The shocking truth

Yesterday, Frankie and I went to Petco. I needed to get some supplies for the tank I'm putting together for my soon-to-be-new-pets, some Crested Geckos (thanks, Kati!).

Frankie did very well. I hadn't taken him to a pet store in quite a few weeks. I'd found that I really couldn't "train" in a pet store because it's so distracting. What with all the sights and sounds mixed in with all those smells, it's hard to keep him going in the direction I need to go rather than the direction his nose is leading him.

Don't get me wrong, pet stores are great training grounds. But your dog has to have the basics down solid before throwing in that many distractions.


When I started taking over the training of Frankie, I was at a disadvantage. My only physical "connection" to Frankie is via a short lead attaching his harness to my wheelchair. I basically have no "leash" control like you would normally have... I don't have a leash from my hand to his collar.


I recently started using an electronic collar (e-collar) with a wireless remote. I know there's a lot of controversy for this type of training device, but it's a great tool for the handicapped trying to train our own service dogs. It gives us the ability to issue a physical correction along with a verbal correction. And that's a good thing.

Without it, I'd have to rely on someone else doing all the training. But with it, I get a sense of freedom and power.

I'm a dog trainer. With this e-collar, I can still be a dog trainer. Even if I can't physically handle a leash, I can still train with the push of a button.

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