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Train your dog with MasterPlus® PRO .................................................................................................................................................................................. |
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Eduquer son chien avec MasterPlus® PRO ................................................................................................................................................................... |
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Fig 1
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Description of the unit |
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A- Spray nozzle |
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B- Filling valve |
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C- Battery cover |
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D- White background to help check the fill level |
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Descriptif du boitier |
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d’émission (à placer vers le haut) |
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de remplissage |
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de pile |
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blanc pour vérification du niveau de remplissage |
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IMPORTANT: if you want to get the best possible results from MasterPlus® PRO, it is essential that you understand the technical issues that are explained in this brochure.
o, before beginning any training of Syour pet, it is essential you read
the following instructions.
The MasterPlus® PRO Dog Training kit includes:
1- Spray collar
2- Collar strap
3- Remote control (batteries included)
4- Battery for the collar
5- Refill canister
6- Training guide and user instructions
7- Case for transport
8- Token to help open the battery cover
9 - Strap for the remote control
10Guarantee to be stamped, dated by the retailer and returned to us.
CONTENTS
I - Training your dog with
MasterPlus® PRO
1.What are the advantages of MasterPlus® PRO training?
2.What is a disruptive stimulus?
3.Tips to help you use MasterPlus® PRO
4.How to use MasterPlus® PRO?
5.Why should you want to change your dog’s behaviour?
6.Canine training guide
II - User Instructions
1.Getting started with the spray collar
2.Operating the spray collar
III - Maintenance
IV - Hints and troubleshoots V - Technical specifications
I - Training
your dog with
MasterPlus® PRO
1 - What are the advantages of training with MasterPlus® PRO?
Dogs are often better behaved when their owners are close at hand because then they are under "direct" control. If they behave badly, punishment is immediate and inevitable.
When you are far away from a dog, he is in a stronger position because you have no way of controlling him. A remote controlled device solves many of these distance-related problems. As it can be triggered without the owner seeming to be involved or angry, such a device can be used to interrupt bad behaviours by distracting the dog and capturing his attention.
It allows you to play a positive, ‘fun” role (calling him to play a game, running away from him, etc.) rather than a negative one.
In brief: A remote controlled device allows you to act upon your dog’s behaviour, however far away he is (within its range limit).
Before MasterPlus® PRO: training with punishment
In the world of dog training, the word “punishment” has a very precise meaning and, in order to be effective, a punitive stimulus must be:
•Unpleasant for the animal (i.e. induce pain or fear)
•Consistently applied every time and as soon as the animal performs the behaviour to be discouraged, or straight after
These rules are difficult to obey, but if they are not applied fully, the training programme will be fundamentally flawed. Serious distress and associated behavioural problems will occur if the dog is punished in the wrong context or with poor timing.
With MasterPlus® PRO: Training without punishment
The MasterPlus® PRO does not deliver a punishing stimulus; rather it is a disruptive stimulus. Disruptive stimuli do not give rise to the same emotional and practical problems as punitive stimuli.
2 - What is a disruptive stimulus?
Dogs perform complex behaviours like hunting in a sequence or chain of
events. The whole sequence can be stopped if a disruptive stimulus, like the gas release of MasterPlus® PRO surprises the dog. It will make him pause and concentrate, giving you the chance to redirect him towards a more desirable activity.
The surprise effect produced by the cold spray of the MasterPlus® PRO collar stimulates all of the senses of touch, sight and hearing. Repeated sessions give rapid results.
3 - Tips to help you use
MasterPlus® PRO
The MasterPlus® PRO is intended to complement or enhance your role as pack leader, but it cannot be a substitute for your authority. Rather, it is a complementary tool to a range of intelligent, reward-centred training techniques. For instance, as soon as the behaviour to be discouraged occurs, you should give a verbal command (e.g. “Stop”, “Quiet”, “No”, “Heel”, etc.). This command should be given clearly in a firm tone, without signs of anger.
•If the command is not obeyed, trigger the collar immediately so that the dog comes to associate your command with the interruption that follows.
•If the behaviour to be discouraged is one that only occurs when your dog believes you are absent (e.g. stealing, eating things, digging holes or running away), find a hiding place and trigger the collar without verbal warning or command as soon as the misbehaviour begins. The dog will then learn that there are things that are forbidden, even when you are not present.
MasterPlus® PRO does not work by
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magic! It distracts the animal but the actual training is up to you.
4. How to use
MasterPlus® PRO?
For the best results, follow these guidelines:
1- Let the dog get used to wearing the collar without the battery for a few days (a week), so that it becomes a part of his usual environment.
