Instructions
Find the right collar, with the right stimulus, for your dog. Many people think electronic training collars, also known as shock collars, are cruel and cause behavioral problems. The rap on shock collars exists because they rely on punishment rather than reinforcement. In certain scenarios a remote training collar could be considered the only option, such as when training a dog from a distance. Decide whether you want a noise-emitting collar, a spray collar or an electronic training collar.
Introduce the collar to your dog carefully. Put it on your dog and begin a training session. Make sure the stimulus, whether it is spray, electronic pulse or noise, is set low. Do not test the collar on your dog. As soon as the dog feels the effect of the collar, the dog will begin to associate that stimulus with whatever action it was doing. Use the collar sparingly, when all other training methods have been exhausted. If you have a dog that is heading toward a road or other dangerous situation, consider using the collar to distract it. Do not rely on the collar to correct small mistakes.
Deliver training sessions normally. Keep the training collar remote control to hand in case of emergency, but do not use it unless your dog is in danger. If you are training in an open space and your dog is running away, chasing sheep or other animals or approaching a river, activate the collar briefly and on a low setting. It will disrupt the dog's behavior before you issue a verbal command to return.
Reward the dog for good behavior. It is essential to reinforce good behavior with reward. If you rely only on punishment, your dog will only know what not to do. It will have no idea what pleases you, only what displeases you. The dog will be nervous about making a mistake. A dog that knows what pleases its master will strive to repeat those actions.
Discard the collar when you are confident in your dog. Remote training collars are not a permanent solution to behavioral problems. They are a means of disrupting potentially damaging or dangerous behavior. Once your dog has learned what you are teaching, put the collar away.
How to Use a Remote Trainer for Dogs
Remote training collars come in various types, but there are three ones: electronic collars, spray collars and noise-emitting collars. All three rely on the theory of operant conditioning. Operant condition is the process of introducing a stimulus in response to an action. So if your dog barks, your or a trainer could activate the collar to spray the dog. Over time the dog associates barking with the unpleasant sensation of being sprayed and learns to stop. Remote training collars, especially electronic collars, are controversial. This is mainly because of misuse.