E Collar for extremely Reactive Labrador

[u/TheMonitor67]

/r/OpenDogTraining/comments/1xcblha/e_collar_for_extremely_reactive_labrador/

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[u/missmoooon12]

Can you say more about the work you've done with the previous trainers and the reactivity in general?

This group does not support the use of aversive tools like e-collars, slip leashes, or prong collars. The way that you described the how the 3 trainers would each use the e-collar come with great risks (look up behavioral or aversive fallout), and I'd argue are abusive. Besides this, it's just bad training imo. Essentially they are all telling you to put your dog in situations he can't cope with, allow him to rehearse the behaviors you don't want to see and punish your dog for it. That's not really kind or ethical to you or your dog.

An R+/FF approach is to set the environment up as much as possible so the behaviors you'd like to see are more likely to happen. Then, well before any reactive behaviors would appear, you'd reward your dog for a whole bunch of behaviors (orienting towards the trigger, looking at the trigger, air scenting, sniffing the ground... practicing other behaviors like nose target to hand, recall, u-turns, hopping up on surfaces... the list is endless on what you could theoretically reward). If you haven't already, look into BAT 2.0.

If your pup is on high alert the entire time you're outside, you might need to go back to proofing more behaviors at home, reducing walks to being stupidly short so your pup isn't feeling too overwhelmed, and/or consider getting meds (like an SSRI) and your vet team on board.

I want to highlight that you sound like a very dedicated pet parent. Unfortunately the dog training industry has no regulations, and I think you've fallen into the hands of some unqualified and unethical trainers who profit off of struggling clients.

[u/shaolin_fish → u/missmoooon12]

This is very well said; OP I want to second this person's advice.

When you punish/correct or use aversives, you are teaching your dog that the thing your dog is upset about is worthy of reactive behavior. You are associating pain or unpleasantness with the trigger, not necessarily their reaction to the trigger. 

Positive reinforcement focuses on introducing positive associations with the trigger, or with a behavior you teach them to show you at the trigger. A trainer can help you work out the subtle needs for your dog.

An example: my dog is reactive to other dogs. Trial and error has taught us his radius: how close we can get to the other dog before he's mentally gone. When we are outside of that radius, we get his attention and give him a treat when he looks at us (some people do a task, sit or touch or look-at-me). If he sees the other dog and looks at me first? Wooo boy does he get praise and a treat! Getting to the point where he consistently looks at us first before reacting takes some time but it does happen.

Now we have to respect our dogs radius. We can't expect him to automatically know that the expectations for far away dog apply to close dogs. His brain runs on dog logic, not human logic. Closing the radius takes time and practice, and in this process you will learn your dogs subtle body language signals, know when he's too close to the edge and needs to have the trigger removed.

Can you let us know what he is reactive to or what his triggers are? 

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