Category: Training

What Every Dog Owner Should Know About E-collars In Dog Training

Posted on by Rajeev Sahadevan

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Are you so much possessive about your dog that each time he nears the fence, you start running behind him? Do you feel that your dog is not active and vigilant when compared to your neighbor’s dog? Do you think he needs a training that you can do at your home itself? If this is what you are looking for, then electronic collars play a perfect role. Today, the world is moving on a very fast scale where everything works on remote control. The technology has been so advanced these days that even dogs can be trained with remote control. Electronic collars have been developed to enhance the training of your dog by exerting shocks. These shocks act as simulation. The device comes with lot of pros and cons – each of which are discussed here. But before we move on to the pros and cons of an electronic collar, you need to know whether your dog is fit for the training. Unless your dog is healthy and strong enough to manage his training, you are not going to enjoy the benefits of an electronic collar.

E-collars are used for dogs to

  • Keep them within our premises (also known as invisible fence or underground fence)
  • Stop dogs from barking – if he continues to bark on-stop the force and frequency of the shock will be automatically increased.
  • Train dogs from food aggression and dog aggression.
  • Teach dogs to stay away from dangerous animals and objects.
  • Dog’s diet for good health and training

When you train your dog, you can try different types of treats. A dog treat doesn’t have to be labelled as such on the package. Bits of cooked meats, hot dogs, dry cereal, cheese and even fruits and vegetables can be a rewarding treat for your dog. Try experimenting with different foods to know what exactly excites him.

The benefits of having e-collars

  • E-collars for tracking : You can use electronic collars in dogs to track where your dog is when he’s lost. This helps the owner to get back his pooch.
  • E-collars are fast in training your dog: The device has proven to be fast and less tiresome in training your dog than traditional methods. This is because a simple press of the collar button generates simulation.
  • Easy to use: These remote-controlled collars are easy to use and ensures that training takes place even at longer distance.
  • Cost-effective: When it comes to cost, you don’t have to count the bugs. They are affordable and less expensive when compared to hiring a professional trainer. This also takes considerable time to train.
  • Easy to understand: With e-collars, you don’t have to sit for long hours to learn the whole mechanism. They are comparatively easy to understand. Just read the user manual.
  • Easy control of the amount of pain delivered
  • Automatically delivers a shock correction in our absence

The negatives of using e-collars in dogs

Your dog is not a robot. He has a life with feelings as that of humans. There are chances that using e-collars on dogs can cause some ill-effects on him.

  • Fear and anxiety in dogs: E-collars for dogs can cause anxiety and fear in your dogs. Several researches have proven that the minor shocks have created anxiety and stress in dogs. These conditions persist for a longer time even after training is completed.
  • Aggressive nature in dogs is seen: According to Polsky’s study, dogs kept in shock containment systems can cause aggression in dogs. The results have also shown that automated e-collars may cause dogs to make wrong associations and learn wrong things.
  • The device can be vulnerable to defect: Like for instance some models are not water proof to avoid undue transmission of electric currency.
  • Dog’s weight matters: Before buying electronic collar for your dog, check your dog’s weight. In case there is a mismatch between the dog’s weight and the voltage required, an increased voltage will harm if your dog is less weighted. This in turn will put his health under risk.

Although there are some pros for electronic collars, its up to you to decide whether your pooch wants these shock simulating collars to train him.

My Dog Does Not Socialize. Could This Be The Reason? Reasons Why Your Dog Is Anti-Social

Posted on by Rajeev Sahadevan

We, as humans, understand how socializing works. That’s how we build relationships. But dogs are not wary about how socializing works. For instance, in an imaginary world, it is a real treat for dog lovers to watch dogs confidently having a good rapport with other dogs, playing with people he meets and having a ball. However, the truth hits hard. Ask few canine owners and you will get to know the reality.

Think like a dog

If you want to see from your pet’s perspective, you ought to think like a dog. If you have adopted a dog, they might have have been prone to being mistreated or abused. This is one of the common causes and reason why your dog is afraid to socialize. Even dogs are put in a confined area lack the opportunity of meeting people making them unaware of socializing.

