Ashley's K9 Solutions The Lowdown on Dogs

01/06/2025

Yep. I use ecollars. Slap me in cuffs now. These "abusive tools" have saved the lives of thousands of dogs, more than medications or treats alone.

The blunt stimulation that it uses is no different to that of a TENS unit. It's used more at low levels for recall, but it can also be used to give a reminder not to do certain bad behaviors.

Treats and reward are important to first help your dog if they're afraid, but when treats and play can't get through, and when you are tired of being bitten or fighting to stop your reactive dog from lunging on leash, the remote collar can communicate that something is not okay.

Large or small, it is used to keep dogs and humans safe. In as gentle a way as possible.

The proper use is conditioning first. You need to teach the dog how to turn it on, off, and that it's you doing it. You do this through rewards that are given after the low level stimulation. Mark with a "yes" after the dog turns to look at you, and guide him toward you for the reward.

This simple act will help to communicate that this weird feeling not only will mean good things most of the time, it always means "pay attention, I'm asking you something."

It can communicate far better than any tool out there when your voice alone can't.

The rush of adrenaline in a dog is immense when it's in fight mode or when it's targeting something. Because adrenaline is a pain dampener, the ecollar may need to go higher to get through or you can use a more visual interruptor like an air canister or bonker. Oh no, I said "bonker." Should probably slate me for abuse there, too.

The goal is to not have to go high with the ecollar. If possible, it's used with other techniques first on lower levels to set the dog up for success. It can't always be helped though, but a single nick on an ecollar at a meaningful level can help your dog learn the wrong answer from the right.

But the ecollar itself is not a last resort. The longer a dog is allowed to repeat a bad behavior, the more practiced they get at it. Behaviors like biting and attacking, counter surfing and bolting out doors shouldn't have the chance to become more practiced.

Some would argue "well we'll just manage the dog then." Management can fail 75% of the time, especially in our busy, hectic real life scenarios. The sooner we stop a dog from performing and practicing dangerous behaviors, the more likely we can keep that dog living its best life with its family.

I use a mixture of reward, punishment, and counter conditioning to achieve the best results. And if it's best for your dog to use a remote collar, then, yes, I'll use that, too.

"But would you want that around your neck?"

I actually have worn it and used it on high. It doesn't tickle, but it isn't burning skin or electrocuting me. TENS units apply stimulation to the muscles. They don't tickle the higher you go, sure. But the goal is to not have to go high. And if we need to, it's done as little as possible.

Over the years, I've grown as a trainer. Mentoring under certain trainers taught me the wrong way to use these tools. But when I saw the harm that can cause, I've tweaked the technique, learned from true master handlers, and now take things a lot slower.

You can't rush the process. It's not a sprint to the finish line. But when used right, paired with rewards, the ecollar is an amazing tool that can really change the game for you and your dog.

Anyone saying otherwise is most likely the first to recommend medications or euthanasia. They'll claim it's cruel, while still throwing out those suggestions before even attempting to save your dog. Too often, dogs slated for euthanasia came to me and we saved this dog from the needle. Through the use of this tool and other techniques.

Don't discount what you don't understand.

10/08/2024

Yes. Please research before you buy.

279.2K likes, 6437 comments. “Edit: yall im talking about breed restrictions on renting in the US. Many apartments dont allow “aggressive” or “pit type” dogs. Some people get a pit, realize they cant find housing as renters, then rehome the dog. I am NOT saying high energy dogs cant live i...

09/12/2024

This.

How do you feel about exposing your dog to stress?

This young Weimaraner started a board and train recently. During the drop off, I informed his owner, he'd be living under some different rules at my house than what he'd been used to for the past few months of his life.

He would be subjected to some "healthy stress.”

Among other things, he would be sleeping in a crate at night, learning to walk nicely on a leash, and participate in proprioceptive exercises to build body awareness.

Essentially, he would be learning some problem solving skills and because of it, develop greater resilience.

The first day here he found himself stuck on the opposite side of a pole than the side I was on.

Can you guess what I did?

I did nothing. I stood there, not moving, not applying more pressure to the leash, not coochie-cooing him...I just waited.

It took him about 90 seconds of wiggling, and whining to figure out what to do to get himself free.

Once he did, he was darn proud of himself, prancing about for a few seconds and then we moved on and enjoyed a short game of fetch.

The stress was short lived. He learned how to relieve it and was proud of himself as he discovered his power to problem solve.

We do our dogs no favor by immediately bailing them out of every little problem or struggle they encounter.

So often I hear, "My dog doesn't like the crate,” or "My dog doesn't like to be brushed,” or "My dog won't potty while on leash.”

As a woman who has raised two (now grown) children, I could not have imagined saying to my kids dentist..."well, they don't like having their teeth brushed so we just gave up." 🤣

I have news for you, there are very few dogs that immediately enjoy their crate, or being brushed and bathed, or being restrained on a leash.

It's our job to teach them to tolerate the realities of life in the human world.

For most things the teaching recipe is simple:

A bit of skill, applied over time, mixed by a healthy dose of patient persistence.

