Thursday, March 23, 2017

Breaking bad habits with Buddy Trainer- Product Review




 If i had known how challenging Border Collies were, i'm not sure we would have gotten one.  Sookie, our border collie is extremely smart, but also extremely energetic. She requires a lot of attention, and if  she doesn't get it she will start being destructive and picking up some bad habits. So when i was given the opportunity to review the Buddy Trainer -training collar, i was really excited.


So i'll admit, i'm not usually a fan of shock collars, however we used to have an underground fence system with the shock collar and it worked really, really well. It only took about a day or two for Sookie to learn the boundaries of the yard and avoid getting shocked. There was a warning beep before the shock, so she was very quick to learn to stop what she was doing as soon she heard the beep. 
When our house burned down in 2013, the underground fence was destroyed and we never got around to replacing it. 

Even though it's been a few years since we've had an underground fence, she pretty much stays right in the yard and has learned the boundaries of the property. She will occasionally go for a run in the woods behind out house, but she doesn't just wander.
Right after the fire, we rented a house, but were unable to take the dogs. So they stayed on our property. We had them in a fenced kennel. but almost everyday theu found a way to dig out and escape. During the weeks following the fire, she picked up a few bad habits mostly out of boredom. The worst of the habits was killing chickens, which she did a lot of that year. 

Although it's been a couple of years since she has killed chickens, i've recently caught her stalking them again. She's really sneaky about it, so i know she knows better. Another habit i'd like to break her of is chasing cars, usually the mailman or ups guy. She doesn't do it every time, but when she does i usually catch her sitting on the edge of the road waiting for a car to come by. It's a dangerous habit and i don't want her getting hit.





So the cool thing about this training collar is that it has 4 different training methods. audible beep, light, vibrations and shocks. You can also adjust the levels ranging from 0-100 and it comes with a remote and has a 330-yard range. So the shock can be used as a last resort if she isn't responding to the other cues . Which means if i look out the door and see her at the mailbox, i can use the beep to remind her she's too close to the road.  Sookie is so smart, i really think that just the beep or vibration will enough to break her concentration when she is in that car/chicken stalking trance. 





This past week, i spent a bit of time with her in the yard trying out the collar. She really did well with it, and i have a feeling she remember the underground fence collar, because the first time i made it beep when she was too close to the road she immediately stopped and sat down. 

The main thing with this type of collar is consistency. i've working with her every day, rewarding good behavior and giving the audible beep when she gets too close to the chickens or road. i'm really pleased with how well it is working. So far, she has responded so well to the beep that i haven't had to use the vibration or other functions.  


The Buddy Training system is very easy to use. i love that it's re-chargeable!  It comes with the collar, remote,  charger, instructions and two sets of the contact points in different sizes. It also has a testing bulb, so you can make sure it's working without shocking yourself. :)


i can't say how well this would work for all dogs, but it is working really well for Sookie. She responds to the beep sound by immediately stopping what is she is doing, which is what i was hoping. Another of her bad habits is barking incessantly, when she wants to play or come inside. Most bark collars give a shock when the dog barks, however she is supposed to be barking to protect the chickens from predators, so i don't want to teach her not to bark. She needs to learn what is acceptable, and what is not. The remote allows me to give her a audible que only when she is barking inappropriately.  i'll continue to praise her when she is barking at hawks, foxes or strangers, so she should learn what is acceptable and what is not. 


i feel pretty confident that this will help to break those bad habits, and i won't even have to use the shock option. i have seen other remote collars, but most just have the shock. i really like that this one has the different training options, and adjustable levels. 


It is available on amazon here for $34.99 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7O2QCU




i received this product for free in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

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