Two years ago i found your videos because my wife got a puppy. Im not a dog person but with your instructions i have the most well behaved and happy dog ive ever seen . I can't thank you enough
Second this. Mine is four years now, and I receive so many positive comments on how well behaved my dog is from both friends and strangers. E-collars are unfortunately illegal here though, so I will never be able to have him without a leash due to hunters instinct which I´m not able to train away..
This by far is the most clear yet sophisticated explanation of thoughtful positive punishment / corrections I have seen on RU-vid. I’m a big fan and super grateful for you sharing with us.
@@grreatony Thank you. That means a lot as I’m always nervous about posting content that covers corrections. It makes me happy to know that it’s providing value. 😁🙏
I have always struggled with the concept of an ecollar, I mean shocking your dog for a poor training outcome didn't appeal to me but hearing a full description of the method and how to associate the correction to an undesired behavior that you may be struggling to remove makes me think twice about the use. I could never use one without trying on me first however I have advocated for people who use them correctly to use them. Follow up Question would you ever backoff the correction percentage over time as the undesirable behaviour is removed?
Thanks for the feedback! If the undesirable behavior has been removed than there is no reason to enter a correction event. We enter the correction event the moment the dog does the undesirable behavior, so no undesired behavior, no correction event. 😁
It's only humane if 1 you've set the dog up for success, meaning you've ramped up difficulty and distractions correctly, you are using your markers and rewards effectively, and you've set up the scenario so they can understand what you want, and 2 if it's not overkill in intensity. A trainer I once read about said it best. You must be one inch tougher than the dog, no more, no less. The higher-quality collars can be set to below the intensity a human can even feel. If you're doing it right, you're only ever setting it high enough to get a change in behavior, not distressing the animal.
Yesss! I have been trying to find out how to properly give corrections before I start doing them. And you're EXACTLY the trainer I wanted to learn it from! Thanks so much!
Yesss! I'm so glad you found the information you were looking for! It's great to hear that you're taking the time to learn how to properly give corrections before starting. Thank you so much for your kind words-I'm thrilled to be the trainer you wanted to learn from. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Thanks again!
Never thought I would find a trainer whose ability to deliver extensive explanations could compete with Michael Ellis. Your free content is extremely valuable, thank you!
Yes! That's exactly one of the main reasons why I started recommending it as well. It's always good to practice without the dog first, but people are often in such a rush to try it with the dog before they even learn the mechanics. Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience. Cheers!
@@NateSchoemer I shared this video with 2 of my clients. Sometimes people need to hear something said a different way, or from another person, for it to sink in. One of those clients had a “ah ha” moment. Thank you.
The point where she broke when she got praised was an important part...because she had learned that praise often precedes treat reward or nice treatment. That's a chain of events to understand when beginning training.
Hi!! I recently discovered your channel and I love it!! I seen your bark on command video- is there a way to train a dog to not bark? Especially for service dog training so they don't see aggressive
@@LailaSheets Thanks! Leash pressure can work really well with the quiet command. Check out this article and read the part about teachable moments. www.nateschoemer.com/post/achieve-dog-training-success-through-key-events cheers!
If using an e-collar only for Positive Punishment, is there any reason to get the expensive brands that have the much lower stimulation levels, or would something cheaper like a bousnic work for that just as well?
Hey Timothy! Great question. I just wrote out my response and used chatgpt to edit it for me, so it sounds a little more professional. Lol! As you know from the video I like E-collar technologies. I've also used Dogtra in the past, which is also a good company, but I like E-collar technologies better. The effectiveness of corrections greatly depends on your dog's working level and the environments in which you’re training. In my experience, the more challenging the environment, the higher the correction level may need to be to effectively control or stop the dog. For example, a dog that responds well to a level 10 out of 100 inside the house might require a level 20 outside. If that same dog sees a rabbit or cat and its prey drive kicks in, the correction level might need to increase to 30 or even 40 or 50 to be effective. Additionally, higher quality collars are generally more reliable and feature better technology. For instance, e-collar technologies use a proprietary stimulation pulse shape that is "blunt" rather than "sharp" to the dog. This "blunt" stimulation mimics the feel of a mother applying pressure on the dog's neck, which can reduce the yelping often associated with less advanced e-collars. These collars also offer a "lock and set" feature, which allows the trainer to maintain a consistent level without worrying about accidental adjustments. Furthermore, they’ve improved the connection of the contact points by offering a wide range of options and bungee cord collars. In my professional opinion, if you’re going to use a remote collar, it's best to invest in a reputable brand that provides a superior product. Not only do they offer better performance, but they also provide the best customer service I’ve experienced in the industry. Cheers!
