Collars for training

[Sherry Miller]

I just wondered what type of collar you all use for on leash training for your Irish Setter?

[Teresa]

Pitanga managed to open the microwave door and still my dinner while I was having a quick shower. I had no other prepared food at home and was really really hungry!A while after eating my dinner she decided to throw it up, so that as a perfectly good dinner entirely wasted...

To this day I could never find out how the hell she opened the microwave door. I even put up a camera on the kicthen but she never did it again and now the microwave is in a place she can't reach...

[Howard Glansfield]

Most of our things are where the dogs can't reach but Arthur seems to reach places other dogs can't!

We  have gone off the 'Collars for Training' heading!

We used to have a mongrel many years ago called Muldoon but known as 'Mouldy'. He would escape over the garden gate,dig under the garden fence ,anything to get at any bitch that just might be in season.No matter what we did he would get out.He also would get out to visit a local food processing factory where they would feed him old pies.He would sometimes make a long walk to the local slaughter house ,sadly long gone,and once came home carrying a sheeps head.A bit worrying 'till we discovered that he had been given it.Anyway, our local newsagent and sweet shop had shelves that went down to the floor of open tins of sweets .I was in there one day when Mouldy pottered in,ignored me(thankfully), and helped himself to a few sweets and went out.The owner said 'that dog does that every day do you know who his owner is?' I denied all knowledge!

We continued to try and dog proof the garden but,with Mouldy, we never really won.

[Howard Glansfield]

We were a lot younger then and now we are wiser(I hope) and more responsible.

[Sherry Miller]

Howard,

   Have tried to reply twice to this ...and had a good laugh at Mouldy's antics....and also know your mortification in that store.  Our Shannon would occasionally climb the fence here...he could and would climb anything .  Left him once at a kennel and they found him in the inside fence covered run clinging by his claws upside down  to the top of the 6 foot kennel run....climbed the fence to leave but that fence just kept going!  We used to have a golf course next to us and one Sunday he did his climbing escape and we were right behind him....off thru the patch of woods and right onto the golf course. By the time we reached the edge of the woods we could see him cavorting around two golfers...golfers cussing up a storm and swinging their clubs at him as he had retrieved one of the golf balls.....the madder they got the more Irish figure eights Shannon did...they never got close enough to hit him with the clubs but we were mortified by his behavior...and rather afraid of the anger they were showing.  Shannon caught a glimpse of us hiding behind the trees and skeedaddled for home....walked thru the gate and was waiting for us on the patio happily playing with his stolen golf ball.  Always wondered if that golfer got a do over.

[Howard Glansfield]

A lovely story! It just shows how determined and clever setters are.We had a neighbour who had an old setter cross.One day the dog got poisoned ,he ate rat poison.He was rushed to the Veterinary Hospital where he made an amazingly full recovery.The vet later 'phoned panic struck,the dog had escaped from his fenced pen.The fence was 15 feet high!

[Sherry Miller]

That is one tall fence!  Shannon did not climb often....just every once in a while and usually to play with a dog who lived two yards away or to steal a swim in the golf course lake .  Funny as any of my dogs who escaped loved it if you walked after them to retrieve them from their adventures....and would stay right out of your reach while heading home....now if you even started the car to take on your search for them they were there lickety split ...begging to get in the car and go with you!  Irish Setter selective hearing but never when it involved chance of going somewhere in the car .

[Norma Pape]

I have bought a 'Gentle Leader' harness which is brilliant as Derry can't pull me and he can't harm his neck, throat or face.  He seems to naturally behave on the lead and this gives me the opportunity to talk to him all the time - I am now boring him to death.

[Sherry Miller]

Norma does the Gentle Leader Harness hook on top of the back?  I will be seriously looking for one come March....and after all the ice melts here.....walks right now not a good idea between the ice and salt on roads and walks.  Thanks for any information on this.

[Howard Glansfield]

My Gentle Leader has a ring underneath the muzzle piece to clip a lead to.I much prefer Gentle Leaders to Haltis,mainly because they seem better for the dog.When you get one make sure it has ,or you buy, a link that clips between the ring on the Gentle Leader and the  collar.If the leader should come off ,you still are connected to your dog.

I see so many people walking dogs with their arms fully extended and the dog pulling like mad.Obviously they are a lost cause to training their dog not to pull (I can talk!) but a Gentle Leader solves the problem instantly. I don't know why they are not more used.Some dogs don't like it at first but it is worth persevering with using it.

I found one that fitted the puppy and he took to it instantly.I am trying to train him not to pull so I don't use it all the time.

[Sherry Miller]

Howard ,

   Molly is currently using the Gentle Leader....and we are working here to get her to walk on regular collar....she is a smarty pants though....If I walk her one block with the Gentle Leader on and then clip the leash to her regular collar( I just leave the Gentle Leader on her and move my leash when she is in a sit position to her regular collar)  she continues to heel and sit perfectly but IF I start the walk on her regular collar she immediately wants to take me sidewalk surfing.

   Just have been curious about the harness type that is not around the muzzle...and what success has been with it and where the leash clips on.  I have never used a harness before and it is an option I have been thinking of trying with her.  Thanks for the feedback on the extra clip.

Sherry

  

[Jo Ottinger]

I do not think you are boring him.  Hawk loves to hear everything I have to tell him and then he lets me know how his day went also

[Norma Pape]

What a lovely thought hearing how their day went.  I think you are right they do listen and learn a lot of words this way, which over the years make it seem that they understand everything you say - or maybe they do understand everything you say.