I found this gem in an article by Lori Drouin in a copy of Front and Finish, a very good serious obedience magazine. Please read this, and then reread it. It applies to ALL methods of training:

"A correction never works the way we want it to if the dog sees the action as an expression of temper on our part rather than a consequence of the dog's behavior choice. Once thing is certain: If you're having to correct many times per session on a daily basis, you need to look at providing better information (which might also be less information all at once) and better motivation if you want your dog to improve.

If you're in a deep hole in your training with a dog who has been overcorrected or conversely with a dog that needs some correction but hasn't had enough experience with corrections to know what to make of them, it's going to take time and patience and commitment on your part to build a new line of orderly and careful communication, and allow your dog to build trust in the new system. I've been in both holes, and I can tell you that the way out involves small steps up a new ladder, and not a backhoe approach that makes the hole different, bigger, and still a hole.

Tapes & Books

I am often asked which tapes and books I like. Here is a list.

TAPES/DVDs:

Order:
Obedience Without Conflict
By: Ivan Balabanov
Tape 1 - CLEAR COMMUNICATION
Tape 2 - THE GAME

VHS $59.95 + shipping and handling
DVD $69.95 + shipping and handling

Canine Training Systems www.caninetrainingsystems.com 720.873.0900

BOOKS:

Purely Positive Training - Sheila Booth
Click here to buy from Amazon

EQUIPMENT:

I just want to go on record as saying two things... DO NOT buy a head halter of any kind for your poor dog. They are ridiculous, look like a muzzle and make your dog look bad in public, irritate the crap out of dogs and are useless for training.

Second, I don't care what kind of collar you use when training, but if you are going to use a prong collar, for the love of gawd, please buy a correctly sized one. Buy the small, inch long links, and fit it snug up under the ears. PLEASE don't buy the big sized links and have it loose on the neck. Thanks!

An open letter from Dr Karen Overall regarding the use of shock collars.
A MUST read

I have not changed my opinion and it is that there is never any reason for pets to be shocked as a part of therapy or treatment. If anything, I have strengthened this opinion. There are now terrific scientific and research data that show the harm that shock collars can do behaviorally. At the July 2005 International Veterinary Behavior Meeting, held in conjunction with the AVSAB and ACVB research meetings, data were presented by E. Schalke, J. Stichnoth, and R. Jones-Baade that documented these damaging effects (Stress symptoms caused by the use of electric training collars on dogs (Canis familiaris) in everyday life situations. Current Issues and
Research in Veterinary Behavioral Medicine, Papers presented at the 5th Int'l IVBM. Purdue University Press, 2005:139-145. [ISBN 987-1-55752-409-5; 1-558753-409- 8]).

This follows on the excellent work done by Dutch researchers, in cooperation with their working dog groups and trainers, that showed that working / patrol dogs were adversely affected by their 'training' with shock, long after the shock occurred (Schilder MBH, van der Borg JAM. Training dogs with the help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioural effects. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2003;85:319-334).

Research meetings can be attended by anyone paying the fee, and most published work is available either in the public domain, from an organization, or from someone with a university library connection.

There is no longer a reason for people to remain misinformed. Let me make my opinion perfectly clear: Shock is not training - in the vast majority of cases it meets the criteria for abuse. In my patient population, dogs who have been 'treated' with shock have a much higher risk of an undesirable outcome (e.g., euthanasia) than dogs not subjected to shock, and I never recommend euthanasia. In all situations where shock has been used there is some damage done, even if we cannot easily see it. No pet owner needs to use this technique to achieve their goal. Dogs who cease to exhibit a problem behavior usually also cease to exhibit normal behaviors. The only data available support the idea that shock is neither an effective nor
suitable training tool.

That said, it's time we replaced everyone's personal mythologies and opinions with data and scientific thinking. Such opportunities are now available, but are often not exploited.

For example, the statement: " Major veterinary universities have tested E-collars since the mid 60's when they were invented. No evidence of any damage, Physiological or psychological has ever been found." is patently and wholly false. For the evidence re: data - see above. As for the initial statement - it's WRONG. It's a MYTH. The specialty college (ACVB) even conducted a census a few years ago to see if we could find ANY truth to this and there was NONE. We couldn't get anyone to say that they had - or knew someone who had - participated in such tests and studies. This pattern of behavioral repetition is representative of the danger of myth, and also of the power of the scientific method. Science tells you when you are wrong. Myth allows you to steal credibility where none is earned. That particular myth has damaged universities too long, and it has traded on the reputations of people who neither endorsed that decision, nor supported the finding, and it must stop.

I hope this helps. I have never thought we could get via electricity what we couldn't get by advanced training and hard work.

Karen L. Overall, M.A., V.M.D., Ph.D.

Reprinted thanks to http://www.joelwalton.com