Basic training, so many ways. I have questions and need some advice please.

Quote from LoR : Timing the communication on both devices is essential

Ding , ding , ding , we have a winner

And the timing is not as easy as one would think

SD training for Charlie would be through a program we were introduced to by our vet office.
“Operation Freedom Paws”
We will talk to the trainers towards the end of this first 6 weeks training and see where we are with Charlie.
She will be our beloved pet no matter what we do. My husband was in a horrible accident almost 2 years ago that has left him disabled (blessed beyond belief that he lived and can still walk) he is retired military also.
If Charlie can help him get busy again with training and help him on the rough days…and if she is capable of this training, then we will go forward.
We will not take the place on another military brother/sister if Charlie isn’t right for the program.
Not right to do that to another vet OR to Charlie. (This is just my take, I want what is best for Charlie and if that can help my husband then YAY all of us!)

Corky said:

SD training for Charlie would be through a program we were introduced to by our vet office.
“Operation Freedom Paws”
We will talk to the trainers towards the end of this first 6 weeks training and see where we are with Charlie.
She will be our beloved pet no matter what we do. My husband was in a horrible accident almost 2 years ago that has left him disabled (blessed beyond belief that he lived and can still walk) he is retired military also.
If Charlie can help him get busy again with training and help him on the rough days…and if she is capable of this training, then we will go forward.
We will not take the place on another military brother/sister if Charlie isn’t right for the program.
Not right to do that to another vet OR to Charlie. (This is just my take, I want what is best for Charlie and if that can help my husband then YAY all of us!)

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So sorry about your husbands accident. Respect for his Service, and your's too as home support, and now in Charlies training as SD.


Is this it?
Are you in the group training mentioned in first post at OFP.
Looks very good! Very impressive creds of Founder and Very interested and will be grateful to follow along with what you can share, to read how it goes for you all.

Being prior military, I can tell you that having a dog period helped me tremendously- more mentally than physically. Hard to explain but gave me a better sense of being, a purpose more than wife and children gave me. Always there wagging the tail in the morning or at the door when getting home from work (always makes me smile and feel good inside)- following me around outside in the yard, no complaining, no constant issues or problems, no responsibilities or worries with being a failure. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family but a dog gives one a different form of companionship.

Initially, I had a pound Lab that pulled me out of my funk- had him for 13yrs I think. When he passed, down I went again. Wife and family begged me to get another. One day at the soccer fields I saw a beautiful Doberman thundering across the field chasing a ball, recovered it and then locked up a heel at owners side. I was in awe. I said, damn…that’s what I want right there.

Dobermans bring a different kind of companionship imho. They are very loyal, Velcro, extremely smart, intuitive, have that military stoic powerful look to them and very loving. They don’t sit away from you, they sit next to you. Training a Doberman can be compared to training a new recruit because what you put into them is exactly what you will get out of them. I’ve said this 100x, train them well and daily, you will get the Doberman you’ve always dreamed of…do it half ass? and you will get a chapter 13 washout crack head.

The only issue, only difference I see is that my two Dobermans (and I think most of them) were pretty rambunctious and challenging through puppyhood (3-7ish months) and through the teens (8-13ish months). You weather this storm with training, persistence, patience, love and lots of funny happy moments and you will have the best companion you’ve ever had be it SD or not. Regardless of the SD capabilities, they will have a great impact on your day to day life.

Good luck and hope you keep in touch with the progress made.

Sunje said:

I take Brio on an off-leash run daily, as I live in a setting where that's easily done. He is very high-energy and needs the daily run. He wears a Dogtra--I like it, but it's on the bulky side. I do a lot of recalls w/ the vibrate setting and he responds very well to that. I only use the stim (ie, "shock") if he decides that he has to chase something and won't listen to either a vocal command or the vibrate. I try to head that off if I see a deer or whatever before he does; then I put him on the leash. But with the e-collar I at least have complete control off leash. I don't do obedience work w/ it because he doesn't need it, as he responds well to positive reinforcement in that more controlled setting.

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Same here.
Michael Ellis has a very good training on e-collars on Leerburg, and a more extensive "train the trainer" level discussion on his new training site on "pro's and con's of ecollars, various techniques, cautions on how you can inadvertently create "suspicious beliefs" in improper use.

@Corky howgozit on the basic training?
Hope you and husband are enjoying it and the bond formed with your dobe!

remy said:

I use a 2.25mm Herm Sprenger prong for my boy. I switched out the center plate for a buckle to make taking it on/off easier. View attachment 160078I also have a covered prong from Keeper Collars. I use it often but I will say it doesn’t seem to be as effective for my dog compared to the Herm Sprenger.View attachment 160080
As for e-collars, I have the Mini Educator. I haven’t touched it in forever though so I’d need to brush up our skills with that. View attachment 160079

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@remy FWIW I have exactly the same: H&S 2.25 prong with throat latch, for everyday use- my BW prefers it on walks as its a quick wrist pop if needed as a reminder...
and a Hidden Keeper prong I use in SD use, thats not quite the same ideal fit: a bit of a "J" in the leash so there is no straining, but the dog can "feel" the proper distance either at heel with head-up looking or a longer length walk we use to allow sniffies, head down ambling as needed.

I switched from the Mini Educator we got from first trainer - LEO training school kennel with customers from several LEAs and BP in SoCal-IMHO in the hands of an experienced trainer the Educator has lots of variety, but we found a little too complicated.

Took advice from a 3rd generation in dobe trainer who does work for another LEA and trains working line dobes private clients in Exec Protection on Dobes etc.
He recommended the old basic Dogtra with just one button, no longer for sale- you can still get the two button Dogtra 1900, and when I killed that one with two much salt water, ipgraded to the X, that has three functions- stim, vibrate, tone.
I keep it simple on that- Bonnie is collar-wise so all it takes is a vibrate to get her attention if lost locked on something like a gopher in a hole while off leash.

Used the stim for the first time in a long time when she broke stay to go see a coyote...broke her over threshhold focus and she returned as trained.

So the stim is for us, "the insurance policy" on off leash training, walks/runs only after +P on long leash has built the base. If she or we get sloppy, its back to basics. "Leave it!" on picking up and chewing those yummy but gross dead fish, coyote turds, fragrant eucalyptus bark, whatever these dober goats decides needs a taste...

PS: the tone is matched to my whistle which is matched to "Come" command. The tone on collar is handy at a distance beyond which a whistle might be heard in a high noise environment, or for BW or family member walking Bonnie off leash who cant whistle...