I have been using e-collars for over twelve years to train dogs and believe that when used correctly as a training tool rather than a control tool or punishment device, they can facilitate dogs learning whether they are at 4 feet or 400 yards. Two keys to their use are correct timing and using as little electricity as possible, just enough to feel it. Almost every time before I put a collar on a dog I test it on my skin. I am constantly amazed at how the placement of the collar makes a big difference on how strongly it is felt. Try placing the prongs of an e-collar on your hand shock in on a low constant setting, then move it one inch and try it again. It is surprising how different the perceived level of stimulation is.
I am concerned about how those differences affect a dog if the collar shifts around a little bit, it may be further from a nerve now and require a little higher level of stimulation, then shift closer to a nerve and be felt too strongly. I hoped that the SCG-LBM adapter device would be the solution. The idea is that you would have seven points of contact rather than just two and would therefore have a more consistent level of stimulation. The advertising promises to revolutionize electronic animal training; dogs will automatically jump 50 IQ points and move to PhD level programs in just a day or two.
I bought one to try it out. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to make any difference. After a fair bit of experimentation on my skin and using it on several dogs, I don’t think there is a difference. It is a novel idea, that with six more prongs that it is more likely to come into contact with a nerve and therefore would only require a low level of stimulation and be more consistent. It just doesn’t prove itself out.
The other advertised feature the SCG-LBM adapter touts is that a dog can wear the device much longer without causing irritation to the skin, whether it is on a bark collar or on a training e-collar. I can definitely see where there would be less wear on a dog’s skin with more contact points. However, it won’t work with any of the three different bark collars I have (Innotek, dogtra and tri-tronics), because either doesn’t fit between the prongs, or it would interfere with the vibration receptor on the collar between the prongs.
I have used this device with both my Tri-tronics G3 and Dogtra 200 training collars. It definitely works, I just don’t see any improvement over the standard prongs that come with the collar.
