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How to Use an
Electronic Dog Training Collar

How to Modify your Dog's Behavior and Solve Obedience Problems

An electronic dog training collar is a device that gives you a safe way to control your dog off leash. It's safe, simple to use, and it works.

Contrary to what many people feel about them, modern electronic training collars are harmless and don't cause any pain to your dog.

Unlike regular buckle collars, electronic collars are not for everyday use - they are strictly for training.

Finally, while electronic dog training collars are safe, they should only be used on healthy, well-adjusted dogs. Don't use them on extra sensitive, aggressive, or fearful dogs.

I already covered electronic collars in other sections of this site...

Electronic dog collar introduced you to different types of electronic collars and explained benefits of each type. Electronic dog fence covered various types of electronic collars that prevent your pet from escaping an unfenced yard. You may re-visit those pages for additional information on electronic dog collars.

What I would like to do here is to concentrate on a type of electronic dog training collar that allows you to remotely apply a corrective action to a dog that got distracted or is engaged in an unwanted behavior.

What Makes an Electronic Dog Training Collar so Effective?

Dogs get distracted very easily. And because they are smart, they quickly learn that if they are out of your reach, they don't have to respond to your commands. All they need to do is pretend they don't hear you.

After re-reading what I just wrote, I feel I need to add an exception to the previous paragraph - a dog that went though obedience training will never ignore you.

An electronic remote training collar allows you to apply a corrective action after your dog got distracted. When you apply a correction, it startles your dog and turns his attention to you. At that moment, you can issue one of the commands your dog already knows.

But what really makes an electronic dog training collar so effective is that your dog doesn't know that the correction is coming from you. He will not feel that you are punishing him, and your relationship will not suffer.

Learn more about How to Train your Puppy or Dog

My Training Technique

An electronic remote training collar is a perfect tool to use when your dog gets easily distracted during your training sessions.

Before you begin, check the batteries and make sure the transmitter works. Set the level of stimulation to the lowest setting. You can always adjust it later.

Let me give you an example of how I would use it if I were practicing some basic commands with my dog...

I would issue a command and see if my dog responds or not. If he doesn't, I apply a correction by pressing a button on the transmitter and simultaneously repeat the command. The reason I repeat the command at the same time as applying a correction is I want my dog to associate the correction with my voice. With time, he will begin to respond to my voice alone.

To make your training session even more productive, reward your dog every time he follows your command. It does not matter if you had to apply a correction or not, what's important is that he followed your command. A pat on a shoulder or a dog treat now will reinforce your dog's response in the future.

Stopping Unwanted Behavior

To stop an unwanted behavior, you also use an electronic dog training collar, but your approach will be different.

Since during unwanted behavior your dog is absorbed in his activity, you can set the level of stimulation a little higher, but adjust the level gradually until you find the setting at which he responds.

The major difference in your approach is that you don't want your dog to associate the correction with you.

If he hears your voice at the time he receives an unpleasant stimulation, he will associate that unpleasant experience with you. Pretend you don't see him when applying the correction. Better yet, apply the correction from the spot where he can't see you.

Take a look at the following…

All of the above are unwanted dog behaviors and you can easily stop them with the help of an electronic dog training collar.

I can almost hear the question – "All behaviors you listed are spontaneous. How do I know if it will occur or not?" You can't know for sure, but you can anticipate. If you know that your dog starts digging every time you leave him alone in the backyard, then, before you let him out, put his electronic dog training collar on. And keep the remote handy.

With time, your dog will learn that the above behaviors are followed by an unpleasant experience and will stop from engaging in them, even when you are not around.

An electronic dog training collar is truly an amazing tool.

Electronic Dog Training Collar When Bo, my German shepherd, acquired a habit of chasing rabbits (who does he think he is, a hunting dog?) in the backyard, I bought the PetSafe Deluxe Big Dog Remote Trainer.

I was skeptical at first, but was I amazed with the results! Within 3 weeks, he was a new dog!

If you are considering getting an electronic dog training collar for your dog, I highly recommend the PetSafe Big Dog Remote Trainer (or PetSafe Deluxe Little Dog Remote Trainer for dogs under 40 lbs) because…

It offers 10 levels of correction
Works within a 100 yard range (some more expensive collars work over greater distances but I feel 100 yards is sufficient in most situations)
It comes with a waterproof collar
It comes with two sets of probes: short for short-haired dogs and long for long-haired dogs

And...

I've personally used it and seen the results.

This product really lived up to the narrative on the box it came in! If your dog has some bad habits that can be corrected by an electronic dog training collar, give it a try.

In my opinion, electronic dog training collars are great, but do you need to get one for your dog?

It depends.

I would only get it if I wanted to modify some of my dog's behaviors or if I needed an obedience training aid. If your dog doesn't have any behavior or obedience problems, don't waste your money on an electronic dog collar.

Some experts feel electronic collars are not only useless but harmful as well. The dog obedience and behavior training guide I often refer to on this site and use when training my dogs, is against using such products.

While I value and trust the information in the book, I disagree with its author about safety concerns. To his credit, he provides many training techniques that will accomplish the same results without use of electronic dog training collars.