@NateSchoemer That is very helpful, I appreciate it! I currently use the educator e-collar, but I was wondering how to explain the importance of a good brand like that to others. Thank you so much!
Hey I got some questions!!! I have been using the word “wrong” for my dogs breaking a stay or boundary (no corrections yet). When I start corrections do I have to change my word to “no” or can I continue to say “wrong”. I’m just confused if “no” is just your word of choice when it comes to a dog making a mistake and then you also use it for correcting as well? Or do you say “wrong” without correcting and “no” as a new marker for a correction coming?
Once the dogs starts responds to Wrong the negative reinforcement marker. He uses no the positive punishment marker the next time and then gives the correction.
What Timothy said is correct. I use "wrong" as my signal for negative reinforcement and "no" as my signal for positive punishment. I don't use the same word for both because it's important to avoid confusion. If you use one word for both negative reinforcement and positive punishment, the dog might perceive it as a correction even when you're trying to use it as negative reinforcement. When I say "wrong," I don't want the dog to ever think it's a punishment because it's not. "Wrong" signals a reinforcement event, which I define as an event that prompts the dog to perform an action. On the other hand, "no" signals a correction event. These are two completely different experiences for the dog. If you want to read about the full system, check out this article. I tried to break it down to make it as simple and easy to understand as possible. Let me know your thoughts if you read it. I hope this helps. Cheers! www.nateschoemer.com/post/achieve-dog-training-success-through-key-events
This guys got a pretty brain!🤓 In all seriousness a savage with the fluency of thought and articulate explanation. I understand everything and you give me hope I'm still a little intelligent LOL! Great Job Man! Thank you I got a 5 month old Pitt bull terrier, hell on wheels but just high prey drive. Gonna transition to e-collar when he's little older. On a martingale collar now and the snap I give it with the zip and pop gets his attention. However he's getting a little numb to it, I got a herm sprenger prong,, thinking gonna go there next and see, he seems like a hard dog, takes a huge pop just for him to even look at you. He's like "yeah?"
I loved your video two years ago when I got my malinois puppy. With your video I learned so much and so quickly. But now....I feel that you're to much speaking and not enough praticing with the dog. Please no more speach...more action, Nate.😘
Thank you for such a great and clear explanation. This is one of the best I've found. Do you think it's possible to start over at the beginning with a e-collar if you feel like you've already made mistakes with your dog with one?
Thanks, Nate for this great video. Monty and I are doing wonderful thanks to your help and guidance since puppyhood. It's great to see you. Monty still alerts when he hears your voice. (This is Tai Chi Susan in Texas. I changed my channel name so I'm just clarifying who I am.) Monty my standard poodle is so well trained because of you. 😊
While out on a hike at dusk yesterday my dog took off after a deer. Started to the right. When she returned after calling her back with the E collar she approached from the left. I was very thankful for the technology. 🙏🏽E collar has a 3/4 mile range but at the speed she was running that limit could have been breached fast. 😅
I'm glad to hear your dog returned safely! The E-collar can truly be a lifesaver in situations like that. It's amazing how effective it is, even with such a wide range. Thanks for sharing your experience!
First of all,thank you! Trainers like you make this world a better place. Now, after watching your video i have a question. I'm dealing with a dog that while walking can do sudden stops because he either has smell food on the floor or wants to 💩. I understood I have to say no, pop the leash and then?? Because he will freeze and since we don't have a command for walking....how i help him to walk again?? I feel I will have to put uncomfortable leash pressure or wait for him to take the decision to walk again. What you recommend??
