GSP Lifestyle Question Questions

I just meant when we "trained them to be off leash", not for basic dog training.

This is SO helpful! Thank you! Catahoulas are beautiful dogs, very similar to GSPs in build too like you said. That is great to know that its possible to tire them out and make them happy around working hours. Great to meet another trail runner too

I can see how this would help re-direct an energetic, tireless dog in recall training.

Most of the collars (or the better ones) have options for shock, vibration, beep and lights.

The lights are helpful at night if your dog gets away or is off leash. Vibrations can signal the dog to come to you (pair it with calling their name enthusiastically and giving treats when they come to you).

The beep could be used instead of the shock for simple corrections although I just use the vibration and light feature since my dogs can’t hear.

OH one more thing I forgot!

I know nothing about your other breeds, but GSP are essentially hunting dogs, as are catahoulas.

When running off leash they are easily distracted by sights and smells of wild animals, especially deer and hogs for mine personally.

One of mine will even chase birds flying overhead. It takes ALOT of positive treat training with all the wild animal distractions in the woods. I always carry the treat pouch with me (still) and the vibration is a great way to get ones attention if it runs after a scent.

There are also ‘breaking scents’. You apply these to the collar and keep on the dog constantly. The idea is they get used to the scent and when they smell it on the trail they won’t run after it.

One doesn’t need an E collar to teach a recall or boundaries.
I just don’t like the idea of causing discomfort regardless of any reason behind it.
It just seems like a corrective tool to quick fixes without investing time for training the dog and one's-self, and in effect used in many cases to correct a dog for untrained behaviors.

The rescue group I am going through says that "most GSP owners have learned the importance of training their pup on an e-collar. The training collar that teaches the dog to recall quickly, to not wander too far from the owner and, most importantly, to stay out of danger. It should not be used as punishment." I don't have any personal experience with using one though.

I'm afraid that you are not likely to get a positive response on the use e-collars on a UK forum. They have been illegal in Wales for a couple of years now, and it is likely that England and Scotland will eventually follow suit. The ban almost happened in Scotland, but stalled over whether professional trainers should be allowed the discretion of using them for intractable behaviours such as sheep-worrying. I think that the will of the public, and the welfare organisations, is in favour a ban though.
At present, it seems to be a case of Watch This Space as our respective Parliaments have rather more complex matters to deal with at present.

I hear that!

Thank you all who have helped me get some more insight. I didn't mean for this to turn into an e-collar topic, so is there any other advice on how to transition a GSP into a new home around a work schedule? Especially a rescue that has been moved around? Thanks again all!

I have been following this thread. I know there is lots of confusion on shock collars & Invisible Fence collars. There are many types of collars: Shock, sound, vibration etc. They should be used to interrupt behavior not for discipline. Once you interrupt behavior then show your GSP what your want them to do. If you keep shocking GSP’s they will learn to accept pain.

The real Invisible Fence Brand is not sold in stores & does not train to pain. They use low static with sound. Only the original brand can use the name Invisible Fence® Brand. This company has professional trainers that work with the pets & owners for up to 6 weeks teaching containment to the owners/pets. The goal is they turn on sound not the shock.

We have been involved with GSP since the 1970’s and have competed in Field trials at the national level, become a breeder and are chukar hunters. Our dogs have a very “high prey” drive and will go after bear & deer. We have had them all professionally trained so that they don’t point rattlesnakes, skunks, porcupines etc. GSP’s are “Fur & Feather” and anything is fair game.

We “gave up” on 10’ foot chain link fences and 10’ wooden fence. We hired the Invisible Fence Brand and out dogs are contained on “lifetime warranty” equipment. They are a lot happier because of their freedom. The rare time they got out was it was due to a dead battery (owner error) like leaving the gate open! If it is training issue the Invisible Fence Company will send a trainer. I have never needed them once it was installed & trained.

And this is why the collars are not training but aversives.

If the dog was truly trained, it wouldn't matter that the gate was left open or the battery was dead. It would know it's boundaries.

That is one of the reasons I am against e-collars, mostly they are used as a ‘quick fix’ If the dog is not trained properly it will only be obedient when wearing an E-Collar.

Invisible fences, underground fences, or any of those things in my opinion are not safe options for many reasons. They are definitely not the kind of fence where the dog can be outside while you are not keeping an eye on them.

If invisible/underground or similar fences trigger the e-collar so the dog will not cross them, what happens if a stray dog which is not wearing such a collar, decides to come IN to the property, crossing the fence?

Never have had an issue with other dogs but I am sure it is a possibility. Our dogs have marked the boundaries and they have ownership 1.5 acres. We just don't have the loose neighborhood dogs (like years ago) because of leash laws. Our dogs are extremely well trained but do have very High Prey Drive. Since the training is focused on their ability to think vs. pain they don't cross. It does not matter if it is a deer or a bird is on the other side. The Brand Invisible Fence® has a 98% success rate and will give back your $ if they can't contain. It has been a real-life saver for us and our GSP’s. We had spent over $12,000.00 on fencing plus additional $5000.00 for professional outdoor kennels and none of that worked. Our system only costed $2900.00 for 4 GSP’s but the $ has gone up from 10 years ago. Additional feature is the system moves with us when we move!

@kline - do you have some connection with the Brand Invisible Fence® because in the two posts you have made since you joined Breedia you have certainly plugged it.

By your own admission your dogs are trained by ‘Pain’ methods.

There are lots of high prey drive breeds that are trained without the use of E-Collars, surely the goal in training is to teach our dogs things, other than "ouch, that hurts, I'd better not do it again.
I’m a believer in that training is a lifelong journey, a good trainer/handler/dog owner wants to have a great bond with their dog and an enjoyably relationship and train their dogs to do something they learn to want to do, rather than deliberately choosing to train by 'punishing' them when they get it wrong.