6 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TRY E-COLLAR DOG TRAINING

Chances are, if you’re reading this blog, you are looking into using a remote-training collar with your dog. Is it the right thing for your dog? Will it be beneficial in your relationship with your dog? Will it actually help you to have a say in the behavior your dog is exhibiting? You are not alone in your search for answers. Even I had to have this conversation with myself many years ago - more on that later!

6 Reasons to Try E-Collar Dog Training

While the idea of using technology to help train dogs may seem daunting, e-collars are a highly effective and humane way to teach dogs new behaviors and commands. Here are the six reasons you should consider trying e-collar training for your dog. 

1. Reinforce Commands Your Dog Knows Already

E-collar dog training provides handlers with a valuable tool to reinforce commands that their dogs already know, even when they are at a distance. The e-collar delivers mild electric stimulation to the dog as a form of positive reinforcement. This allows the handler to communicate with the dog from a distance, making it ideal for training in large open spaces or for dogs who tend to wander. The e-collar is a valuable tool for reinforcing commands, such as recall, off-leash obedience, and boundary training, and can be used in conjunction with traditional training methods for maximum effectiveness.

2. Better Communication

Remote collars provide a highly effective and efficient way to communicate with your furry friend. They help you train your dog faster and clearer, allowing you to send commands and correct behaviors from a distance. You can easily get your dog's attention and guide them towards desired behaviors with mild static stimulation or a beep sound. 

3. Improve Your Dog’s Behavior While Distracted or Stressed

Proper e-collar dog training allows pet owners to communicate with their dogs and reinforce desired behaviors, even in distracting or high-arousal situations. By delivering a harmless stimulation (such as a buzz or beep) at the push of a button, e-collars can grab a dog's attention and help them stay focused on the task at hand. With proper training and usage, e-collars can be a powerful tool to help dogs perform behaviors even in the face of distractions. However, it's important to remember that e-collars should never be used as a punishment and should always be used under the guidance of a professional trainer to ensure that they are used safely and effectively.

4. Improve Control Over Your Dog’s On and Off Leash Behavior

E-collars help control a variety of behaviors both on and off the leash, such as barking, jumping, running away, or chasing other animals. Using e-collars, you can quickly and easily reinforce commands and correct undesirable behaviors humanely and effectively. Furthermore, e-collars can provide an extra layer of control and security for your pet, especially in situations where traditional training methods may be insufficient or difficult to implement. Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or just starting out, e-collars are a powerful tool that can help you build a stronger and more harmonious relationship with your furry friend.

5. Give More Freedom to Your Dog

By providing consistent and timely feedback, e-collars help dogs learn to respond to commands even when they are not on a leash. This type of training leads to increased confidence and independence for dogs, allowing them to enjoy more freedom and a greater bond with their owners. With the use of e-collars, owners can effectively communicate with their dogs from a distance, ensuring their safety and preventing them from engaging in dangerous behaviors such as running into traffic or chasing wildlife. By providing a clear and reliable way for owners to communicate with their dogs, e-collars help to improve off-leash reliability, giving dogs the freedom they deserve while keeping them safe.

6. Give Your Dog More Opportunities to Enjoy Life

With the ability to communicate and reinforce commands from a distance, e-collars can help you train your dog more effectively, leading to a well-behaved and obedient pet. A trained dog is a happy dog, as they clearly understand their role and the rules they are expected to follow. This in turn, leads to more opportunities for outdoor adventures, socialization, and new experiences, giving your dog a bigger, fuller life. Whether it's hiking, swimming, or just playing fetch in the park, a trained dog is more likely to be able to participate in these activities and enjoy them to the fullest.

Goals You Can Achieve With E-Collar Dog Training

Now, really think about your goals for your dog’s training and how you envision your life together. Do images of your dog sitting politely in their place as guests come into your home or being able to let your dog explore more freely on a hike pop into your brain? If so, then you are probably the perfect candidate for an e-collar-trained dog. 

Here are some other great goals that can be achieved using e-collar to train your dog:

1. Come when called - even around high distractions and from a distance.

2. Reinforcing behaviors your dog already knows - like holding a sit to receive pets.

3. Not picking up harmful things while out on a walk.

5. Going to a station or place and staying there even with lots of distractions.

6. Getting control of your dog when aroused in the presence of other animals or people.

Why I Started Using E-Collar For My Dog 

I have worked with hundreds of people to increase their comfort and trust in using a remote training collar. Most surprisingly, though, I actually had to convince myself it was the right tool to use on my dog. As a professional trainer, I believed I did not need the e-collar. That the hours of advanced training I put into my dog were enough to give her a full life. My rescue dog, Ivy, is a smart pup who loves to train, so why would I need to back that up with stimulation? Well, about 2 months after rescuing Ivy, she started to show reactivity towards strangers and other dogs. I had a decent level of control over these behaviors, but I longed to allow her more freedom. I just couldn’t trust that she would make the correct choice on her own. 

Through conversations with a fellow trainer, we came to the conclusion that Ivy could not live a full life without the assistance of the e-collar. The extra level of control and communication opened so many doors for us! Ivy can now be off-leash around strangers and dogs (select dogs with proper supervision, no dog parks!). Ivy gets freedom, and I get peace of mind. A powerful combination when it comes to building a solid relationship based on mutual understanding and clarity. Because that is what the e-collar provides - clarity both on and off-leash. If you take the time to train your dog on this life-changing tool, your dog will have clear communication and expectations in every moment of life. And isn’t that what we are always reaching for? The ability to communicate clearly to our dogs in a way that they understand.

Why You Should Try E-Collar Dog Training

With proper training and conditioning, the remote training collar will bring out the best in your dog. It can be used to correct unwanted behavior, but also, more importantly, it can be used to encourage desired behavior. Many people believe a remote training collar is just a punishment tool, when in fact, it is also used to encourage behavior making for a better k9 citizen. If you are just getting started on this training journey, check out the online resources on dogtra.com. Once you fully understand your unit and your dog is conditioned to the stimulation, your new life of more freedom and better communication can begin! Happy training!