Starting with a new dog….
There are lots of ways to approach dog training, but we like to start each dog at the beginning no matter their training background. This way all our dog trainees go through the same program, only some will progress faster than others.
Our system includes introducing them to the prong collar on their first day. This helps establish our role as their new handler for the week. It helps increase our communication with them through the leash. Since prong collars are slightly uncomfortable when pressure is applied, dogs are much more likely to respond to verbal instructions and physical leadership.
Baylee just started her Board & Train with us. This is her first day with us and we started her on the prong collar. Here we are showing her that the best place to walk is right next to us. This video was taken after a few walks so you will see us correct her with a prong collar “pop” to let her know that she’s gone too far ahead. This is best so there is no pulling and no constant pressure on the dog’s neck. Just a quick, fast surprise letting her know she’s gone too far. By the end of the walk, you can see she is already walking on a loose leash rather than pulling, as many owners struggle with a pulling dog.
Your dog doesn’t have to pull forever. It is an easy fix and you then you just have to be consistent and reinforce the rules.
Step Two: Introduce the E-collar
Some dogs take a little longer to adapt to the prong collar than others, but once we feel that they are responding well, we transition to the e-collar. Here Baylee is using the e-collar for the second time. We keep the leash on for safety only because she is still learning the rules. Like the rule of leaving the cat alone! Good thing our cat just ignores all the dogs!
You can see that she is responding well and just needs some reinforcement. Don’t worry, by the end of the 7 days, she’ll be a completely different dog! (A trained dog, that is!)
It is important to note that while the dogs are trained and are very different, they are still themselves with their own personalities. We do not train that out of them. We are training rules and keeping the rules in place. We love our dogs and our client’s dogs and want the best life for them as is possible. That’s why we started our dog training programs to begin with!
