This might sound a little harsh too!! All i see is a dog that has had its rear end tied up to a pole and it's toes yanked on, all happening pretty fast ie.. lets do it 50 times real fast, not, lets do it 10 times slowly, with lots of praise in between. LET THE DOG LEARN BY DOING IT RIGHT, NOT FAST.
I never did see the transition to the collar, except when the dog was on the ground getting zapped for not doing what it wasn't taught properly.
I think the e-collar is a great tool when FFing. I use the method developed by Jim and Phyliss Dobbs. VERY effective, only low level stim. after the dog already knows the action, and after properly introduced.
This method has never produced a dog that feared retrieving or the collar, on the contrary, the loved both of them. We even worked on different retrieving drills, to work on speed, and consistancy. The collar works great for these kinds of things, when used properly. (Not like what we've seen in this FF4)
I have seen the other end of the spectrum also, the collar was always on high, and it wasn't pretty. Got results, but pretty physical too.
This dog does not understand why it's being shocked. And it's scared to death!!
I would say you should probably get some help from a pro, I can guarantee you are going to have problems with this dog after you think you are done.
I'M NOT TRYING TO BEAT YOU UP, but it was kind of painful to watch that dog go through that kind of fear, especially when he's not learning anything, just reacting.
I'm no pro, but I've done a half a dozen or so, with the Dobbs method with good results each time, they are retriever people and are very knowledgeable about FF.
www.dobbsdogs.com
Doug