Tri-Tronics G2 Basic Training Guide Congratulations! Your Tri-Tronics G2 Remote Trainer will make it easier for your dog to learn, and easier for you to train your dog. With the aid of this training manual and our DVD, you can teach your canine best friend to become the good citizen he can be, as you set the foundation for more advanced field or competition training. If you have any questions or would like more training information, we’re here to help. You can reach us at support@tritronics.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Two Ways to Use Remote Trainers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Keeping the Dog from Becoming Collar-wise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Do Not Leave a Tri-Tronics Collar on a Dog All the Time . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Intensity Selection Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Stopping Misbehaviors General Pointers for Stopping Misbehaviors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
INTRODUCTION Two Ways to Use Remote Trainers There are two ways to use your Remote Trainer in dog training. You can use it to reinforce commands, like “Come” or “Heel,” and you can use it to stop misbehaviors, like digging and jumping up. This booklet will give you some instruction in both types of training. Just because a dog understands a command does not mean that he automatically understands a correction from a Remote Trainer.
Some dogs who have been confused by collar corrections in the past can learn to feel inhibited simply by wearing a collar. They can become reluctant to leave their owner’s side any time the collar is worn, even though they’re never corrected. To make sure your dog doesn’t feel this way about wearing the collar, use correct procedures for introducing it in training, such as those in the obedience program on pages 26-34.
Test Procedure After setting your collar intensity at its lowest possible level, wait until your dog is not paying attention to you or to anything else. Then press the lowest possible continuous stimulation button. Watch the dog’s expression. You want to see him make a very small motion, such as suddenly closing his mouth, blinking his eyes, cocking his ears, or tipping or turning his head. This tells you that the dog has felt the stimulation but is not overwhelmed by it.
5. General obedience training can help dogs with behavior problems. Obedience training (“Heel,” “Sit,” “Down,” “Stay,” “Come,” etc.) teaches your dog to respect you more. It teaches you how to communicate with your dog more effectively. Also, many problem behaviors can often be traced to the dog having too much energy and no outlet for it.
Jumping Up – Summary of Steps • Use a pre-selected level of intensity. • Approach the dog and cause him to jump up. • Press the stimulation button the instant the dog jumps up. Good timing is important. • Raise the intensity by one level if the dog is not responsive after several corrections. • Repeat in several places with different people. • Don’t give the dog a chance to jump up without correcting him until he has gone for three days without trying to jump up.
brings him a great deal of pleasure. You must be careful to correct every chase once you start your training. You might need to do this many times before the dog will believe that chasing is always unpleasant. Keep in mind that a chasing dog is traveling fast. It may take some time for the dog to come off the chase. Don’t set up a situation that allows the dog time to catch what he is chasing before he notices the correction.
Chasing – Summary of Steps • Train “Come” with the Remote Trainer before using it to stop chasing. • Start with an intensity one level above your dog’s normal intensity level. • Set up situations in safe areas that will cause the dog to chase; be ready to use the Remote Trainer as soon as a correction is needed. • When the dog starts to chase, press and hold the continuous stimulation button until the dog stops chasing.
Destructive Chewing – Summary of Steps • Interest the dog in chew toys of his own before you begin correcting him for chewing the wrong things. • Use a pre-selected intensity level. • Leave the dog in an area with things he’d like to chew but shouldn’t and watch him. • As soon as the dog starts to chew, press the stimulation button. •If the dog ignores the correction, increase the intensity by one level.
Eating What’s Not Allowed – Summary of Steps • Use a pre-selected intensity level. • Place the dog in an area with the appropriate temptation, and watch him. • Press the stimulation button the instant his mouth actually touches the temptation. If he does not respond, press and release it several times. • If the dog ignores the correction, increase the intensity by one level. • Continue the training process until the dog has gone for three days without trying to go for the temptation.
Tri-Tronics Bark LimiterXS A Tri-Tronics Bark LimiterXS is another way to control your dog’s barking. It applies mild stimulation automatically when the dog barks, causing discomfort which he learns to associate with his own barking. The dog learns that he prevents this mild discomfort by not barking. When the dog wears a Tri-Tronics Bark LimiterXS, you don’t have to get personally involved in correcting the dog for barking. The dog causes his own correction by barking.