I just rescued a 3 month old Staffy mix and he is chewing everything. He has several chew toys, teething rings, I have put them in the freezer as well, When he chews I say leave it and give positive reinforcement as well as I give him another toy to chew on. However that only last for a short duration. Would this collar be good for that? Or is he too young and I should continue what I am doing?
Well, I just discovered your channel and was very happy to do so and then I find this, that you are one of those who use shock torture to train dogs rather than positive reinforcement. You even talk about positive punishment, where you torture the dog for your training failures. Not that you'll care because you've convinced yourself that torture is an appropriate way to train and that dogs don't have the right to live free of torture, but I won't be following up with the rest of your videos; it turns my stomach too much to be on your channel.
Can an ecollar be used if the issue is resource guarding? My dog picks up trash off the sidewalk and I’m not able to get it from him without potentially being bitten, but I don’t want to make the issue worse.
So sad that you use shock collars Here they are forbidden (god sake) ... very very sad. I liked your videos so far and thought that you where at the highest level of modern dog training science.
Hey what should I do if my 13 months old dog jump and bite my arm hard when over exited usually outside with a long line but also sometime inside he start by nip on feet then jump to nip arm.
I am a veterinarian and live in Italy where the use of electric collars is unlawful, their use is punishable with jail up to a year and fines of €1k-10k and if used with malice jail up to 18 months and fines up to €30k
I understand. It's unfortunate that those who are uneducated about the proper use of this tool are often the ones who advocate for banning it. With the right knowledge and application, these tools can be incredibly effective and humane.
How many dogs are euthanized for bad behavior issues. I failed my first GSD and had to put up with his behavior despite plenty of positive reinforcement. Now I have a rescue with behavioral issues. It got so bad with the mouthing that I ended up in hospital with a blood bacterial infection. I've always had a prong collar but never used it. Thanks to some understanding professional training we are now using the prong collar and e-collar and while it is a work in progress, we are seeing a big difference. We use three words for correction. Ah ah as smarten up, No for stop what you're doing or nine spelled differently as it is a German word for no, and we use it as a last resort bringing as much correction to stop the behavior. The e-collar sets from 1 to 100. His working range is 25 a little less while in the house and up to 35 for his reactivity with 10 plus boost. It only triggers one time with each button push. I use the vibrations for getting his attention and to remind him at a distance his behavior is not wanted. His low setting and that setting is the lowest effective treatment. While with trainers, we have gone to 50 plus. But I want him to react to the lowest setting. Using both the prong collar and e-collar have worked well. I note that his behavior changed back if he is using a martingale collar which he has slipped out of. I don't like to use these more aggressive tools, but my dog is a German Shepherd and is very smart and strong willed. The e-collar helps me communicate with him together with verbal commands especially while driving. The prong collar is used for slight correction and for some reason he likes it on.
When you’re using the ecollar in combination with the leash as a means to be directional, what levels are you using on the ecollar? Low level stim , or correctional level stim?
I use the remote collar as positive punishment. If I were to use it as negative reinforcement, I would pair it with leash pressure and use a lower stim level. Both options work; it really comes down to personal preference. So, to answer your question, I use a correction-level stim when I pair it with the leash pop. I hope this helps, and thanks again for your questions! :)
If you say "no" (not yelling it, because then it becomes positive punishment), and your dog stops the unwanted behavior and doesn't repeat the mistake, then yes, that's fine. However, if you find yourself saying "no" repeatedly for the same issue, and your dog only complies momentarily but goes back to the unwanted behavior later, then I would follow through with a correction for more reliable training. I hope that helps, and thanks for your question! :)
Thanks! I understand the use of low-level stim and how people apply it. I've used that method on a few dogs myself, but I prefer to use the collar as positive punishment rather than negative reinforcement. If I do use it as negative reinforcement, it's typically for recall training, so the dog learns that when they feel the stim, they should come running to their owner. I appreciate your comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the videos! :)
I just got a GS working dog at 4mos old and this dog is totally wild. Lot of behavior problems. Does well with some simple obedience. Hes not aggressive . He pulls hard on the leash and most of what you said he does. Did not know if it was ok to use a remote collar. heard pros and cons on this subject. The vibration mode I use did work some but just wondering about the shock lvl to use it on him. he jumps on me gets into things etc etc.
