What is the E-collar and why do we use it?

The e-collar is just one of the tools in our vast tool box of equipment used to help our dogs better understand what it is we are asking of them. The e-collar is a remote leash used to communicate more clearly with our dogs. The ecollar is best introduced after dogs have a solid foundation to their obedience using a slip or prong collar. This approach of building up behaviors in increments allows us to lower our dogs stress level and be the most fair and humane that we can be. Through conditioning and practice we teach our dogs what the pressure of the e-collar is and how to shut it off. If you’ve ever gone to physical therapy you know that a 10s unit is a common tool used to contract and stimulate muscles, our highly modernized electric collar does just that! With up to 100 levels of stimulation we begin our dogs on low stimulation(between 3 and 20) to teach them right from wrong, which allows us to correct and reward behaviors we like or dislike, to make training more clear and easily understood by our canine companions! This is also how we are able to reliably train for off-leash freedom making hiking, a day at the beach or even a trip to the park stress free. Eliminating any chances of our dogs running off and potentially placing themselves in danger.

What is the Prong collar/ slip lead and Why do we use it?

Although we place a strong emphasis on positive reinforcement during training it is unavoidable that pups struggling with behavioral issues will inevitably make poor choices when place under stress or over a threshold. This is sadly a part of life and stress is everywhere you go if you are trying to create a well socialized pup out in public, but we have a tool that allows us to minimize stress while improving clarity! A Prong collar evenly distributes pressure around a dogs neck so as to not choke or hurt our dogs neck or body. Prongs and Slip leashes are used to redirect and correct our dogs, they sit high up on the neck, right behind the ears. The reason for this is to avoid harming the trachea or nose bridge, unlike many other collars. With this even distribution of pressure we are able to direct and refocus our dogs on us quickly and effectively without confusion. The prong collar allows us to discourage behaviors such as pulling, jumping or lunging, quickly. To then be able to encourage our dogs to do behaviors we DO want such as, heeling, sitting, place etc.! By teaching our dog right from wrong through encouragement and discouragement, we are able to make training clear between what we do and don’t want! Many misconceptions circle the use of prong collars which have been brought about by the misuse of a tool that has a proper function, when used correctly! When used correctly the prong collar or slip lead is able to correct and guide our dogs in a way they understand! Through direct and clear communication through leash pressure we can expose our dogs to realistic life situations more quickly than if we were working with food alone, this is all to create a dog with a balanced state of mind that understands our expectations. With fundamental tools that will benefit your pup for years to come.

Slip leashes work in the same fashion as the prong collars but have a slightly different shape and pressure distribution. The slip leash works in the same manner as a prong but is able to apply less pressure which works great on sensitive dogs, dogs that already understand expectations or new dogs just being introduced to the concept of yielding to leash pressure. Since not all dogs respond the same it is valuable to understand that each dog is an individual and all respond differently to pressure so while one dog may be good only on his flat collar or even a harness other dogs may need a slip or prong in order to be most successful.