Choosing a Training Program There are many ways to train a dog and many good training programs available. The basic obedience program we include here is one of many training methods that you can use to train your dog. By including specific features in the training program in this booklet, we don’t mean to suggest that other training programs with different features are wrong.
You might need a higher level of intensity when reinforcing commands around distractions. This is normal for most dogs. After your dog has been properly introduced to the Remote Trainer, don’t be afraid to increase the intensity somewhat to help your dog learn that he must obey your commands even when he’s distracted. Repetition is necessary for your dog to learn. He learns by association, and needs repetition to identify what to associate with what. Keep your dog in "behavioral balance.
Obedience Program This obedience program, covering “Coming When Called,” “Walking on a Loose Leash & Off-Leash” and “Sitting Quietly,” is also shown in the Product and Training Guide DVD, featuring Behesha Grist, owner of Extreme K-9 Remote Collar Training Academy. Coming When Called Before You Start Your dog needs to know how to respond to the pull of a leash. Select the correct length contact points for his coat type and buckle the Remote Trainer on him correctly and snugly.
Soon you will see your dog start turning and coming to you in response to your command and the taps of stimulation and you will need leash tugs less often. You will also see the dog start paying attention to you and trying to stay near you. Now he’s ready for the next step. Step Three. Replace your 6-foot leash with your 20-foot rope, long line, or retractable leash (“long leash”). Now allow the dog to move farther from you, out to the full length of the long leash.
When you see your dog consistently responding when you call and tap, and your need to use the leash is rare, your helper should gradually increase the distraction level, such as by squatting down next to the dog or moving around with the dog. How to succeed with distractions: Distractions need to be at the right level for the dog to learn. If they are too strong, so that they scare the dog or overwhelm him with excitement, the dog cannot learn to solve the problem.
Step Nine. After your dog has completed the above steps and has become quick and reliable at responding to the command with the tap 90% of the time, he is ready for the next step. Begin giving the command without the tap. You should see no change in your dog’s speed or reliability at responding to the command after this transition. However, if he needs a follow-up command because he didn’t respond to the first one within about one second, always give the tap of stimulation together with your second command.
Walking on a Loose Leash; Walking Off-Leash • Have your helper hold the dog at a distance from you as you repeat the basic training procedure. • Have your helper gently distract the dog as you repeat the basic training procedure. • Gradually increase distractions. Progress until the dog rarely needs leash guidance to come to you when he hears the command and feels the tap. • Repeat the basic training procedure around distractions, now holding only the very end of the long leash and leaving it slack.
With repetition, you will see your dog start to “catch himself.” He’ll slow down and look at you as he starts to get in front of you, and before the leash tightens. Praise him for doing this on his own. Now he’s ready for some distraction work. Step Three. Walk your dog back and forth past your helper. How close to walk depends on how easily distracted your dog is. Your helper should gently distract the dog by speaking to him, but not calling him.
• Add turns and stronger distractions, repeating the basic training procedure as needed. • Let the leash drag and then remove it entirely, when the dog pays attention to where you walk, and has become reliable at responding to the command and the tap. • Review the discussions: “How to succeed with distractions,” “When to change intensity,” and “How long should training take?” above.
Step Three. After the dog has learned to sit calmly for a minute or two with you next to him, take a slow step off to one side. He should remain sitting. If he moves to get up, respond immediately by repeating the “Sit” command while tapping the stimulation as you help him, using your leash and a guiding hand on his rear if needed. Continue this process until you can walk all the way around your dog and he remains sitting.
Summary of Training for Sit • The dog should have already completed at least half the training on “Coming When Called. ” • Choose the command you’ll use, such as “Sit.” Put the dog on a 6-foot leash fastened to a plain buckled collar.
walk your dog out of his “Sit” when you want to begin a new repetition in a different part of your training area.) When your dog is ready, sometimes punctuate his practice on “Sit” with brief periods for a short break, which you begin by giving the release word. Since your dog will not know what the release word means at first, you can help him by using a high and enthusiastic tone and briskly moving with the dog as you say it.
