Alot of people knock on e collar without realizing the principle behind using it as a training tool. the shock they get is very mild and a good e collar should have adjustable levels its less painful and harmful than being choke by a choke collar or prong collar and its a much faster way to correcting behaviour than either the choke or the prong collar. However it is much much much easier to be abused by someone that doesn't know the philosophy behind it (think continuous shocking the dog till he behaves thats NOT how the collar is suppose to work)

If you are going this route I suggest you get the advice/help of professional trainer that have experience with e collar training so you know how to use the collar safely and effectively

^Don't forget, the term "e-collar" is applied to two different types of collars, too: there's the "shock" type that gives a small zap, and the type that simply vibrates two small prongs against the neck.

But you're right, even the zap type gets a bad rap because it tends to be abused - no one training tool is the right tool for every dog, every situation, and every trainer.

Classic example: most trainers are vehemently against the use of retractable leashes under any circumstances for a variety of reasons, and I regularly hear stories trotted out of dogs who got hit by cars because the leash let them run out in the street before their handler could lock it down...

And then last spring we were at a seminar that included, among other guest speakers, an obedience trainer with decades and numerous championships under his belt, and he swears by the retractables *WHEN DOING HIS OBEDIENCE TRAINING*, because as he put it, normal leashes aren't long enough, and if a dog isn't leashed, he isn't under your control.

Again, right tool for the job when used properly, and it won't be the best tool for every instance.

speaking of long leashes, where can I get one of those loooong leashes that cops use for training their gsd's at? id like to be able to take my dog to the park across my street and have a 20ft leash on him just for safety so I can work on his commands/hand signals from a distance :D

We got 25' leashes for training from the dollar store, of all places... although depending on the dog's size and strength, I don't know if I'd trust a dollar store leash to stop him should he decide to bolt (mine are all 5-6 pounds, so I'm not too worried about the leash breaking).

Leerburg Dog Training | Long Lines
This is where I got my double handled leash for Monty. 6 ft, with a short traffic handle built in. Crazy good quality. Got my long line at tisol, but think I'd rather have one of these. 30 foot long line=60 ft of 60+lb dog to gain momentum in a worst case scenario if your dog has a high prey drive or something like that, so I'd spend the money for quality.

thanks, was hoping for a local store, but if not, i'll use that site :D

The shipping was really quick. I know that they have a distributor in langley as well, but I cant remember the name for the life of me.