Training collar.

[SBMF 2015]

Has anyone used an electric (shock) collar as a training aid for herding dogs? What brand works well?
The new dog is already showing some instinct. But he wanted to "play" with the fall cows this morning instead of coming when called.

 

[kenny thomas]

Tri- tronics

 

[76 Bar]

But he wanted to "play" with the fall cows this morning instead of coming when called.

If he's a youngster thank your lucky stars. If he's a trained seasoned dog you got had. Shock collars as it pertains to livestock working dogs are designed to appeal to the inept.

 

[Ebenezer]

Do they work on people/spouses/kids? :lol:

 

[1982vett]

I put a collar on the wife's Pomeranian....he had gotten to where he barked at everythin, well, mostly me... Has howling fits and basically had gotten obnoxious. However this one isn't a shock collar. It beeps on the second bark, beeeeps on the third bark and beeeeeeeeeps plus vibrates after that. It's gotten his attention and is settling back down.

 

[SBMF 2015]

But he wanted to "play" with the fall cows this morning instead of coming when called.

If he's a youngster thank your lucky stars. If he's a trained seasoned dog you got had. Shock collars as it pertains to livestock working dogs are designed to appeal to the inept.

He's 6 mos old. Has had no formal training, but shows interest in the cows. Maxx has been just riding on the tractor when I feed and watching the cows. This morning he jumped off and went bouncing after the cows. My fall cows with 2wk old calves were NOT impressed with this new "coyote" in their pasture . It turned into a real poo show. He needs to learn to come when called regardless of what's going on around us.

 

[ccr]

I'm no trainer, nor have any cow dog training experience, but the way I understood it to start out was on a 20' leash working around the cattle and go from there. They need to be obedient (sit, down, stay, come) prior to much cattle training. Just my two cents.

 

[issa5]

Tri- tronics

Is it worth buying it?

 

[kenny thomas]

My only experience is with coon hounds and bear hounds but yes it is well worth buying for our uses. Not sure on livestock working dogs

 

[76 Bar]

He's 6 mos old. Has had no formal training, but shows interest in the cows. Maxx has been just riding on the tractor when I feed and watching the cows. This morning he jumped off and went bouncing after the cows. My fall cows with 2wk old calves were NOT impressed with this new "coyote" in their pasture . It turned into a real poo show. He needs to learn to come when called regardless of what's going on around us.

I can well imagin the wreck that transpired but the guilty party is not the dog but you. Its a given that even a youngster with a solid recall will blow you off when he turns on. Be prepared to not let it happen in the first place i.e. contained while on the tractor or anyplace else that might trigger his instinct. If he escapes keep your mouth shut (cardinal rule never give any command that can't be immediately rectified), hunt him down & praise him when you finally get him caught. Under NO circumstances punish him...you're a day late & dollar short, he won't understand & will quickly associate a recall with punishment. A lot of hunting people use Shock collars. IMLTHO they aren't warranted with stock dogs. If you're not comfortable training a dog to useful status, send him to a skilled trainer.

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

As others have said, training a working dog starts with obedience. If you are concerned about getting him to call off, start him on stock on a long line in a small area. It's been a long time now since I've needed a shock collar, and I don't plan to ever have another dog that needs one. The male I use right now needed a collar for a while... he is hard of hearing and I used the vibrate setting to get him to look back at me when working away from me since he can't hear clearly at over about 200 feet away. Once he learned to check my visual cues, the collar was not longer necessary.

Keep your commands clear and consistent from the beginning of training. Studies have proven dogs read voice tone and body language as a means to understand commands, so keep that in mind as well. Beyond that advice, when it comes to training anything other than a ACD, I have no experience of value....

 

[SBMF 2015]

He's 6 mos old. Has had no formal training, but shows interest in the cows. Maxx has been just riding on the tractor when I feed and watching the cows. This morning he jumped off and went bouncing after the cows. My fall cows with 2wk old calves were NOT impressed with this new "coyote" in their pasture . It turned into a real poo show. He needs to learn to come when called regardless of what's going on around us.

I can well imagin the wreck that transpired but the guilty party is not the dog but you. Its a given that even a youngster with a solid recall will blow you off when he turns on. Be prepared to not let it happen in the first place i.e. contained while on the tractor or anyplace else that might trigger his instinct. If he escapes keep your mouth shut (cardinal rule never give any command that can't be immediately rectified), hunt him down & praise him when you finally get him caught. Under NO circumstances punish him...you're a day late & dollar short, he won't understand & will quickly associate a recall with punishment. A lot of hunting people use Shock collars. IMLTHO they aren't warranted with stock dogs. If you're not comfortable training a dog to useful status, send him to a skilled trainer.

Thanks. He had been REALLY GOOD about staying on the tractor. So much so that Saturday I told him to stay and he did while I walked a new pair across 3 acres to the corral, then walked back and he was just laying on the tractor waiting for me. Lots of praise!
He was back on a 20' rope this morning. Never offered to leave the tractor. I guess he just had a moment.
My last Heeler got so ingrained with the idea that a rope meant work that he drag a 8' lead rope around if he had it on he was working. Unhook him and he was brain dead. I wasn't holding it it just had to be with him.

 

[callmefence]

Do they work on people/spouses/kids? :lol:

Well, if you've been keeping up , it won't make a foul mouthed girl put her mask on.... :hat:

 

[Dave]

We have been using one on the wife's young border collie. Not as it relates to working cattle. We are trying to break her of chasing deer. It only gets used when she chases a deer. Some results but not 100% yet. Of course there are deer within sight of the house about 20 hours out of the day so there are lots of training opportunities.