Dogs tend to look up to their owners. They see them as an ‘alpha-dog’ i.e. the leader of their pack who will guide them safely. Hence it is crucial that you ingest the essence of associating with other dogs or people right from their early age. If you are not the right leader, your dog may lack the necessary confidence. The result – he will become shy and timid when introduced to new people or atmosphere outside their comfort zone.

How can you help?

Just like your own baby, your dog too needs patience and attention. Its not a one day job so be prepared for lot of tantrums and grabbing tails.

First month is always the worst: You have to spend time with your dog to make him socialize at during the initial month. You are forming a base here. So every second is worth a great impact. Besides it is great fun and a time to bond. It will also help in “getting to know” your pet.

Let him be brave: Its officially night time. A thunder strikes. Your six year old runs in your bedroom all scared and wakes you up. You soothe her and calm her down. In the adjacent room lies your pet. You reach out to the poor puppy who is wimping and shivering on the same sound. “Its ok, baby”. As a human we tend to feel sympathy. But on the contrary, the dog feels you are encouraging his fear. This will push him further to getting afraid. Only praise the dog when he is confident.

Re-view the Training: If your dog follows commands, you have trained him well. The dog is confident enough to understand your language. Now its time to review the training. Use dog’s leash and take him outside. Practice basic commands such as ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘come’, etc. Always praise him when he displays confident behavior.

People therapy: Call your dog loving friend and ask her to sit with her back to your pet. Now place treats on her hands. Tell her not to talk or make eye contact with your dog. Praise the dog when he takes a treat.

Yawning: Unlike a sign for tiredness or disinterest, yawning is actually a sign of calm in dogs. Once again, have your friend hold treats looking at the ground. Tell her not to look at the dog. Here is another funny and silly thing you can do. Yawn to encourage your dog. In fact, ask your friend to join in as well. The more you guys yawn, you will find your dog relaxing as well. Do not forget to give him a treat.

Set the boundaries: One of the best ways to build a bond with your dog is by respecting his privacy. When your friends come over, tell them to stand still with a treat in their hands. Let your pet walk up to them first. Before this experiment, tell your friends before hand to strictly to pet the dog only under the chin and on the chest. This is to prevent them lunging towards his head or back. It may not end very well for them.

My kind of gang: Few dogs may find it difficult to trust people. At such situations, ask your neighbor or your friend to bring in their dog to bond a friendship between the two. In a closed fence, allow the dog to play freely with his new companion.

Introducing to new dogs: If your pet has not been exposed to his fellow companions, its obvious he might be feeling awkward during the initial stage. In fact aggression is a common sign due to lack of contact. To rectify this, you can start with dogs you know are quite comfortable and trustworthy. If your dog behaves politely with his friend, reward him before other dog. Gradually reward the dog for his closeness with other dog each and every time.

Obedience training classes: There are many obedience classes that provide ample opportunity for your pet. They have tricks up their sleeves that will help the pets to socialize in a more controlled setting. The results are amazing and chances are your dog will be able to behave in a better way.

Still if you think the problem persists, you might want to consider help of a professional dog trainer who specializes in shy dogs. Ask your vet for more recommendations.

Dogtra SureStim H Plus Dog Training Collar & Pathfinder

Posted on by Rajeev Sahadevan

Dogtra SureStim H Plus is a remote-controlled device to help the dog trainers to calm their pets. Dogs when agitated is difficult to calm, control or train them at times. This device is worn around the dog’s collar and emits some vibrations that help ease the pets and make the training session easier than before.

The Dogtra SureStim H Plus training collar offers many vibrations settings to keep the calm even when the dog is too agitated. The range of the remote control and the device worn around the dog’s collar is ½ a mile. So the trainer does have the upper hand even if the dog might think otherwise.

