How to Train Your Dog Using Dog Training Collars

Whether it involves the beloved family pet or a hardy working canine, dog training can often be just as challenging as it is rewarding.

For first-time dog owners, the job of conditioning a dog to walk calmly down the street can feel no less monumental than a professional trainer tasked with instilling rock-solid focus in a search and rescue dog. In either instance, the commitment in time and patience alone can be extensive, and any tool that’ll make training easier on a dog or its handler is going to be appreciated.

Collars have been a part of dog training for thousands of years, but the technology now exists to make training with a collar both more successful and humane than it’s ever been. And not only does this new generation of collars represent a significant leap forward in how collars are used from only a decade ago, but also in how the rewards have become twice as meaningful as well.

Lasting Training With an Еlectronic Collar

When it comes to hands-on dog training, it’s no surprise that when wisely used, remote electronic dog collars, or e-collars, are capable of taking dog learning to a new level. That’s because, with today’s technology, teaching methods that include electronic collar training are more effective across the full spectrum of training parameters than any combination of processes and tools that have been used before them. They underline how substantive obedience training can start at a younger age with the right collar choice, and how the concerns about certain types of collars being inappropriate for smaller, or higher-strung breeds of dogs can also be put to rest.

Modern, stimulation-producing remote dog training collars are designed to work in combination with established hand and verbal command routines to correct undesirable behaviours such as:

·   Pulling at leads;

·   Jumping or lunging;

·   Destructive chewing;

·   Running off or chasing; and,

·   Nuisance barking.

And rather than obligating owners and handlers to focus their energies completely on correcting undesirable behaviour, a remote training collar also lets them positively reinforce desirable behaviour. A remote collar can provide dogs with just enough feedback to remind them of what they may or may not be doing that’s inappropriate, and it allows them to modify their own behaviour instantly. It’s a positive indicator to an owner or handler that the correction they’ve initiated is, in fact, a lasting one.

Remote Collar Types and Advantages 

The key to a successful remote-type dog collar is in the quality and versatility of the collar module that’s delivering behavioural stimulation. And not only do they have to be lightweight, water resistant, and tough enough to suit any dog’s mannerisms, but they also need the range and expandability that can vary with an owner’s requirements.

There are 3 main types of remote dog training collars commonly sold in Australia, and depending on the type of training being done, they can be expanded to control up to 6 dogs to a distance of over 1.7km.

·   Radio trainer collars. These collars utilize a hand-held transmitter to deliver a range of possible stimuli to the dog when they’re performing an undesired behaviour.

·   Anti-bark collars. These collars utilize either microphones or sensors to register a dog’s persistent barking, and to automatically deliver a stimulus that will discourage excessive barking.

·   Containment collars. These collars are also designed to deliver a range of stimuli to dogs whenever they’ve come within, or exceeded the proximity of an electronic border fence.

Ordinarily, only radio trainer-type collars have a handheld remote control; however, any of these remote-activated training collars will aid owners and handlers to even out and fine-tuning their training practices. For first-time owners and professionals alike, any remote-type collar can help to:

·   Immediately draw a dog’s attention to its unwanted behaviour;

·   Allow for instantaneous corrections and positive reinforcements; and,

·   Effectively eliminate punishment as a method of training.

Remote collars are more than just an alternative to the classic buckle and choker-type collars that are used to apply painful pressure to the neck as a form of training. The gentle stimulation that’s produced by a remote dog training collar is a safe conditioning method: it doesn’t stress or frustrate dogs, making them more receptive to the training and less frightened or irritated by it.

Types of Remote Collar Stimulation

There are 5 types of stimulation that remote training collars for dogs are capable of delivering:

·   Tone. On remote training collars with audible warnings, a dog is alerted to their undesirable behaviour by a beep from the collar module as a reminder to correct the behaviour themselves before a more pronounced stimulation takes place.

·   Ultrasonic. Instead of an audible warning tone, ultrasonic collars produce a high-frequency noise that only dogs can hear to deter unwanted behaviour.

·   Spray. Remote collars with spray stimulation deliver a single burst of harmless citronella spray to a dog’s snout to immediately grab its attention before an unwanted behaviour worsens.    

·   Vibration. For basic obedience training, a painless vibrating stimulus is delivered by the dog collar module either automatically or at the push of a button to remind the dog to correct its behaviour.   

·   Static. For more stubborn dogs that require a greater degree of intervention, low-level static pulse stimulations can be delivered by the collar module for both training and correction.

High-quality dog trainer collars ordinarily combine multiple types of stimulation into a single collar module, and collars with vibration and static features normally include multiple levels of stimulation. With some remote collars offering more than 100 levels of stimulation sensitivity, it gives owners and handlers the opportunity to discover what works best with their dogs, without harming or hurting them.

Following the Training Fundamentals

Ultimately, no matter which type of remote dog training system is used, it has to be as successful at reinforcing trust as it is at correcting behaviour. As technology has changed how collars can be used, owners and handlers have also had to reassess their responsibilities when it comes to correcting undesirable behaviour.

Because remote collars make it possible for corrections to occur in the complete absence of an owner, effective use of remote collar training places more emphasis than ever on:

·   Exercising patience when training;

·   Being consistent in how the training is conducted; and,

·   Ensuring that corrections occur in a timely manner.

Suffice it to say, when the most fundamental rules of dog training are followed, the results achieved with a remote dog training collar will be better than with any other combination of training tools.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, whether it’s to help a beloved companion or to build a trusted colleague, proper training is meant to bring out the best qualities in a dog. They want to please us – it’s in their nature – and we owe it to them to use training tools that simplify the process.

Electronic collar training now makes it easier than ever to bring out the best behaviour in any type, size, or age of the dog. Remote collars do more than improve dog behaviour, though. They strengthen the ties between dogs and owners in ways that other tools and methods can’t, and the reward from that goes beyond measure.