Introducing and Utilizing

The Electric Collar

By Rodney Spicer

The Electric Collar is one of the best dog training tools available today and is also one of the most misunderstood and under utilized training tools on the market.

I have heard comments such as “they can’t control their dog so they use the Electric Collar”, “They don’t know how to train”, “he is just lazy” or “my dog is to sensitive”. In my opinion and experience I have yet to see a dog that could not benefit from utilizing the Electric Collar. The Electric Collar can make for a better relationship between the handler and dog by allowing the handler to be clear and consistent in what is acceptable and what is not acceptable when properly introduced and utilized.

The Electric Collar has come along way over the past several years. The Electric Collar has gotten lighter, smaller and the handler has many more options in the level of stimulation. I remember my first electric collar in 1990 when you would have to take off the collar and change the plugs for a different level of stimulation. Also if you performed one exercise where the dog was in a high drive and you then give the dog reinforcement stimulation while in a low drive the stimulation could be overwhelming and leave a negative effect. With today’s modern Electric Collars you don’t need to take the collar off to change the plugs it’s now all on the Transmitter by a simple dial up or down in the level of stimulation. 

This is how I introduce and utilize the Electric Collar in training.

It’s important that you have a good relationship with the dog prior to training. When I get a new dog I always take the dog on walks and during this time he is only fed from my hand, not from a bowl. I want the dog knowing that everything good in life comes through me. And when he sees me coming he is excited because he knows that something good is going to happen. Also during this time I put the Electric Collar on the dog at the beginning of the day. The Electric Collar will not be activated and will remain so until the dog is desensitized to wearing the Electric Collar. I take the Electric Collar off the dog at the end of the day; the Electric Collar should not be left on the dog more than twelve hours at a time. I do not want the Electric Collar so tight that the dog has hard time breathing but snug enough to prevent the Electric Collar from moving.

It is important that the dog become desensitized to the Electric Collar and accepts wearing it just like any other collar/harness. There in no time set in stone on how long this period is. It could be several days or weeks.

Another important thing to remember in my opinion is that you cannot teach the dog with the Electric Collar, you can reinforce what you have already taught with the Electric Collar. The dog must know how to comply with each specific command prior to utilizing the Electric Collar.

So now that the dog has been conditioned to sit, lay down, heel and come through positive motivation and reinforced with a leash with consistency. I now activate the Electric Collar and begin training.

I start out by finding the dog’s sensitivity level while we are out on a walk. Electric Collars have a momentary and continues buttons for stimulation. While watching the dog I push the momentary button on the lowest level of stimulation. The reason I do this is to find the dog’s sensitivity level. If the level of stimulation is too strong then it may be to overwhelming for the dog and leave a negative effect. If I get no response I will then go up a level of stimulation. I will continue this until I notice a physical change in the dog’s behavior. The dog may look at me, lay an ear back or turn his head. Each dog will show a slightly different response. Also while I am locating the dogs sensitivity level I give no verbal commands. I am just observing the dog. If the dog becomes verbal then the level of stimulation is to high and needs to be lowered.

With my dog at level one I did not notice a physical change in behavior. At level two still no response. At level three I noticed a slight change in behavior as the dog looked at me as I pushed the momentary button. This is the response I am looking for so that I can begin my reinforcement training with the Electric Collar.

I always start out using the Electric Collar in obedience because the dog is in a lower drive as opposed to apprehension training. And because of this the dog has a higher thresh hold to sensitivity.

As I begin to walk with the dog in the heel position I am looking for the dog to be distracted. Once the dog is distracted I immediately turn the opposite direction and simultaneous give a leash correction and stimulation from the Electric Collar with the command to heel all at the same time. The reason I give a leash correction/ Electric Collar stimulation and verbal command at the same time is to make a connection and association that all corrections come from me the handler. The leash allows me to control the dog to the correct position when stimulation is given. I will continue the momentary stimulation’s until the dog is in the correct position. When the dog is in the correct position I calmly give verbal praise for reassurance and letting the dog know this is what I want.

The reason I give stimulation’s simultaneous with commands is so that the dog will learn to be quicker than the command. I don’t want the dog to anticipate a command and be premature in performing an exercise either. This is why I start with low levels until I find the correct sensitivity level. If I start with high levels of stimulation this may create avoidance and a negative association. I want the dog knowing that I the handler have the ability at any time and any place to give reinforcement stimulation.

I will then go into an obedience routine and anytime I need to make a leash correction I will also give an Electric Collar stimulation simultaneous with a command. All stimulations are simultaneous with a command. This enables you to reinforce the physical actions of the command. Never give a command and wait several seconds to see if the dog is beginning to obey the command before giving an Electric Collar stimulation. This will only teach the dog that it must obey the command but only after the Electric Collar stimulation. The goal is for the dog to be moving on the command.

Now that the dog understands that the Electric Collar stimulation’s are coming from me because of the leash/Electric Collar stimulation conditioning. I now can go into off leash obedience because of our prior conditioning. Also I may now be able to lower the level of stimulation from level three to level two because the dogs threshold to sensitivity has been raised and he is now focused and awaiting my next command. Also the dog understands that I have the ability to reinforce a command.

I do not give an Electric Collar stimulation on every command. I may give two stimulations on command in a row and the next three command no stimulations. I want the dog to be quicker on the commands and always know that I have the ability to reinforce a command at anytime. I do not wait for the dog to make a mistake to give an Electric Collar stimulation. I set the training tone not the dog.

When I go into off leash obedience I will use the Electric Collar just as I would use the leash to reinforce a command.

In the beginning of this article I talk about the importance of having a good relationship with my dog. It is just as important to play with the dog during training because training can be stressful and this stress must be released. I give the dog a release command which means “lets play” I may throw toys, verbal praise and wrestle with the dog or let him explore a new area while in my view.

I am always building and maintaining drive and the Electric Collar enables me to maintain the correct position as well as a good relationship.

When I go into apprehension training my method is the same as in obedience except for the levels of stimulation from the Electric Collar. When the desire or drive is low I can use lower levels of stimulation. When the desire or drive is high I then need to meet that desire with a higher level of stimulation. I also have an article on my web site www.goldcoastk9.com “Training the Guard & Bark for Police Service Dogs” which covers how I utilize the Electric Collar.

I hope this article is clear and shows how I introduce and make associations with the Electric Collar. I have had great success utilizing the Electric Collar in my opinion the Electric Collar is one of the most clear and effective training tools ever for dog training. But at the end of the day when all is said and done the Electric Collar is just an additional tool and if your foundation training was not clear and consistent then neither will the Electric Collar.

Training Notes:

• Teach the dog what you want expect prior to using the Electric Collar.

• Desensitize the dog to the Electric Collar. Never give a command that you are  unable to reinforce.

• Be clear in what you want and consistent in your actions.  

• Stimulation’s and corrections need to be simulations with commands.

• Know how long the battery will last when the Electric Collar is charged.

• Do not leave the Electric Collar on more than twelve hours at a time to avoid irritation.

• Dogs can become “collar wise” if the Electric Collar is only put on for brief periods and stimulations are given and the collar then taken off. This can also teach avoidance when the collar is put on.

• Dogs can work through stimulation’s if the right level of stimulation is not selected and not enough time spent on foundation training.
  
   

• In Electric Collar training it is important that the handler always go back to foundation training with food/toy, physical leash corrections and Electric Collar Stimulation’s. No matter what the dog must know that the handler is not a spectator and is prepared at anytime to pursue with a leash correction and/or Electric Collar stimulation.

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