Electronic training collars are now an acceptable method of training among professional dog trainers, and are a staple product at pet stores. When using them correctly, they can keep a pet within a predetermined area. Whether your dog continues to find a way out of a fenced backyard or if you don't have a fence at all, you might consider using an electronic training collar.
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How They Work
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To set up the parameters in which you want your dog to stay in, put the transmitter in a central room in the house. Then set the controls to how big or small you want the area where your dog is allowed to be. Next, set small red flags around the parameter you have just set. When you put the collar on the dog and let him outside, he will receive a small shock when he crosses the marked boundaries.
Why They Work
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When set up correctly, the collar will start beeping the second the dog crosses the marked boundaries. This noise alerts the dog that a shock is coming if he doesn't back away. The dog will begin to associate the beeping noise, as well as the red flags, with a shock. After a while, the dog is able to memorize at what point the beeping begins and avoids it all together.
Why It Is Sometimes Necessary
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Many fences develop holes without a pet owner knowing it. Having an electronic training collar is an extra method of precaution. This can save a lost dog from becoming an injured dog. The shock collar also allows you to let your dog have the freedom of playing outdoors without fearing he will run away.
Negative Reinforcement
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Shock-collar type of training is known as negative reinforcement. The shock is a negative stimulus that follows the unwanted behavior of roaming too far from the house. By mildly shocking the dog every time he goes outside his boundaries, you are teaching him to associate the small jolt of pain with the bad behavior.
Other Options
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If you consider any type of shock too extreme for an animal, you have other options, including electronic training collars that replace the negative stimulus (shock) with a neutral stimulus, such as a vibration or a sound. The hope is the dog will be startled by the neutral stimulus enough to back away from the undesired area.
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