By Chad and Jodi Hines

  An electronic collar is one of the most important training tools.

Think of the e-collar as a mile-long cordless check-cord, providing control at all times.

Your dog is 100 yards away, you call him and he chooses not to listen. What do you do? Before e-collars, some old timers would shoot bird shot at the dog to persuade him to stay in range. E-collars are definitely more humane.

E-collars are a great safety tool for your dog. Your dog can now run freely and safely in the dog park or back yard– with your supervision. After a proper introduction, simply use a light stimulation to turn the dog around and all is well.

FIRST THING: PROPER FIT

The first consideration as you begin to ‘condition’ your dog to an e-collar is fit. Take extra time and care to make sure it’s adjusted properly before you start training with it.

The collar needs to go on tight enough that both prongs are making contact with the dog. If the collar isn’t tight enough, the dog won’t feel the stimulation.

If you are trying to correct your dog for something and he is not responding, you need to be able to increase the level of stimulation, one small step at a time, until the desired reaction comes. But if the collar is not tight enough, and you keep raising the stimulation level because you don’t see a reaction from the dog, you may be setting yourself and the dog up for a bad surprise. That’s because, chances are, the collar will eventually bounce and make contact with the dog, and you run the risk of hitting him with an ‘over-correction,’ something that could have been avoided.

If you tighten the e-collar with two fingers under the collar, there will be enough extra space for the dog to be comfortable. Err on the side of being too tight. The dog will let you know if it’s too tight, but not if it’s too loose.

(Even if you think you have the collar adjusted properly at the beginning of a session or hunt, check it frequently. Some dog’s necks can increase in size as they exert, so you may have to loosen the collar slightly from time to time.)

COLLAR CONDITIONING USING 'HERE'

To collar condition your dog to the ‘here’ command (essentially the same thing as ‘come’), you must have a check cord or long leash on your dog. It also helps to have a few treats in your pocket.

First, pull your dog in and give him a treat. Then, give the ‘here’ command, pull him in and give him a treat. When he understands that he gets a treat for coming in to the command, it’s time to introduce the e-collar.

Put the collar on your dog and set the transmitter to a low setting. (A ‘1’ on Tri-Tronics, for example, or an ‘8’ on a Dogtra collar.) Press the continuous button, tell him ‘here’ and pull him to you with the check cord. When he makes contact with you, let go of the button, and let him know he has done a good job with praise and a treat.

USE PLENTY OF PRAISE WHEN HE DOES WELL

Let the dog get about 10 ft away and call him to you again with the here command. After a few times, the dog should start to understand what is going on and show some willingness to comply. If not, turn the collar up a bit and call him to you a few more times– holding down the continuous button and pulling the dog into you.

Every time he comes to you, he is given a treat.

GET THE STIMULATION RIGHT

When you get to the right level of stimulation with the collar, the dog will let you know.

You’re looking for some type of reaction. Their head might cock to the side or they might scratch at their neck. This means they feel the stimulation, but it is not too bothersome.

Essentially, when you train with an e-collar, you are teaching your dog to turn off the stimulation by complying with your command (in this case, making contact with you).

What happens if you accidentally turn the stimulation up too high, and the dog yelps? If this happens, don’t stop the session just because you did something wrong. That will do more harm than good.

If he yelps and you stop the training, the dog is likely to learn that by yelping he can get out of something he doesn’t want to do. Instinctively, he learns this is a good way to get out of an uncomfortable situation. What do you suppose will happen next time you try to teach him something and he doesn’t want to do it? Chances are he’ll yelp again, thinking you will stop.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU GO TOO HOT?

If you ‘pamper’ him through it because you feel bad, chances are he’ll yelp at a lower level next time– not because it hurt, but because he got his desired response. Your desired response is for him to come when called, and you are the boss. Instead of stopping or pampering him, keep the session going and help your dog succeed.

First, dial down the stimulation to a lower level, then get right back to the exercise. Have him comply with the command, give him a treat and plenty of praise.

(Giving dogs treats during training helps keep their interest longer, and gives them a reward. If your dog does not like your treats, try using some cheap hot dogs or skip the morning feeding and train him before you feed in the evening.)

When your dog is coming to you without having to pull him in with the cord, still leave the cord on him and let him drag it around. Call him to you, hold down the continuous button, and you can also pat your leg for a non-verbal cue. Once he makes contact with you, let go of the button on the collar and give him his treat. After you are confident he knows the command, should your dog choose not to come (even though you are pressing on the collar button and giving him stimulation), try turning the collar up a bit. If he still doesn’t come, help him in with the cord. That’s why you keep using the check cord, even after you think he understands the command. It gives you a backup correction tool that lets you keep stimulation levels as light as possible with the e-collar.

Keep those levels light. If your dog yelps, the collar is too hot. Do not get to that point. Always err on the side of caution. Help your dog succeed, using the cord if necessary, any time he appears confused in any way.

When he is doing well with the here command at close range, you can let him roam farther and farther. These sessions should be 5-10 minutes long and it should take about 5-10 of them for the dog to figure it out. If it takes longer, that’s fine; different dogs learn at different rates. Some dogs are extremely quick and some extremely slow.

Consistency is the key. When you tell the dog ‘here,’ make sure he comes all the way to you every time. If the dog is preoccupied with something else and doesn’t come when called, don’t be afraid to use the cord, or go a little higher on the collar to get his attention. When he understands, you can use the ‘nick’ button (the owner’s manual that comes with your collar will explain what it is for your model) to reinforce your command. If he does not come all the way in, go back to the continuous button and hold it down until he makes contact with you.

Reinforce every command (again, consistency is key). That way, your dog learns to pay attention to you– and that you mean it every time you give a command. You are not being cruel to your dog. You are being consistent as a trainer, and that leads to consistent performance from the dog.

Notes: If you’d like help training your dog or correcting specific problems;

Contact - Chad Hines at Willow Creek Kennels in Little Falls, Minnesota,

Phone: (320)360-3603

E-mail:  willowcreekkennels@hotmail.com