Help me with this Dog!

[TEX-X]

i agree... collar conditioning should be as big of a part in training a gun dog as anything...

[mad-bomber]

no i mean the finger on the collar.most guys new to hunting dogs and training like to hit the "SMOKE MODE" button all the time. i have one for my black lab because he likes to chace cows.but after 3 hits all he needs now is a tone. and for the creeping train him not to at 10 yds from you and once he gets it he wont do it at 300yds! im not picking a fight but really guys how did are fathers and grandfathers train good hunting dogs? there wasnt shock collers around.

[TEX-X]

no no  i wasn't picking a fight either...  i was just throwing my two cents in...  I am nowhere near a pro trainer... but i do okay... i like having an electronic collar... but very rarely now do i use the nick or constant button... i do have a tone that i use as well....  and as far as grandfathers and fathers training... my old man used a sling shot and the bouncy rubber balls to correct with a dog out a little ways....

[Rowdy]

The good ol' E-Collar debate.

I use an E-Collar on my pup.  He wears it at all times outside of my property/house.  The most important part of the E-collar is training the handler and then conditioning the pup to it.  I've said before and I'll say it again, my pup damn near jumps out of his skin with excitement when he see's the E-collar and he backs his ass right up to me so I can put it on him.  Why does he react his way?  Because he knows it means we are going to have some fun BUT he was properly conditioned and I was very careful with how and when it was used. 

Can you train a pup without one, absolutely! 

Personally, I feel an E-collar makes my pup a whole lot safer when hunting or just out and about and that is worth it's weight in gold.

If someone is too stupid to use the collar properly, then they're probably too stupid to have a well trained dog.  I've seen some really nice finished dogs that have never had an e-collar around their neck.  I will honestly say that at this point it is rarely used for any type of training for my pup but instead used for safety measures (chasing off-game, railroads, roads, barbwire fences, etc...)

To each thier own.  It is a tool and like all tools needs to be used properly.

Jake

[Small_Savage]

I love it when posts take on a life of their own like this one sure has.

E-collars are invaluable in terms of safety.  Keep in mind that great-grandfathers and grandfathers also didn't have the added safety risks that we have around today, like busy roads, electric fences, etc.  Dogs have no concept of those risks until they've have a bad experience with them.

 

[steen]

The most important use of the e-collar for us is when the dog is out of sight and she goes on point.  Bingo we knowshe is on point cause the tones speed up.  We hunt release sights in W Washington and there is alot of brush in the trees and that is where the real hunting is.  The dog goes in and finds the bird and we don't have to go in until we know there is a bird.  Yeah, I know alot of you think release sights have dumb birds but you may have hunted them the morning after release night.  We wait til they have been scattered and educated by other hunters and then go find them.  It is the funnest excersise you can get.  It is expensive to go eastside for us and we can do this any day work is slow, just a half hour drive.  We have a Red Setter and she is a great dog and rides everywhere my husband goes including work.  She is going to be a grandma around Christmas time and we look forward to the pups.  We are just debating whether or not to keep one of these or wait til we breed her.  Tough decision cause she is 5 now and another to start now would be perfect.  Good luck finding a new puppy.  Sorry about your loss.

[Small_Savage]

Thank you for the advice and the condolences!  I'm looking forward to starting over with a new dog and looking forward to having my own dog to hunt behind again.  I've never trained one up on my own and it seems to be a monumental task. I have a lot to learn.