What training tool has produced the best results with your dog?

[Riverdog]

I know there could be more than one answer here but I would like to know the ONE tool that has produced the best results with your dog.

Food works with Doc.

[mjsmittyjr]

Great question, maybe we can get some input to help us with our training

[silvaheyes]

It's not up there but the NILF (Nothing In Life is Free) method works great for us.. Also consistency with whatever we're doing.

[mjsmittyjr]

My pup will do anything I say for a pupcorn or breath buster.

[Riverdog]

It's not up there but the NILF (Nothing In Life is Free) method works great for us.. Also consistency with whatever we're doing.

Just for you silva, I edited the poll to add NILF.
I just looked up NILF. I didn't know that was what I was doing but I guess I practice NILF and didn't even know it!

Doc will listen without food after he knows the trick but when training food still works the best to initially teach him the trick.

I have to confess when he was younger he was (and still is) VERY strong willed. I never owned a dog that strong willed. Even though he knew to "come" or "stay" when it came to chasing a car up the driveway (we are in the country on a dead end road) or chasing deer he would not listen at all! He was either going to get run over by a car or shot by a hunter. We invested in a PetSafe shock collar and remote. I shocked myself first. I wasn't about to put it on my dog without knowing what it felt like! It only took a setting of 3 and shocking him 2 different times to teach him not to chase a car and it only took once to stop him from chasing deer. In total he was shocked maybe a half dozen times or less in his life for major behavioral problems then the collar was set to "beep" only. The beep worked great and after about 6 months he never put the collar on again.

I would only recommend a shock collar for behavioral problems that can put your dogs life in jeopardy if not controlled. I do not believe shock collars should be meant as a "training tool". You dog should already know commands before you ever use a shock collar. A shock collar is not a "quick fix" and I feel shouldn't be used unless all other resources have failed.

We were at our wits end with Doc but the shock collar was a miracle for us. We have had many dogs and I never had as much trouble breaking them of cars, deer, etc as I did Doc. Doc was like a kid that would get smart ellic when you corrected them.

[myerskt]

food, food, and food! I once had a dog who liked to eat so much, that even his daily vitamin was a reward. Used it to teach him to sit up and beg.

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