I have been reading lots of feedback on various social networks condemning the use of these collars, but I have to say that they have been of benefit to more people than I ever imagined. Liz is mobility challenged and to take on a young rescue dog that had no training was quite a task. After four quick lessons with the collar, Sasha now walks next to Liz at heel and she can be trusted to run in a field off leash with distractions and still return when paged with the recall vibration. We took Sasha and Swayze, my GSD, for a long walk after using both Drummer and Swayze as distraction dogs having them race up and down the fence line, enticing Sasha to join in the fun. Liz would allow Sasha to run up and down the fence and would then call her name, hit the vibration pager, and get out her treats quickly before Sasha raced up to her. Then she'd reward, pet, and release the dog to go again.
Our walk tested the training. I got to show Liz what to look for when Sasha was keying in on a scent and how to interrupt Sasha's thought train by calling her name and hitting the pager button. Liz was pretty happy when we spooked several deer in the draw and the dogs didn't rush after them. She was ready to dial up the stimulations, but didn't have to. Her comment: boy, it's sure nice to be able to reward my dog instead of yelling at her for chasing the deer. Yes.
Freedom for the dog. A reliable recall. And an owner that no longer has to worry about her dog getting hurt or having to keep it on lead forever. She gets to reward and praise, but has a back-up plan if everything happens too quickly. Works for me. Thanks again, Fred Hassan. I still believe.
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