2- During training, make sure the collar is ready to work at all times.
3- If the dog is not already wearing the MasterPlus® PRO collar, put it on at least 20 minutes before the exercise session, so that he does not associate the collar with the walk or the exercise.
4- Whilst training your dog, have one or two daily sessions of no longer than 30 minutes each, so that neither you nor the dog becomes stale. For retraining, you can either organise sessions during which the behaviour to be discouraged is specifically “provoked”, or you can wait for the misbehaviour to occur spontaneously. In either case, the collar must be ready for use at all times.
Surprise and reward
5- The collar has different settings of spray. Use these variations to surprise your dog, so he does not get used to them. However, if the dog is difficult to distract, use a stronger or longer stimulus.
6- Using the “tone” button - The tone can be used as a presignal: when your dog is about to commit a discouraged behaviour, press the tone button immediately
followed by one of the two spray buttons, this way the dog will quickly associate the sound with the spray. After a few sessions, he will react to the TONE button without your having to use the spray as well. Indeed, the dog will understand that if he doesn’t change his bad behaviour as a result of the tone, he will be sprayed. - Just as the tone can be used as a signal for impending punishment, so can it also become a rewarding signal. Of course you need to decide in advance which role you want to assign to the signal: as a warning that the animal is about to be punished by a spray, alternatively as a signal that the dog has performed the correct behaviour.
To train the reward association, follow the same principles that are now well-established in the world of clicker training. This is to offer a treat, and at the moment he takes it, activate the signal on button number 1. Repeat five or more times, offering food from your hand.
Now move back and toss the treat towards your dog, each time pressing the signal button as he picks up the treat. After 20-50 such pairings of the signal with the treat, your dog will reliably associate the signal with reward.
You can now apply this learned association by linking your dog's obedience to easy commands such as to "sit" or "down" by sounding the tone, and again offering a titbit. Later you can use more difficult or problematic obedience commands such as "come" (which from time to time dogs ignore). When you have
gained your dog's attention and he is running towards you, sound the signal as he is moving closer towards you. Repeat two or three times as he makes the journey in your direction. You now have a device that can provide pleasure to match the punishment of the gas.
7- When you trigger the spray, try to ensure that the dog does not see you holding the remote control. It is better he forms the impression that the burst of spray comes “out of the blue”. Otherwise, he could think that he has to behave only when you are there. You can achieve this by keeping the remote control in a jacket pocket, looking away from the dog and ignoring him when you trigger it. Do not always adopt the same pose, because dogs are very sensitive to body language and will soon be able to predict when you are about to press the button! The dog should not know that you are activating the collar. s
8- Activate the spray as soon as you see the dog beginning the chain or sequence of misbehaviour. The earlier you act, the easier it will be to distract the dog and interrupt the chain. When your dog pauses, get his attention straight away by calling and enthusiastically encouraging him to play with you. Your demeanour should suggest fun, so produce special toys that you have brought along as a playreward. Play with him for a few minutes and then go back to the area where he is prone to misbehave.
9- If the stimulus was not strong enough to completely distract your
dog, increase it to the maximum setting, and distract him with another game.
Improve your dog’s behaviour:
10- As your dog’s behaviour improves, you should take him to places where he is more and more prone to misbehave. This way, you will be able to control him in the worst situations, and to go anywhere with him.
5 - Why should you want to change your dog’s behaviour ?
Rather than punishing your dog, a disruptive stimulus distracts him for the moment and makes him receptive to a new, alternative activity. However, unless you take full advantage of this brief moment to put him back on the right path, he may go back to his previous misbehaviour. In other words, dogs learn not to misbehave if there is a desirable alternative available.
This alternative is generally a behaviour desired by the master. To encourage him, you will have to reward this good behaviour frequently. There are several ways of rewarding a dog.
Enthusiastic congratulations or games are the best, but it may be necessary, especially with a young puppy, to combine them with treats and physical attention. If the choice of food rewards has been made, it is advised to give them out after the rewarded action progressively so that your “authority” does not become totally dependent on them.
In any case, do not forget: if the reward is given immediately after the action, your dog will establish the relation between his behaviour and your
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encouraging. If it is given out much later, he could be led to believe that you are rewarding him for the next thing he does.