If you don't have the skill, the time or the patience, you can pay people like me to do the foundation work for you. It is like having the dentist clean the kids teeth...but if you don't maintain what the professional did, it's not going to become good habits that serve for a lifetime.

The main thing to understand is that stress and learning will be part of life. There is no avoiding it. It is how we learn to work through it that makes the difference.

By taking time to teach your dog how to tolerate some stress and learn to problem solve, you set them up for increased confidence, improved manners and an overall healthier mindset.

09/06/2024

This is the state of management that we get with positive reinforcement training done first. Is this dog being set up for success?

I will at LEAST give her some credit for using a correction. But ONLY after all the other things failed?

Punishment should not be the last resort. It is a basic natural clarity-inducing tool that helps living things navigate the world. In the real world, you either live or you die. If you're lucky, you only get punished for a bad decision. Yes. If you are LUCKY. Because then you can learn from your mistake and hopefully survive.

But punishment as a last resort is nothing other than filler, words and beliefs loaded with ego and unicorn farts. When you consider that this is what most rescues want you to do for the dog you adopt from them, and when you consider the actual lies that anti punishment advocates are spewing about their success rates, you eventually see the bigger and far more deadly picture of the state of our society.

This is why dogs die. Not because of prong collars or ecollars done right. Not because of a bonker or a sq**rt bottle or air canister done faster into the relationship. Not because of instilling the word "no" into your conversation right out of the gate.

Nope. What kills dogs is lack of clarity and wasting time wirh the fluffy stuff. Because they are not given clarity, they are not given a chance to succeed. Because we hold ourselves back, we hold them back. Because we are afraid to give non negotiable rules, true boundaries, proper corrections, to keep them safe, then they and those they interact with are not safe.

This dog is not likely to succeed, not as he is. He is too amped, too out of control, too snappy, and with the usual inexperienced owner that the rescue will allow to have this dog, this could be a disaster waiting to happen.

But hey, you make your own choice. If you want to walk through life with blinders, like people like this do, feel free.

But don't shame the people who want to actually fix their dogs. You have no right to judge those who punish properly and fairly when this chaotic mess is a glimpse at your process.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/874985550770721

08/28/2024

No matter how much dignity we want to give a dog. No matter how much kindness and articulation we wish to convey. No matter how much we must listen to our dog and hear what they're saying.

We have a moral responsibility to stop a dog from being a danger to itself or others as soon as possible.

If I don't want you to touch me or invade my space or act rude to me, it is not okay for me to punch you or shoot you because you broke one of my cardinal rules.

I must learn an appropriate way of telling you. Or I can take it a step further by seeing myself out and making space on my own if that makes me feel better.

I cannot threaten you with death without social consequences. I cannot attack you without legal consequences. I cannot expect my wishes to be honored simply because I threw a tantrum.

So the next time you feel you are needing to see things from the dog's side, yes, you do. You try hard to take their side into the equation.

But when their side is "I will hurt you if you break a rule I have" then you have to calmly and firmly deny them their wish.

You can even say sorry in your mind if you want. But you still must tell them it's not okay. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to want space. It's okay to need time to process a situation, presence, or pressure. And it's up to us to give them this.

But if they are to coexist with us, and go into public with us, then how they ask for their needs to be met cannot be with teeth.

In relationships, how we communicate matters. How we word things can be the difference between arriving at an understanding or entering into an argument. A counselor's job many times is to teach both sides how to speak and how to listen. The more aggressive "you need to" becomes a more cooperative "I need this from you." People are corrected for their harsh language and overreactions, either by a firm reprimand or handcuffs. Friendships and marriages are broken when one person is too violent or refuses to see things any other way than their own.

While I'm not saying go marry your dog--though I guess you do you, no judgment--we are sharing a space with our dog sometimes more than we do our human family. So why is it that we don't hold our dogs to the same standard of communication? Mutual respect is needed.

Your dog can say "no," but you have every right to critique their point of delivery. Otherwise you may as well be living with an abusive partner.

And that's not okay.

08/25/2024

Recall without ecollar. Is it possible? Yep!

If you are absolutely hell bent on not using a remote collar, you can still have a recall, but be prepared for more gritty, lengthy, and frustrating work than you would with an ecollar. Treats are great, but they are not the be all to end all. They can teach a dog what to do, but they won't help your dog to CHOOSE to do it in all distractions.

That's where accountability comes in.

Here are the steps:

1: First, make sure you know your dog knows how to come. Teach it the old way, with treats, clicker, happy praise, toys, etc... Ideally this is done in an area with minimal distractions for best results.

Then test this by calling your dog without showing treats for a bribe. See if your dog comes in this area. If they do about 40 times in a 50 time attempt, then we can assume they understand the come command.

2: Take your dog, on a longline, to a semi more distracting area. The amount of distractions will greatly effect the reliability of your dog's recall. They will make choices to blow you off, especially if you only have the same boring treat to encourage it.

Work through some of this by creating reward events. These can be a minute of food chasing, or an impromptu tug game when they come to you. Make it fun! Change it up so they get some different recall moments. And make sure to not take them inside.

