We use tools to help communicate to our dogs what we want and what we don’t want. These tools bring us closer to our dogs than ever before and allow us to communicate effectively in a way both dogs and people understand.

We use a wide variety of tools from food, prong collar, toys, e-collar, clicker, pet corrector, praise, bonker, slip lead and affection. Every dog is different and we figure out and utilize whatever your dog’s motivator is so their training is fun and effective.

The E-Collar

The best tool out there for training every dog is the ET-300 Mini-educator (by E-collar Technologies). The e-collar is not something we resort to when things become tough, it’s the tool we start every dog off with because we believe and know the benefits it has regardless of temperament, breed, age, and size. Proper e-collar training opens the door to endless opportunities. E-collar technology collars are very similar to a TENS unit in that it stimulates the muscles along the dogs neck and communicates with them in a way they understand; pressure and release.

We do not put the e-collar on the dog and start correcting them at high levels when they don't do what we want. This is bad training and is unfortunately the perception many people have of e-collar training. We teach all of the basic obedience commands with prong pressure first. The prong collar is directional because it is controlled by a leash, whereas the e-collar is not. Once they understand this we layer the e-collar pressure over the prong collar pressure with the commands we have taught them. We spend a lot of time conditioning the dog to the sensation of the e-collar (which in the beginning phases feels like a light tingling). We teach them slowly and fairly how to turn off the tingling sensation by following the command that was asked of them.

Once the command happens the prong and e-collar pressures are released and the dog gets a reward. Conditioned and practiced over and over the e-collar becomes an invisible leash. As the training progresses the e-collar gives you the leverage to make all commands non-negotiable. You can whisper or shout to your dog with the e-collar depending on the situation, which allows us to remain calm and keep our own energy balanced. Once the dog progresses from the kindergarten phases of training we start adding in the the 3 D’s which are Distance, Duration and Distractions. This is where the real world application comes in to play. It is great if your dog will listen to you at home or in a training arena but if you want to take your dog in the car, to dog friendly stores, out door cafes, off leash hiking… etc they need to be reliable.

The e-collar allows us to speak to our dogs regardless of what is going on around them, or how far away they are from us. It also helps us to teach them to hold commands ( like Place and Down) for long periods of time under a lot of different distractions. It’s a pretty awesome thing!

The Prong Collar

The Prong collar allows us to guide the dog with directional pressure. Upward pressure means “sit”, downward pressure means “down” and so on. They are one of the most GENTLE and HUMANE collars we can use on a dog that likes to pull on the leash. Regular collars, choke collars and martingale collars can actually cause a lot of harm on the dog because they put direct pressure on the trachea. When the dog pulls it chokes and coughs because there is no release of pressure. A lot of people move to a harness which can allow the dog to pull even harder because of the amount of power they have in their chest, where the harness is designed to lay. The prong collar is unique because it gives a hug around the dog’s neck instead of direct pressure to one spot. We spend a lot of time teaching them step by step how to turn the pressure off and receive the motivator they like so much simply by moving in the direction or position we need! As they advance so does the work and expectation. Yes, we know they look mean and tough but never judge a book by its cover! We only use Herm Sprenger prong collars because of their quality and the way they are designed. They use high quality metal and each tip is rounded which adds more comfort for the dog!

The Place Bed

A solid place command is by far the best household management tool there is! When your dog is peacefully laying on the place bed they are not running around the house, counter surfing, eating things off the floor, chasing the cat, peeing on the floor, barking out the window and jumping on guests etc. The place command also aids in teaching your dog to have an off switch. So many dogs are constantly in the middle of everything and trying to be the centre of attention which can cause a lot of different behaviour issues. The Place bed also helps with dogs that are anxious, fearful, struggle with impulse control or need confidence building.

The Crate

The crate is the safest place for your dog to be when you’re away from home, sleeping or unable to supervise them. It is also a great place for them to eat or if they want quiet time on their own. Dogs are den animals and it is very natural for them to be able to relax in a confined area. A lot of dogs struggle with crate training and this is something we can help with. A dog that isn’t comfortable being in a crate is often linked to an unbalanced state of mind. Having confinement issues goes hand in hand with a lot of other issues. There are many situations where the crate can be used as a management tool. Crating calmly is a crucial life skill for every dog. Your dog’s crate should only be big enough that your dog can sit up comfortably, lay down and turn around. Some people think a dog needs a ton of space when they are in their crate; which can often make the problem worse for dogs that struggle with crating. Calm crating is part of our program and your dog will be crate trained while they are staying with us. This will be part of their transition program when they go home.