).
On film
But on the collar, if you have a collar on and you pull to the side like this and he's facing that way, it turns his head this way a little bit
like the harness, you're just like you're basically impotent because you
flat collar can be fully acceptable once the dog is doing well on its training because it just
We don't really do the vibrate because they need to understand.
Inferred
The claim that an e-collar has no injury potential (Hattie handover) is the trainer's; cheap units that break are named elsewhere as the real risk.
Where the trainers differ
Prong collar: transition tool or no longer needed?
One view
Moving dogs off the prong to a flat collar at go-home once training holds (Drago, Bo, Bubba Gum).
On film
on a flat collar which I'm going to be transitioning more of our dogs on flat collars when they go home
I'm more of a fan of, like, e-collar, flat collar, personally.
Another view
The prong still recommended or returned in some cases - for a very small dog a micro prong (Major); for Bubba Gum's heel at the handover.
On film
He's so little, he needs a micro-prong collar.
if you know what you're doing they're the safest and the most effective collar to use as a trainer but you have to know what you're doing
Is the e-collar the only option?
One view
No: in the house a collar grab or spray bottle; the e-collar mainly for off-leash distance (Hattie).
On film
even something that works for a lot of people is like a spray bottle
Another view
It is the easier and safer correction than a flat collar or harness, and top two among tools (Bo, Finn).
On film
It's like the best training tool that I've, one of the best, it's top two for me
and the e-collar is the only one that's worth like not downgrading for anything else
Common owner mistakes
- Walking a dog who wants to sniff on a short leash, so the whole walk is tension and restraint.
On film
and it's just really frustrating the whole time um but with the flexi and having training There's not any confrontational nature.
Zeus · Watch at 8:42 ↗ - Using a harness on a dog who needs steering or who might slip out.
On film
Mostly just because, I mean, like, the reason is because, one, most harnesses I've used, it's easy for a dog to slip out of it
Zeus · Watch at 9:05 ↗ - Using only the vibrate setting on a dog trained with stimulation.
On film
Because I've always just used it on just vibrate.
Thumper · Watch at 13:07 ↗ this is the vibrate button we don't use this button because if you only use the vibrate on the e-collar the dog eventually learns like there's not really a consequence to their actions
Watch at 8:15 ↗ he's very fine with feeling a vibrate and then acting yeah he's not gonna care most dogs in general won't though that's just the thing of like it's not a real punishment
Watch at 14:09 ↗ - Testing the e-collar on your fingertips, which makes it feel far stronger than it is.
On film
that's not going to be accurate you're like oh like all these nerve endings on my fingertips
Hattie · Watch at 35:19 ↗ - Buying cheap equipment that breaks.
On film
really bad rep exactly yeah yeah because they can be dangerous if they're like
Finn · Watch at 40:37 ↗ - Buying a retractable with a thin cord instead of a flat tape; cords break when a strong dog hits the end.
On film
the second is you must get one that has a tape this flat tape like this they also sell ones that have a thin cord never those
Watch at 43:01 ↗ They, if the dog hits the end of it hard, it can break. The tape is way more durable.
Watch at 11:51 ↗ - Pulling back on the leash or harness to stop pulling; the tension makes the dog push harder.
On film
they'll actually feel all that pulling on their whole body and most dogs especially bullies their instinct is like oh i feel that tension i want to like push even harder
Watch at 10:43 ↗ harnesses encourage specifically like pulling
Watch at 35:13 ↗
Questions owners ask
Why a retractable lead? Aren't they bad?
The trainers require one because a six-foot leash makes the walk a constant conflict. They name when it is a bad idea: a recall that does not hold, and a cheap unit that could snap. On a strong dog it also makes dragging harder - he has to get the full length away first.
On film
and it's just really frustrating the whole time um but with the flexi and having training There's not any confrontational nature.
now the reasons that this can be a problem there are two things that can cause this to be an issue one issue can be that there are other commands are no good right so say that their recall stinks
Why not a harness?
Two reasons given on film: dogs slip out of them, and you cannot steer with one, because the line pulls the body rather than turning the head.
On film
Mostly just because, I mean, like, the reason is because, one, most harnesses I've used, it's easy for a dog to slip out of it, then come out of it. And second, you can't guide a dog directionally with a harness at all.
Will my dog need a prong collar forever?
The house direction is flat collars at go-home once the training holds; one trainer says the prong can help in transition but a flat collar is fully acceptable once the dog is doing well.
On film
although the prom collar can be helpful in transition phase I'm coming to find that a
Why a raised bed for place?
Place is easier for a dog to understand when it is off the ground. Anything raised works; cots are recommended because they are light and portable.
On film
Because for place, it's easier for them to understand when it's off the ground.
Can I just use the vibrate setting?
The trainers say no: the dog learned the stimulation, and vibrate is a different signal. For one dog, an unexplained vibration was more aversive than a stimulation he expects.
On film
The shock is important because that's how he learned it, right?
aversive than the vibrates the reason is because the vibrates like oh what is
The lesson
The goal
The owner can name each piece of equipment on the list, what it is for, and when it is the wrong choice for their dog.
Learn first
- Fit before level: check the tool before you judge the dog
- Freedom is given in measured steps
- The flight-risk protocol, and the one command that matters
The drill
As shown on film: walk the dog on the flexi with the dog responsible for coming off leash pressure himself (Zeus); for a flight risk, fit a backup collar with the e-collar in front and the flat collar relatively tight before the first outing (Finn); try the e-collar on your own arm or neck, not fingertips (Hattie); and if a tool seems to change how the dog moves, test it - short, then dropped (Louie).
Watch out for
- Short leash as the default walk (Zeus 08:42).
- Harness on a dog who needs steering (Zeus 09:05).
- Vibrate only (Thumper 13:07).
- Cheap gear (Finn 40:37).
Check yourself
For each item you own: what job does it do for this dog, and what would make it the wrong tool?