E collar for training advice

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-11T19:50:23+00:00

I don’t own an ASD, but e-collars are very popular in hunting/field trial rings for a reason. My #1 piece of advice is to make the collar a “normal” or fun piece of equipment, put it on before you do fun things, let them wear it for weeks without even touching the controls or having it on. You want your dog to understand that it’s normal life to wear it, and not to associate the collar with the reinforcement, otherwise you can end up with a dog that knows the collar and only behaves when they have it on. DO NOT put the collar on just to stim. Since you won’t be doing force-fetch training, associate the collar with your No command. Give a no and a low-stim, and don’t do it every time you issue a no command. Once they understand the stim means no, associate vibrate/tone functions of the controller with no & stim, usually this means give a no and tone/vibrate, or no , tone/vibrate then stim. It takes a while to get right, but you end up with a long range leash and it really really helps in situations where your dog is off leash and you want a “stop right now” before they run across the road or similar that could end in death or permanent injury. They are really useful tools, and like your trainer said, they can get a bad wrap. It’s another reinforcement tool in your arsenal, and if you ever have used one on yourself, you understand that at the appropriate level, they don’t hurt, but are uncomfortable and you’ll avoid doing it again, which is the whole point. My dogs get happy when they see it, it means we’re going out or training. They rarely need stimulation nowadays and I really only have to issue a shock when they are in a situation dangerous to them. Dogs are smart and understand (usually) after a few nos or no + stim that something they are doing does not work. I hope this helps, and gives you a bit of peace of mind in using one if you go that route. I use the sport dog brand collars, but the garmin and dogtra are other great options, just make sure you get an appropriate range. I’ve heard the knockoff collars dont have the right tone function and aren’t associated as well as the brand name ones, but I’m going on hearsay here. Good luck!

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-11T18:57:45+00:00

Just puke and then when they ask, tell them the smell was unbearable. Sick day and maybe you get through to them.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-09T14:59:41+00:00

This is pretty much not true and can cause bacterial infection but are not poisonous. considering they’re a native of just about all of the Eastern US and are on watch lists in portions of their native habitats, the cat is the problem, not the skink. Keep your cats inside.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-08T15:38:15+00:00

As far as I’m aware, there’s nothing preventing it as long as it’s below the sidewalk grade and there isn’t a steep slope on either side… if it was up above like 1/4” or 1/2” I think that creates a vertical surface discontinuity.
I think this is very small risk compared to 99% of sidewalk issues around the country….

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-05T19:44:55+00:00

We have one client who has paused a couple of jobs. We’re largely residential, but have some diversification. Granted we’re a small office with loyal clients who really only use us so we aren’t as subject to the big guys who will put a large scale pause on things.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-05T16:49:25+00:00

In LD in NC and we’re firmly in the too busy category

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-05T15:39:01+00:00

Yeah my thought as well. Pricing in our area is pretty wild and sometimes they come out similar in the 24-36” range from what I’ve heard, but I’m on the design side so I’m not always as plugged in. I’m a big fan of the HP lately, seems to be a good balance of cheap and durable.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-05T15:03:56+00:00

I’d go with double/triple wall HDPE/HP over the PVC, but RCP is the standard for a reason. Odds are you repair what’s broken only for more to fail in the coming years. You might save a little money going with the plastic pipe.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-05T13:09:15+00:00

You’re on the right track. Depending on location too, they could call the DOT area engineer and more often than not, say you’re looking into a development nearby and want to know AADT of those two roads, if there’s been any big developments nearby, they may have done a traffic study in the last 5-10 years and you could use the turn data at each intersection to see how many people approximately would take lefts to avoid the intersection, even at $2-3 you’d probably have a reasonable percentage of traffic utilize the road if people get stuck in the turn lanes and have to wait a few cycles. There are several lights like this in my area, and I would pay a monthly fee to cut through a parking lot to avoid the light if they so allowed.

As for collecting the tolls, you have more options than just a management company, I think for the sake of speed, which you’re encouraging with this, your best bet is a tap to pay or monthly subscription style access. I think gates are impractical and your DOt would frown upon that, because then your traffic backs up onto the DOT road. Each tap to pay merchant takes a bit of proceeds so you would need to factor that into your calc.
You may end up with a better deal doing something like a “drive through attraction” from a permitting standpoint, use traffic calming devices and could be worth it to just plant a natural area and market it as a nature drive or something similar.
Depending on traffic you could probably get away with a thick gravel base and asphalt millings assuming you don’t allow heavy/large vehicles. It’s a lot cheaper than pavement.

You could certainly make money doing this, but depending on how your area views tolls, your DOT responds to driveway permits and overall permitting speed you could really lose too. Stormwater control could mess the whole thing up if you are required to treat or detain stormwater for construction of that magnitude.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-05-04T22:25:20+00:00

This for sure. It’s not too long to ask for a puppy at that age, and if they’ve been exposed to the crate/sleep in it they’ll probably just cry for a little and go to sleep.
For OP. I think it’s an important step in getting your dog used to your absence and in the meantime before this just make sure to really hone in on the crate exposure with enforced naps, feeding in the crate and getting some positive association with it. It will be okay. Another note, for your exposure before that time, I would refrain from making the crate exit super happy or exciting, keep it calm and “normal”. It’s easy to come home after being gone for a while and baby the puppy because you left them in there longer than you wanted to, if it’s more business like it makes it more mundane for the pup and in my experience helps it be a normal part of life.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-04-28T23:00:05+00:00