Absolutely, shock collars can be amazing tools when used correctly. I use them with all my dogs to enjoy off-leash freedom. I generally don't use the vibrate function as a correction, since it often isn't strong enough to stop unwanted behaviors. For dangerous or destructive behaviors, I usually start with a setting between 20 and 40 on the mini educator (e-collar technologies remote training collar). Before I use the shock collar, I already have a good idea of the dog's correction level from using leash pop corrections. If I find the correction isn't working and my timing is right, I’ll increase the setting, often by 10. If the dog vocalizes the correction, I’ll then decrease it by 5 levels. Use this as a guideline, but always adjust based on your dog's response. Check out this article for a detailed process to fix the jumping issue: Achieve Dog Training Success Through Key Events. www.nateschoemer.com/post/achieve-dog-training-success-through-key-events
Thank you for your support. I'm not very active on my Patreon account. It's basically just if someone wants to support the channel. I would suggest becoming a channel member instead for $1.99 a month. I release videos on occasions just for channel members. In fact, I just released a detailed five in a half hour course for my channel members. Check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2U9eoKv6MmE.htmlsi=zGtQKo7qRArCPB5H
Thanks! I appreciate that. I don't use the vibrate function as a correction because it often isn't strong enough to stop unwanted behaviors, so I use the stim to correct. Cheers!
@@NateSchoemer awesome! That was my thought also, I had just seen a few videos where they used the vibrate function. Really looking forward to working towards off leash freedom for my mali. Thank again for all your excellent content 👏
In my opinion,Garmin pro 500 E-collar is the best. Easy multiple sitting.3/4 miles range. Very durable!!!! No need to increase dialed settings. There are 7 settings. Each level has 3 separate buttons. Low. Med. high. I set my dog at 2 which is the lowest. If the medium button is not enough I will go to level 3. Secondly, never ever go to an e-collar without using correction training with either a prong collar or martingale collar. Then, to must graduate to pressure training. Your dog must have learned basic commands First before going to e-collar. Never ever use e-collar to learn a new basic command. Sit. Stand. Stay. Once your dog knows these basic commands start using the e-collar to associate command with the e-collar. Use positive reinforcement when training with e-collar. Deliver command then e-collar stim. Dog does the command. Mark the behavior: “yes”. Immediately reward with treat. Graduate to verbal command reward
Thanks for your comment! In my video, I suggest E-collar Technologies because I find it works well for my training style. As I mentioned in the video, we use positive punishment to stop unwanted behaviors, not to teach new ones. Also, I personally avoid using stim after a command because I don’t want the dog to associate the command with a stim. While that technique can work, it’s not my preferred method. Thanks again for sharing your insights!
@@NateSchoemer thank you for your reply Nate. I have followed you for 2 years. I have now a 2 yr old GSD, got her when she was 8 weeks old. First time have a medium high drive work dog. Its been a challenge. Your videos have been very helpful. I have an amazing gsd puppy. I call her my spice girl… and my pumpkin bread. I am madly in love with her!
Really excellent video. Thank you for this. I think the hardest part for me is finding the correction level. The working level I understand when conditioning but the correction level is a bit trickier. Any tips from anyone would be appreciated.
Thanks! For me, the dog's working level is the correction level. I don't personally use a remote collar as negative reinforcement, which is becoming a more popular method. This approach involves giving a command and pairing a continuous stim at a very low level with leash pressure. Once the dog complies, the leash pressure and stim are turned off. When the dog becomes responsive to the remote collar, you can remove the leash, and the stim will cue the desired behavior. For this method, the stim must be low enough for the dog to perceive it as a signal rather than a correction. I use the remote collar as positive punishment, meaning I use it to correct unwanted behaviors or when the dog doesn't follow a command. I typically start the correction level at 15 on the mini educator. If the dog responds well at that level, I stay there. If the dog stops responding, I'll usually increase by 8 or 10 levels. If the dog vocalizes at the higher level, I'll decrease by half the amount I increased. This is a general guideline, and I adjust based on environmental factors. For instance, a level 15 may work at home, but at the local park, you might need a level 25 for the dog to respond. Hope this helps and answers your question. Cheers!
