Off-leash Recall Dog Training
Rhonda loves teaching advanced off-leash dog training including the 'come' command, 'wait' command (great for allowing dogs and people to pass your dog off-leash) and the off-leash heel (great for walking by people and dogs). She does this carefully with an electronic remote collar (e-collar). However, and that's a big however, dogs must meet certain requirements in order to be off-leash safely and so you're not harming them emotionally or physically on the e-collar. The e-collar is a great tool but can be misused easily. Let's go over how you can use an e-collar in a gentle and humane way.
Phase 1
Before you do any type of e-collar dog training we have to make sure the dog feels safe and confident outside. We use the e-collar as a way to enforce boundaries and build motivation to want to return back to us. However, if the dog is more concerned about their safety, can't eat or relax outside, then the e-collar becomes another layer of stress for them outside.
Some dogs must go through relaxation training and mindset training. The answer to relax a dog is never more exercise as adding excessive activity can lead to over-arousal and hyperactivity. It only masks the problem which is - the dog doesn't feel safe and can't relax. Teaching a dog the skill of relaxing, having faith in you and feeling confident outside is the first step to your dog living an amazing life off-leash.
Phase 2
Once the dog is able to relax, feel safe, have faith in you and confident outside and you've proved you're good at rewards based training, we can then introduce the e-collar. This is just as much training You as it is training the dog. We use the e-collar as a form of communication. We tell the dog what it is we WANT them to do like 'wait', 'come' or 'heel'.
The e-collar is never used as a way to override aggression or a strong emotional response. It's not a tool to say 'no' or suppress a dog's emotions. We allow for full expression of emotions because that's how we know whether to increase or decrease the challenge. Our dogs are also telling us a lot through these emotional outbursts and it's our job to listen to them. Dogs don't understand punishment when they're fearful the same way people don't under it.
You'll learn how and when to use the e-collar in challenges and when to ditch it so you can support your dog in relaxing and feeling safe when they're overwhelmed.
Phase 3
You're ready to start increasing your challenges like hiking mountains, mountain biking with your dog or hiking with friends and their dogs. You can now teach more advanced concepts like an off-leash heel and a wait command. Some dogs will learn advanced dog socialization around other dogs with the help of this communication tool.
Interested in getting started?
Rhonda would love to introduce you to the world of e-collars and training with them in a compassionate way. Check out our programs to get started!
Electronic Remote Collar Certifications
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Robin MacFarlane's TMD E-Cademy Certified (2017)
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Martin Deeply E-Touch Certified (2016)
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Tyler Muto Mastering the Remote Collar Workshop (2017)
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Mark McCabe's TBTE E-Collar Workshop (2018)
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More important having trained lots of different dogs on e-collar and having taught dog parents and aspiring dog trainer students through her privates, classes and workshops
TESTIMONIALS
“The list of places and things we would not do with Bristol grew longer because of off leash dog aggression and lack of recall (no hiking, picnics, trail running, swimming) we knew this was not the life we wanted with our dog.
We were hesitant about training at first, but working with Rhonda was night and day compared to our previous training experiences. Bristol is learning to greet off leash dogs in a friendly way, control her excitement in new situations, and remain obedient in high distraction environments! Since the training we have received dozens of comments from friends and family about the amazing difference they see in Bristol and how enjoyable she is to be around now. I am so thankful we found Rhonda and she gave us to tools and techniques to live in harmony with Bristol. Last weekend I went trail running with her alone without lance for the first time in 3 years. The two of us had so much fun and that was definitely something I never thought I would be able to do with her! She also had a successful first day at dog camp. All the best and thanks again.”
- KATIE & BRISTOL
“We attended a highly recommended local dog trainer’s class and enrolled in a 6 week, treat-based training course. The only thing that we learned was to teach Rita to sit. The instructor said that based on Rita’s breed and history, we would never get a solid off leash recall. They couldn’t even get Rita to lay down, let alone stay. We left feeling discouraged and frustrated at our “bad” dog!”
In less than 4 sessions with Rhonda, Rita was no longer stealing food, eliminating indoors, or rushing the door and was walking off leash with 100% recall. Our last session included an off leash walk at a popular dog walking spot, something I never thought possible with Rita. Our lives are forever changed! I can now go on dog walks with friends, take Rita to my daughters soccer games, have people over for dinner, and enjoy spending time with her. Rita is a much happier, playful, and attentive dog.”
– LAURA & RITA