Do not end the fun when they come to you. Do not poison the recall command by calling your dog and then taking them away from the fun! Instead, release your dog to go be a dog some more, waiting for the next fun moment that you call them.

After you've done these things, now it's time for the gritty accountability phase....

3: You may have done the reward events. You may have given huge praise and fun and made coming to you not end their good time, but your dog has still not learned to come no matter what.

He can STILL make choices.

So take him to an area with more distractions. Have him on this longline. Call him. If he does not come, then this is what you do:

Do NOT repeat. Do NOT get angry. Do NOT charge and chase and turn it into a game.

Simply say NO (very important you say it first) and then go get them.

Step on the leash if it's easier. Walk on the leash toward your dog to keep them from escaping, or just walk to your dog. When you reach him, grab your dog by the collar, rough enough that they know they screwed up but not so rough that you intentionally scare them.

Now wait. Do not let him go or praise him. Just hold the collar. Show some mild disappointment. And wait until he sits and looks like you made an impression. Watch for pinned ears, a glance away, a closed mouth, wide eyes. These all show concern, so don't push the matter or you could create a possible bite. If your dog has issues with collar grabs then work on that issue first apart from this training. Make sure your dog's tendencies there have been dealt with first. Your dog should NOT see this collar grab as a reason to bite you, but they SHOULD see it as a reason to listen and be a little concerned with you.

Yes. They should be feeling it's no longer a game. Not coming when called is NOT a game. In fact, it is one of the top reasons why hundreds of dogs end up dead each year.

So don't play around with this command. There NEEDS to be some form of accountability there for ignoring you.

This grabbing of the collar can create this accountability if you repeat the process. Call. "No." Go get your dog. Grip collar. Hold. Wait for dog to accept your consequence and show appeasement.

Keep repeating this until you see your dog starting to come to you...even if it's not perfect still praise and it's a party!

Do this process and eventually, with a LOT of work and time, you might have a dog that comes to you...because they know you'll go get them anyway and make it suck unless they do. :)

Other ways to punish for a failed recall is the sq**rt bottle, air canister, bonker, leash pop, etc. Make sure you say "No" first. That is super important. Otherwise they'll run from you thinking the come command means they'll get sq**rted.

Make SURE there is heavy praise and reward for when they do come. Make SURE there is some consequence for when they don't come.

And be prepared for a LONG haul. You're not getting this dog reliable any time soon.

But this is the process to go through if you don't want to use an ecollar.

Come
"No"
Leash pop, collar grab, sq**rt bottle etc..
Rinse. Repeat. Grind away.

Ecollar or not, there will be a process. And you are playing with fire to think you can get a perfect reliable recall with treats alone.

Don't be ridiculous. Don't let your ego and stupid morality hurt your dog. You have a moral responsibility to keep your dog safe, your cute cuddly feel good "but I dun wanna hurt or scare him!" ethics be damned. The "I don't wanna hurt or scare him" mantra has no ability to stop a moving vehicle and stop your dog from colliding with it. Think about that. Let it soak a bit. Do the inner work, and get to work. :)

Good luck!!

08/14/2024

Note of the day:

The more bad you allow, the less good you can have.

When people come to me lamenting their situation with their dog, be it a biter, bolter, or slurry of nuisance behavior that they can't deal with, they tell me that what they've done to manage it is to take away the fun stuff.

Their dog is reactive so they don't take their dog for walks, except maybe at night. Boring!

Their dog is a bolter, so they either crate the dog or barricade him away in a room.

Their dog is aggressive so they never let him see people...by the humans not inviting people over.

Their dog has separation anxiety, so the humans never leave the house.

Cat aggressive? Cat is isolated or dog is isolated.

Counter surfs? Dog is backtied.

Gets into things? Dog is put on place for hours, backtied, or crated.

The dog might even be put down when all the rewards and love and drugs didn't work.

When does this torment stop? Easy.

When you punish the behavior that you're trying to avoid.

What does this accomplish? The behavior goes away after time, provided that the behavior is properly punished.

And it can be by making sure that the punishment is:

1: Intolerable: Dog can't tolerate/hates it
2: Unavoidable: Dog can't avoid it
3: Consistent: Always follows the word "no"
4: Clear to the dog as to why it happened: If "no" is properly loaded as the punisher marker, this should happen generically.

Then look at what happens!

You can walk your once reactive dog. In the day!

You can have your dog out of a crate or off place or off a backtie more often, because he won't bolt, counter surf, or look for things to get into.

You can have people over.

You can go places! See your friends. Visit family. And you won't have to worry about coming home to p**p, a puddle of drool, or a shredded mess.

You may be able to have your cat out more (never unsupervised!]

You can go, do, and see more with your dog. You can LIVE with your dog!

And God willing this may even help you enough so that you don't have to kill your dog.

Save them by punishing them when needed.

Let yourself accept the realization that punishment is freeing. It is relief. It is clarity. Peace of mind.

Because when you do this, and when you finally learn how to do this right, you have given your dog, and you, the greatest gift.

Time together.