THanks for this. I appreciate the clear explanation about ecollar. I'm just so clumsy with even the clicker as marker (ie clicking at wrong timing, kind of like you said you use the 'wrong' command and not "Off", "out", "exit" etc because you get clumsy with the commands. i don't want to shock my dog wrongly or unintentionally due to my own mistake. So i'm sticking with "yes" "free" which my dog is already getting conditioned to. This is also illegal in Switzerland like many european countries.
Thanks so much for the kind words! I actually love dogs with high prey drive; it can make training really fun and engaging. High prey drive itself isn't usually a problem-it's the specific behaviors it can cause that might be tricky. Could you let me know what specific issues you're dealing with? That would help me give you more targeted advice. :)
@@NateSchoemer The problem with the prey drive is that our 5 month old WSS is almost always pulling. Prey drive is fun when in the forest running free but not so fun in the suburbs when the dog sees some birds or a rabbit and goes totally crazy. Today she pulled the leash out of my hand and ran across the street away for a while. I really don't know how to deal with it. Dog often pulling so hard she is choking herself. Rabbits cause worst reaction. Attention span for loose leash walking is like a minute. Does not care about treats, toys, play, commands or anything when she sees the right prey. How can you teach a dog that some times it's ok to run after prey, other times not?
It might help to use a prong collar, so if she tries to take off, she will self-correct with the prong collar. This can fall under both an obedience issue and a behavioral issue. However, I would treat it primarily as an obedience issue. I would ensure she is conditioned to her markers, understands the concept of leash pressure, and knows how to follow a lure. These are the main communication channels I like to develop with every dog I train. When I take her on a walk, I would focus on the heel stay, which is loose leash walking. When she leaves the heel position, I either re-command the position she just broke or use my marker that predicts negative reinforcement. My marker word for that is "wrong," and my negative reinforcement is the leash pressure. After I mark or re-command (either option is fine), I implement what I call a teachable moment by cueing the dog with the leash back to the desired position. Eventually, when I mark or re-command, the dog will jump back into the heel position on her own. When that happens, I transition to the correction event, so the next time she leaves the heel position, I say "no" and either pop the leash or stim the collar, then re-command and assist her back to the position with the leash pressure. You can see an example in this video. This process is the same regardless of why the dog is breaking the heel position, as long as it's not out of fear. For your specific situation, this process should work. I hope this helps, and thanks for supporting my channel. Cheers! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KB9nwPcebYo.htmlsi=MiSR79ZXI6HSIyxe
@@NateSchoemer Thank you for your answer. Basically you have been training my dog, ha ha. As I have been training her with the help of your videos. They are the best dog training videos I have found here on RU-vid. Clear, logical, informative, make sense and the instructions work. My dog knows all her markers, except for positive punishment, have not done that yet. She sits, comes, lays down, heels, stays and obeys just fine... during daytime, when a bit tired maybe, at warm weather, without distractions. Then at sunset she turns into a monster, lol. It's somewhat of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing. I'd say it's a behavioral issue, not obedience. Prong collars are illegal in Finland, plus I think it would be totally useless when the prey drive sets in. As she is now choking herself on the collar and that has absolutely no effect. I've been trying to seek for leash pulling videos here on RU-vid but so far I have NOT found a single video with a dog that is actually pulling the leash. Dog trainers usually demo leash pulling with lazy or highly submissive or hungry food driven dogs. In your video you linked, your German Shephard is nowhere near reactive compared to my dog. I would like to see a dog trainer doing a proper leash pulling video with a prey triggered dog with high energy, high wanderlust, that just sniffs like crazy because can sense that there is prey near by. Like birds, a rabbit, a fox or deer in my case. A dog that can't hear or see anything else than the prey and does not respond any more to anything.
