Electronic Training Collar

[BrokenolMarine]

I known some of you saw where Tina got a puppy from my daughter for Christmas. A Labradoodle. Now... they don't call me Grumpy for nothing... Before she got the puppy, I told her to think long and hard about the "puppy thing."

House breaking, energizer bunny energy, piddle puddles....
All of it. We weren't 55 anymore.

"Oh no," she said, "It's fine."

Anyone who has been around a two year old, knows what my life has been like since we picked up Belle/Bella in mid-November. My peace and quiet is now a memory, shattered by a constant stream of: "BELLE, stop that. BELLA, drop that. BELLA, don't, not on the Rug Again."

But, the real issues began as the lab kicked in during her bathroom breaks outside. In the first month she stayed within a couple feet of mom, or her westie sister. But, she liked to slip under the barbed wire fence and do her business at the edge of the fifty nine acre hay field. During the day, this wasn't a huge issue, but then, the lab kicked in and she started to wander deeper. When you called, she would look over her shoulder, "yeah right," head deeper into the field.

This was a real problem at night, since our area is plagued with coyotes. Small dogs are scooby snacks. I ordered an electric training collar. It buzzes (tones), vibrates, and shocks. Her tight poodle hair doesn't permit a shock, and and ignores the tone.... But the vibration gets her attention.

She hates it.

The vet said to back it with a switch when she doesn't respond promptly. He hates having to treat dogs torn up by coyotes, he sees way too many.

[markiver54]

From what I've seen, labs, ( in this case Labradoodle ) are very inquisitive. There are about 4 in our neighborhood and I have observrd their habits. Sounds like Ya'll got a pretty smart one though.☺

[Hatchdog]

I used one with my Golden Retriever many years ago. We lived in the suburbs and had a nice large fenced back yard for him. But, I liked to take him out to the paper and mail boxes at the street and he tended to get too curious about what was going on across the street. After a few zaps with the collar he learned to stay with me. Before I zapped him I used on myself (hand not neck ) at while it got your attention is didn’t cause pain. I kept it on the lowest setting.

We’re getting a new pup this spring and I’m NOT going to put a fence in. We now live rural but as I type this I can hear equipment running next door. The parcel next to us just sold and the new folks are getting ready to build a house. I’m thinking about putting in an invisible fence to contain our new pup until he learns to stay close. Our last dog which we lost last fall would just lay down on the lawn when we were outside on the patio. But he was older and not very active and we didn’t have a next door neighbor.

[cooperhawk]

Our neighbors up the road, (neighbor is a relative thing as t they're four miles away), have two beautiful Goldens. These two have learned to run over the underground fence as fast as they can, and they're FREE. I sure would hate to see them get hit on the highway.

[BrokenolMarine]

We went with an invisible fence for our 2 acres of yard on the fifteen acre farm in VA, and quickly regretted it. The fence kept the dog IN, unless he got in hot pursuit, then ran thru the "fence" chasing the squirrel, deer, rabbit. Then, it kept him out. It also doesn't keep out other critters... Dogs, cats, foxes, coons, SKUNKS, possums, etc. During hunting season the packs of hunting dogs would run thru the property and fight with our dog... Kill our free range chickens, and tear up the trash.

If we go with a fence here, it will be tall, mean, and have guard towers.

[runnin n gunnin]

You know, there is just now easy path for training, especially a retriever. I have had German Shorthair Pointers for 50 years. (Good god, I can't believe I just said 50 years). I always primarily hunted upland game, and there is just nothing like a good bird dog in the field. GSPs are notorious for being hard headed.

Having said that, the training process takes years. I usually saw a well disciplined pup at around 5. The first two years are the toughest. I also sympathize with the puppy issue at this time of life. I had to put my two GSPs down last year from cancer, both were 15. Told the boss I was done, no more pups. She finally wore me down and convinced me we would get rescues that were 10 plus years old that no one wanted and give them a good home.

We now have two GSP rescues that we adopted within the last year. One was about 10 months old, the other just over a year. So much for the no puppy thing!

Both good pups, but I now lack the patience and stamina to commit to hard training. And yes they both live by the GSP motto, if it flies, it dies, if it runs, its done !

[BrokenolMarine]

We also have coyotes and at least two large male bobcats in the area so we are vigilant. Raising a pup is close to a full time job and requires a lot of work. Sometimes I wonder who is training who!
[/quote]

Exactly. We have the yotes, bobcats, skunks, and have had one encounter with a wolf. We need immediate obedience to commands. In addition, the milk cow hates dogs. HATES them. I think she came from a farm with aggressive herding dogs. If a dog gets close, she tries to turn it into a puppy pancake. Immediate obediance.

I have seen Australian Shepherds herd sheep and cattle without a nip, bite, or bark. Dogs had fun and the cows seem calm as a Sunday Stroll.

I have seen Jack Russells herding that looked and sounded like they were mauling the herd and enjoying it, and the farmer thought it was great. Cows got to the barn all stirred up.

[Hatchdog]

Our pending pup will be the third Golden pup my wife and I have raised. However this will be the first one we will raise after being retired. I’m looking forward to being home full time with a new pup and really enjoying the puppy period which passes so fast. On our last two it seems like I missed this part of the dog raising experience almost completely. I often would pine away looking at puppy pics and would wonder where did those times go. So I am really looking forward to getting this pup.

I may have to re-think my invisible fence idea but fortunately Goldens aren’t as aggressive chasers as many other breeds, especially pointers.

The breeder where we are on the puppy list is located near Salt Lake Utah and we plan on driving there pulling our travel trailer and picking him up. That should be both an interesting and fun trip.