Features of Dogtra SureStim H Plus dog collar

  • The Dogtra SureStim H Plus dog collar is for the dogs that are as small as 20 lbs in weight or above.
  • It is an electronic collar that has settings from low to high power that controls the dogs.
  • This battery operated H Plus dog collar has two stimulation points that should stay close to the dog. The stimulations or vibrations are passed through these points that calm the dog and make them agreeable to the training.
  • There is three vibrations mode to make it more useful. The three methods are nick, constant and non-stimulating.
  • There are 127 levels of stimulations. These stimulation levels are displayed on the small LCD screen.
  • There are LED lights to indicate the battery level.
  • The dog collar is remote transmitter and receiver. It is completely waterproof.
  • The dog collar works on battery power. It uses Ni-MH rechargeable batteries.
  • The Dogtra SureStim H Plus dog collar is expandable to use for up to 2 dogs.
  • The overall dimension of the dog collar is 10 x 9 x 4 inches in height, width and length.

Dogtra SureStim H Plus battery, remote and indicators

Battery

Both the dog collar and the remote of the Dogtra SureStim H Plus is battery operated with a rechargeable battery. The device comes with a charger that can be used for both the collar as well as the remote to recharge at the same time. The split end charger cable has two ports that can be inserted into the two parts of the Dogtra SureStim H Plus.

The charger is available for the 230-volt European wall outlet as well as the US plug for the 120 volts outlet. There is also the 12-volt car charger. The battery is charged within 10 hours. The indicator will show red color throughout the charging process. It would not turn green in the usual way. You need to estimate the time to know when to unplug and reuse the device.

Remote

The remote is universal for the Dogtra SureStim H Plus dog collars. You need to code the remote so that it is customized to the dog collar that you use for your pet. Both the dog collar and the remote must be coded.

Indicators

The LED light shows the battery status. The lights would be blinking four times once the device is turned on. The green light indicates fully charged battery; amber color is the medium life of the cell, red means you need to recharge the battery immediately.

These LED lights indicate the stimulation mode as well. The proper color of the light when flashes steadily, the device is in constant mode. When the light is flashing on and off, the stimulation mode is nick.

Using the Dogtra SureStim H Plus expandable remote training collar

The Dogtra SureStim H Plus dog collar must be appropriately fitted to get the full effects while training. The collar should be comfortably fitting around the dog’s collar. The properly fitting collar would let you insert your finger smoothly under. It should be neither tight nor loose.

The Dogtra SureStim H Plus expandable feature is that the same remote could be used for an additional dog collar so that you can control two dogs at a time with the same remote.

The right position for the receiver box is on either side of the windpipe. This box should stay firm in its place and should not go around loose. In that case, it is not fastened correctly and should be fitted tighter.

The surgical stainless steel points on the inner side of the collar should be in contact with the dog’s skin, all the time. If it comes off loose, the stimulation will not work, and the device fails. The improper fitting can also lead to scratching these stainless points on the dog’s skin causing irritation and wounds.

What comes in the box?

  • Black collar strap and a remote control transmitter
  • Battery charger
  • Splitter cable
  • Test light
  • Metal belt clip for the remote
  • Lanyard
  • Carrying case
  • SureStim H Plus user manual

The additional receiver collar is available in orange color. That comes without the remote and other additions. The Dogtra SureStim H Plus dog collar comes with a 2-year or limited lifetime warranty.

Dogtra SureStim H Plus reviews

Nathan is using the Dogtra SureStim H Plus for the second time. He likes the vibration feedback from the remote. He is also happy that the LED flashing light is now more on the visible side of the collar. He also gives thumbs up for the fact that there are replaceable batteries available. What he is unhappy with is that there is no way to know when the battery is fully charged. For all the goodness this Dogtra SureStim H Plus has, it is a bit worrying with this charging indicator.

Zoe is another happy user who has light use with the dog collar. He says the battery stays longer for a month with a full charge. He says it’s better than the other cheap rated dog collars available in the market.

Another user was fascinated with the two dogs expandable feature of this Dogtra SureStim H Plus dog collar. The user also finds the ½ a mile range of this dog collar better than that of the other longer range collars. The user uses this collar also as a safeguard to protect the pet from wandering in unknown areas.

Conclusion

Dogtra SureStim H Plus dog training collar is for the mild to stubborn temperamental dogs. It keeps them calm and trainable. You don’t have to use cuss words to control them and also lets you keep the calm and throughout the session. The collar could also be used for controlling the pets any other time as well. You get it for a reasonable price and also have the option for an additional collar to be used if you have two dogs to train.