Thanks! It's unfortunate that the prong collar is banned where you are. I think you'd be surprised at how effective they can be. Check out this video I did with a dog that loved pulling on the leash: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-E7ztsl09dOI.htmlsi=g8l3rnk5wjEfmqLe. I hope you find it helpful!
Nate, we have been watching your videos for a couple years and they are always super helpful and you are an excellent trainer. This was an incredible video!! Very concise, clear, and thorough. Thanks for sharing and teaching us so many valuable lessons. You rock brother.
This was a great explanation, with great analogies, thank you! I would love to see you do another one regarding the negative reinforcement aspects of the E-collar
Thank you, I appreciate that! Great suggestion. Until I make that video, here's how I've used it as negative reinforcement in the past: This approach involves giving a command and then pairing a continuous stim at a very low level with leash pressure. Once the dog complies, the leash pressure and stim are turned off. When the dog becomes directional to the remote collar, you can remove the leash, and the stim will cue the desired behavior. For this method, the stim must be low enough for the dog to perceive it as a signal rather than a correction.
Thanks! I appreciate that! Maverick is doing great. I recently put together a full course that's going to be featured on "Sit Stay Learn," so I was busy writing that and had to take a break from training for the past few weeks. But now that we've finished filming the course, we're back to training, and he hasn't skipped a beat. He's an awesome dog, and you'll be seeing more of him soon. :)
Hey Nate! I already trained my 3-year-old mixed breed to sit, but it's not perfect. I started from the beginning after finding your channel, and I'm loving the marker training and engagement training. While working on engagement, my dog looks at me, but also sits. I've been training for a week, but I'm unsure if he understands the marker yet as he didn''t any change of behaviour. Any tips for keeping things clear for an older dog ? Thanks!
@@WildKash Thank you for your comments. 😁 If you go to my playlist section, you can see my current basic obedience series. You can also check out this video that is a compressed version of that series. However, I do plan on making a new basic obedience series. Cheers!
Most dogs want to make you happy or protect you. My GSD is a retired MWD who worked with EOD military police in the army. He wants to work even in retirement. Sometimes he tries to be the alpha and I have to get him in line because he would be very dangerous if he forgets his role and sometimes I have to use the leash pop method to get him in line.
Thank you for your comment. I understand your perspective, and I agree that no sane person enjoys correcting their dog. I also struggled with incorporating corrections into my training initially. However, once I did, I noticed a significant improvement in my dogs' lives. They gained more freedom and could safely enjoy off-leash activities, exploring, and having fun while staying under control. Our training primarily focuses on rewards, not punishment. Corrections are only used to reinforce rules for the dogs' safety and well-being. This approach ensures they can enjoy a balanced life and be easy to care for, even if something happens to me. When an unruly dog loses its owner, it often faces the risk of being relinquished to a shelter, which I strive to prevent through reliable training. Ensuring my dogs are well-behaved helps secure their future and overall happiness. Thanks again for your comment. Cheers!
Hä. I have to use this for a livetime? A proper correction means that the dog Understands it and i dont need it anymore when the dog is well trained. I DONT wont to use it for a livetime. The "no" (and the dog corrects hisself) must be enough?! Otherwise he dont understand the no correctly if i HAVE TO use the e collar for a livetime
Shocking a dog is cruel! It's a form of punishment and leads to fear. Clicker training focuses on positive behaviors. You need to control the environment. Reactivity starts with distance where your dog feels safe. My Corgi wears a martingale collar, but I don't use it for correction.
I agree that shocking a dog without a valid reason is cruel. However, using a muscle stimulator can be a valuable tool for teaching dogs to navigate our dangerous world safely. With proper training, it allows dogs to be off-leash while maintaining control to keep them safe from fast-moving vehicles and other hazards. I believe it's also cruel not to teach a dog how to be fully trained off-leash. Without this training, dogs are either always on a leash or at risk if let off-leash, which compromises their safety and the safety of those around them. If you check out my other videos, you'll see that I emphasize reward-based training, so when I do use corrections, I achieve almost instant reliability with minimal corrections. Thanks for your comment and for caring about dog training!