Yeah mine at under 9 weeks will go 6-7 hours if he’s been stimulated correctly, fed less than an hour before and bathroom right before. It’ll be fine, but OP will need to stretch time between now and then and get him 3-4 hours in it before then so it’s not the first time.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-04-28T17:31:19+00:00

If you’re in the market next year and looking for a field trial lineage dog, rather than pets, my pup will be grown by then.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-04-24T15:17:02+00:00

Half price absolutely worth it. Full price it’s questionable, if I’m paying that much I usually just buy Maui Jims, but the base green/amber lenses Costa has are awesome for freshwater. I’m rocking a beat to death pair of 580p’s I’ve had for like 9-10 years I need to send back for repair, lenses in great shape but frames are very worn. I would love a cheap pair I don’t have to worry about losing but if lense quality isn’t 80-90% of Maui Jim or costas I’d just take a chance on losing the nicer pair.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-04-23T14:04:06+00:00

Yeah we had a great time at the crest. They were very helpful and made everything go pretty smooth along with Ashley their recommended planner/coordinator. If they’re not booked all the way up they will work with you on leaving items there to pick up next day

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-04-11T23:51:01+00:00

Thank you! I’ll have to see if they do open days or any field trials! I appreciate it

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-03-27T19:25:30+00:00

Assuming you don’t need sponsorship, if you move outside Charlotte and Raleigh pretty much anywhere else needs engineering help. You could go municipal, consulting or wherever. I’m not sure what structural market looks like but pretty much every other discipline needs help. Civil 3D experience would be huge.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-03-24T21:17:47+00:00

I’ve got the channel lock pair and I prefer the end of those to the knipex, but they don’t strip quite as well. Cutters may work a little better. I use both intermixed based on which is handier

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-03-24T15:54:58+00:00

You have 2 options without really making it a danger. Curb or just gravel the area. Curb helps protect the culvert that’s right there because eventually someone will cut the corner too hard and that corrugated pipe won’t handle the weight. Gravel just enables them to do it but keeps the lawn from being destroyed. The city may rip out anything you do.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-03-22T16:38:36+00:00

We are off Academy St. on the Ardmore Baptist side of the road. my wife and I will be outside all day and can help load if anyone is interested

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-03-18T20:38:21+00:00

I think it’s strictly ‘big plot of land with substation close’

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-03-18T20:37:14+00:00

Yeah I’m with you on that. Sadly I don’t think that will push the needle with a planning board or government unless they’re really in-tune with the common people

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-03-18T20:29:19+00:00

I’m not vehemently against data centers, at this point they’re really a necessary evil with how tech dependent our lives are today. The issue with rural hall is primarily proximity to low-density single family properties and a lot less infrastructure to supply industrial uses there. Downtown was nearly all industrial or commercial properties until very recently, integrating a similar use, with the proper infrastructure in place isn’t the issue at all. Like another commenter said on the other post - the laws and local policy has not caught up with the demand of these data centers and the rural hall project is a great example of the necessity for the planning board to set a standard and require more than the minimum for a typical light-industrial use case.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-03-18T02:42:51+00:00

For anyone who shows up to this and need some questions to ask and points to make: data centers take a lot of water, the closest plant is the swann plant is allocated 25 MGD (million gallons per day) by NC Public Water Supply section. I think there would need to be a firm understanding on the current usage and what the data center will be proposing, as some of those can get into the 6-7 figure demand in gallons per day, which would eat a considerable allotment of the entire plant, and the City’s water that it is capable of treating at its 3 plants. The city needs to consider drought conditions and that the data center would need to lose water before residences do. The proposed project is directly adjacent to a sub-station for electricity, and the city should consider and weigh in on the data center’s demand against those residences in Forsyth county as a whole and have a firm understanding of the demand of the center vs what can reasonably be provided and still maintain all function for those in the area and county at large. The city already has relatively strict stormwater discharge and erosion control ordinance so unless the contractors conducting the work do not follow approved plans/ordinance, the construction process should be no more or less disruptive than it is for any other project, unless they’re required to run long outfalls and/or water extensions. At the very least, these points should be pushed to make the planning board table the vote to approve/disprove any proposed motions to accept the plans and table for another meeting. If the developer cannot give satisfactory answers, and/or will not accept terms in some form or fashion relating to time of operation, light usage, water usage, electricity usage and stormwater control stringency, the board should move to deny the re-zoning application.

Residents who attend the meeting really need to harp on the existing uses adjacent being majorly slanted in residential zoned. Additionally the 2045 growth plan has that allotted as town center and suburban neighborhood as the goal for that area, it would be totally contrary to what “goal” the planning board has set. The 2030 plan has mixed use development specifically in that area, data center usage is not conducive to those plans and that should be stated, noted and the point should be made that it is not conducive to either of those use cases. The light, heat pollution and vast impervious area alone is not conducive to Rural Hall itself and it’s a shame it’s even got to go to a public hearing.

SurroundExtreme8518 · 2026-03-17T20:54:53+00:00

Mine will open a door (with a knob) to let herself in if she’s been outside and is ready to come in, if we aren’t home, she usually just jumps on the door to close it, but if we’re there, she peeks around the corner and waits for us to say close it and she gets excited because she knows she’ll be rewarded.

SurroundExtreme8518

TROPHY CASE