by Laura Ludwig

Created on: January 30, 2011

There is much controversy about the use of electronic collars  or ecollars in dog training.  Some of the people who yell the loudest against their use are sometimes  the least informed.  Some have seen the ecollar used by abusive handlers, while others have used inferior brands of electronic collars.

Used correctly by the right dog handler, the ecollar is an invaluable tool.  It generally is a short term tool to help the dog understand what you want.  Once the correct behaviors are learned the ecollar can be reserved for times when greater control is needed.  My dogs rarely wear their collars now that they are fully trained.  I use them when I require off leash control in areas where there will be a lot of distractions.

The best ecollars are the ones that have a pager and a nick.  The pager feels exactly like a pager or the vibration of your cell phone.  No one feels like you are being abused when your pager or cell phone vibrates.  That is exactly what the pager function on the ecollar feels like.  It is a little vibration to say "hey, pay attention to me" to your dog.  The nick, which is the typical "shock" that most people think of when you say electronic collar, is used only in situations when your dog would be in danger.  The pager is used 95 percent of the time to tell your dog to pay attention and it is the best tool for letting the dog know that you have control of him from a distance.  Dogs are quick to learn that they are faster than most humans and cannot be controlled when they are not attached by a leash.

An important thing to know when training with the ecollar is that because the pager function is not a shock or a punishment, it can be used at the beginning phase of training.  In fact, it is the fastest way to teach your dog to stay with you and also to teach the heel command.  The dog learns that while he is near you, there is not vibration.

The electronic collar is a one of the most versatile dog training tools in the right hands.  It will help you build a stronger bond with your dog as you and your dog spend many happy hours together getting to know each other better.

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