When striving for long term reliability with your dogs training, the best tool available is E-collar Technologies ET-300 Mini-educator. The e-collar should not be used as a last resort tool! It's the perfect communication tool we teach all adult dogs with, because we know the benefits it has regardless of your dogs temperament, breed, age, or size. Having your dog properly e-collar trained opens up a world of opportunities to you both! The stimulation that is provided by the e-collar is very similar to that of a TENS machine used for muscle stimulation. It works by lightly contracting the neck muscles of your dog, which offers an effective communication, that is very clear for your dog. It works off of pressure & release learning system. Please note, an e-collar is not the same thing as a shock collar.

The e-collar should never be put on the dog & used immediately at a high level, that is poor training. This is why the tool has a poor reputation of being considered abusive. Tools are only as dangerous as the individual misusing them. The dog needs to be properly conditioned to the e-collar stimulus so they can properly understand the cues the tool communicates to them once its paired with their already known and fully trained commands. We teach all of the basic obedience commands first. The collar is a direct communication tool as it is controlled by the leash, where the e-collar is controlled by an indirect remote stimulus and there is no obvious association to the handler. This helps create a more conscious positional awareness & focus for the dog in regards to the handler, without reliance on leash pressure & manipulation. 

The e-collar allows us to communicate to our dogs no matter what is going on around them, or how far away they are from us. It allows us to teach them long durations in commands under a variety of different distractions. E-collars give your dog the freedom to enjoy being a dog, while also keeping your dog safe & creating reliability!

The Prong collar allows us to teach the dog with directional pressure. They are one of the most safe, humane, and gentle collars that we can use on a dog. Flat, choke, or martingale style collars -- amongst others, exert a lot of tracheal pressure and cause harm to the dog long term. If your dog chokes and coughs when it pulls, that is due to no release of consistent direct pressure. When used correctly, the prong distributes pressure evenly around the dogs neck, and eliminates coughing, choking, and tracheal damage. Due to their high quality design, we only recommend the usage of Herm Sprenger prong collars. They only use high quality metal to construct their collars, & ensure each prong tip is delicately rounded, to avoid discomfort to your dog, as well as prevent any possible equipment malfunctions (which can be seen in lower quality prongs).

Teaching & utilizing a place command, is a great way to create a calm home environment with your dog.  When your dog is on place, it gives them a job to do, other than running around the house, counter surfing, eating things off the floor, chasing the cat, peeing on the floor, barking out the window & jumping on guests etc. Place is a great "tool" to teach your dog an "off switch". We see many dogs with behavioural issues, due to a lack of structure, & boundaries in the home, leading them to feel the need to be a constant center of attention, with an inability to self regulate. It can be extremely useful for dogs that struggle with anxiety, fear, impulse control, or lacking confidence.

The crate is the safest space for your dog to be when you’re away from home, or unable to supervise them. It also provides a space for them to go to for quiet time, if they are tired, or potentially stressed. Dogs find it easiest to relax in a confined area. A dog that isn’t comfortable being in a crate, is often linked to having an unbalanced state of mind, & improper crate training. Generally, confinement issues go hand in hand with a plethora of other behavioural issues. The crate can be a great management tool, especially in multi-dog households. Being properly crate trained, is a crucial life skill for every dog. Your dog will be crate trained while they are staying with us. Some additional reasons that crate training all dogs is important include; veterinary emergencies, inclement weather warning, grooming visits, destructive behaviours, escapees, safe vehicle travel, etc.