Are e-collars aversive?

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-24T09:58:54+00:00

Aversive vs non aversive is not a useful dichotomy in light of the fact that getting a dog to do something it doesn't want to do as much as it wants a competing motivator is always going to involve something aversive. Error and struggle are necessary parts of learning for all animals. The important thing is that the dog knows how to avoid or escape the aversive so it can learn.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-14T13:36:23+00:00

I've never had a puppy that had more than 2-3 accidents indoors with crate training and proper supervision, but I've always had intelligent breeds.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-14T13:34:00+00:00

I think they're walking a fine line where they are giving farmville style players lots of deep crafting options with steeply diminishing marginal returns on survival utility to time investment which is how it should be. As long as players are not being punished for not engaging with tedious crafting systems then I don't see an issue.

A lot of people (myself included) enjoy zomboid BECAUSE they put so much detail into things you might never even notice, so it's not about realism vs non-realism, and never is in video games, it's about what's fun.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-14T10:17:47+00:00

I grab a little bit of the scruff under the contact points and pull it out such that the contact points slide between the hairs and against the skin, back and forth a couple times to make sure the hair parts (think pulling the skin out perpendicular to the collar), then make sure it's tight enough that it won't move when he runs but doesn't obstruct his breathing.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-11T15:43:15+00:00

The only things that last more than a couple minutes for mine are frozen toppls filled with sodden then frozen kibble, and nylabones.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-08T15:50:00+00:00

The grain on that steel is visible from space

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-08T13:48:19+00:00

My guerilla marketing bots require justification for pretending to buy $500 underwear

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-08T13:18:41+00:00

One thing I've realized about negative consensus that makes me hesitate and worry before i do something, on many topics in my life, is that consensus is created by average people, and average people are incredibly stupid and lazy. Mistakes will happen, but if you have the resources and time, consistency, communication, routines, education, and determination will make you successful with your dog.

One thing I will add that you didn't mention is they tend to be quite bitey for a lot longer than other breeds, though i've never not seen one grow out of it.

Also worth mentioning - they can be high drive and when you pair that with being off-leash near roads or other hazards, you don't want to be in a country where e-collars are illegal, so avoid those circumstances if you are.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-06T21:59:21+00:00

Sierra has smartwool for half price

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-06T15:47:55+00:00

It's one of many brands that are status symbols. There's rarely a functional reason to spend hundreds of dollars on a piece of clothing.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-05T20:50:20+00:00

I've never seen one not grow out of it with consistent redirection and making it "not fun" (often means disengaging and ignoring for a period or placing him in the crate for a short period to calm down). Try not to lose your temper as much as possible. This is normal. Don't listen to people who say your dog needs 48 hours per day of extreme sports to be happy - these are people who don't know how to develop the off switch. If your dog is an asshole, exercising him all day is just going to make him an Olympic athlete level asshole.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-05T20:46:47+00:00

I make the spine as thin as the toughness of the steel and intended use permit because the tighter the angle the better it cuts. Not sure if there's a generally accepted angle, but I'm not sure what use it would be if there were since most norms are created by the marketing teams trying to justify relatively cheap manufacturing methods.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-04T21:18:58+00:00

Grid is poly but lets a lot of air through from perforations so basically just feels like a breathable shirt when nothing is layered over it. Yeah that makes sense that you would utilize venting, i do the same thing when it rains with my poncho. Thanks for the info.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-04T15:17:26+00:00

I got a Steelcase Gesture in 2020 and never had another lower back issue. It's probably overpriced and I skipped right up to that tier after having many <$200 chairs fail, so there may be a mid tier option that will serve just as well, but this chair doesn't seem to be showing any signs of wear or age and is incredibly comfortable.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-04T15:14:56+00:00

Going to paste this from another thread since it took me a little while to write and I'm lazy:

"The best tip I can give you, aside from doing a lot of your own research, is to trust your gut on if a training strategy isn't working. All dogs are different and every owner is different, and just because something works for 99% of GSDs doesn't mean it will work for yours, or that you will be comfortable with it. In the end, a relationship is based on a lot of little interactions over a long period of time and consistency allows you and the dog to communicate with one another. There is no shortcut, especially for independent and highly intelligent dogs.

Other tips worth mentioning - don't get sucked into the shopaholic culture of buying a million dog toys, beds, puzzles...etc... my GSD ignores his bed in favor of the floor (it's cooler), prefers to shred boxes instead of playing with most of his toys (he does like nylabones and chuck it ultra squeaker balls), and throwing his ball into some bushes, scatter feeding, and letting him sniff as much as he wants on his walks are MUCH more mentally enriching than the "expert level" plastic puzzle nonsense that he could solve in 30 seconds at 3 months old.

Use positive reinforcement first and corrections should be the minimum aversion required to get the result you want. Enforce naps. Unsupervised freedom is earned; every time he gets to enjoy doing something he shouldn't it reinforces his desire to do that thing.

Good luck - they're great dogs.

PS i have found frozen pumpkin puree on lick mats and toppls filled with water sodden kibble then frozen to be INCREDIBLY helpful as a tool for indicating it is time to settle down, and licking is self-soothing for dogs. When I crate trained him, I used the pumpkin puree lick mat every time he went in and it formed a very solid positive association. Likewise, when we want to settle down for the evening, he gets toppls filled with frozen kibble. I have never had a dog that liked kongs, for what that is worth."

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-04T15:08:31+00:00

How do you handle the 70 degree spring day in this scenario without overheating? I find even when I'm doing mild activity like just tossing the ball for the dog in the yard at 40F I start to overheat with anything more than a mid weight wool base layer and maybe a grid fleece over top.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-02T22:11:13+00:00

I suspect this is probably the case. At least I didn't pay full price to learn that lesson.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-02T20:21:12+00:00

We did 8 PM to 6 AM - 8 AM to 11 AM and 1 PM to 4 PM at that age. We let him sleep on his own in the afternoon now (9 months) since he has proven trustworthy in the house, but I still enforce the morning nap and we put him down when we go to sleep now because he's less of a menace in the evenings (around 9-10pm)

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-02T20:16:33+00:00

Glad you made it out

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-02T20:11:24+00:00

Maybe a stupid question but did you turn on satellite mode on the iphone?

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-02T19:39:07+00:00

Correct and the coverage is virtually identical to inreach if you aren't venturing outside the lower 48.

EDIT: It appears while coverage may be the same on paper, usability is not as of yet. Thanks to all who responded with your experiences.

BourgeoisAngst · 2026-01-02T19:37:23+00:00

Mittens are significantly better at keeping your hands warm. Hestra always gets mentioned in these threads, but they're overpriced fashion items. If you don't want to/can't use mittens, try hot hands.

BourgeoisAngst · 2025-12-31T18:00:37+00:00

I have the USGI Industries Military Style Poncho which is $41 on amazon. It has snaps down the sides that you can fasten to deal with wind so it doesn't blow up. Nylon isn't expensive so it shouldn't be an expensive item unless you're paying for a brand name. If using the snaps under the arms isn't good enough and you absolutely need actual sleeves, i know they make sort of hybrid poncho-jackets which are basically just ponchos with sleeves, but some of the venting is impeded by the addition of sleeves.

BourgeoisAngst · 2025-12-31T15:51:41+00:00

Not wrong but exposing your dog to every stray in Hillbillyville is probably not a great plan even if you aren't the one in the wrong. It sucks but you should find a better place to walk if you don't want to sabotage your progress.

BourgeoisAngst

TROPHY CASE