6 - Canine training guide
1- Basic training
The reinforcement of basic commands (“Heel”, “Sit”, “Down”, etc.) can be undertaken using MasterPlus® PRO from the age of 4 months. If your puppy is the right size, he can become accustomed to wearing the MasterPlus® PRO collar in a short space of time. This will allow you to interrupt him whenever he is in the process of making a mistake and point him in the right direction, rather than your having to keep punishing him. In this way, your companion will learn to obey you in a co-operative spirit rather than as a result of fear.
Cleanliness
A normal puppy learns the basics of cleanliness very quickly if he is trained properly.
Keep an eye on your puppy after meals and waking up when he will be on the lookout for somewhere to answer the call of nature.
When he starts to look around and sniff at the ground or even squat down inside the house, immediately trigger the collar. Take him straight out and put him wherever you want him to defecate and urinate. Give him time to reconcentrate and then enthusiastically congratulate him once he has finished in the right spot. The first few times, you can give him a treat while congratulating him. This strategy should avoid any problems but, if they persist, consult your veterinarian.
Heel
Your puppy is discovering the world around him. Any moving object or new smell attracts his attention and sometimes when you call him he ignores you because he finds what he is doing more interesting; perhaps he is so absorbed that he does not even hear you. MasterPlus® PRO can be used to distract him so that he pays attention to you. Immediately after pressing the button, provide something that will attract him; crouch down, call him cheerfully, open your arms and, most importantly, give him an enthusiastic cuddle to reward him for coming back because, otherwise, he might think that you tricked him. Always remember to let him go quickly so that coming back to heel is a pleasure rather than a trap.
Walking to heel
Training a dog to walk at heel works in the same way as that for coming to heel but requires more concentration on the part of the dog and it is therefore recommended not to undertake it within the first few months.
During the training, MasterPlus® PRO can be used to reattract the attention of the dog whenever he is distracted by anything e.g. every time he sees a bird. The safest strategy is to start the training with a leather or synthetic leash of about 1 metre in length or an adjustable leash locked in position. Thus your dog will learn that it is easier for him to walk along close to your leg than to go wandering off. Congratulate him verbally or by petting when he walks by your side as he is supposed to. Whenever he goes beyond your knee, give him a firm verbal “No” and, at the same time, give the leash a brief twitch.
The leash should be slack when the dog is behaving well and should be allowed to slacken immediately following the twitch. Once the dog has begun to walk at heel, his education can be reinforced with MasterPlus® PRO. The spray should be set off if the command “No” is not obeyed i.e. if the dog pretends not to have heard it. This affords more flexibility than does using a leash and as soon as you are away from traffic you can let him run around with other dogs.
Do not jump
What is more irritating than a dog who jumps all over people to greet them? If this is to be avoided, prevention is easier than cure and puppies have to be taught when very young that there are other ways of welcoming humans. Ask friends to come in and as soon as the puppy takes to his rear paws, trigger the collar and tell him to sit. When he is obedient, ask your friends to congratulate the dog.
If you need to retrain your dog i.e. get rid of an already established bad habit, proceed in the same way but training may take longer.
2 - Particular problems: retraining adult dogs
Not to stray off property or into traffic
MasterPlus® PRO provides the ideal stimulus to stop him.
Using MasterPlus® PRO you can even create boundaries for your dog such as not to leave the kerb or stray onto the vegetable garden.
Do not chase
Chasing vehicles, joggers, cats or wildlife is dangerous and should be interrupted the moment a dog begins to
run. This type of training requires good instincts and reflexes in you the owner and, if possible, the collaboration of friends driving cars, bikes or jogging. If the bad behaviour can be provoked by stooges, the training will be achieved more quickly.
Preventing aggressive behaviour
Dogs act aggressively to defend their territory, status, food or their favourite companion. In such cases, MasterPlus® PRO can be an essential reeducative tool, but cannot be relied upon to stop a dog known to be dangerously aggressive. It is essential that advice be sought from your veterinarian or from a suitably qualified training professional before a treatment strategy with the MasterPlus® PRO begins.
Under veterinary supervision, MasterPlus® PRO has been tested in the treatment of dogs that have attacked other dogs in public places. In combination with a course of drugs, it worked well in 90% of cases within 5 weeks whereas traditional behavioural therapy with the same drugs was only effective in 20% of cases.
Do not pick things up, do not steal
Some dogs want to pick up and trophy objects and edibles. This can be discouraged by setting off the collar at the moment he starts to sniff the object, even before he picks it up.
A study was recently carried out to measure the efficacy of MasterPlus® PRO in training dogs to ignore pieces of potentially dangerous bait. After 5 weeks with two training sessions per week, 90% of the dogs ate less than 15% of the bait and 80% ate
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