Remote collar training in dogs is a great way of encouraging proper behavior while discouraging misbehavior at the same time. Dogs respond well to immediate rewards and admonishments, and one of the downsides of standard training is that it can often take too long for you to reward or punish your pet based on his behavior. With a remote collar, which provides a mild electric stimulus to your pet when you activate it in order to cause him discomfort, you'll be better able to admonish him for bad behavior immediately, thereby strengthening the ties between the behavior and the discomfort in his brain. Here are some remote collar training tips to help you better achieve your training goals.
Begin at Lowest Intensity
Remote collars are not designed to cause your pet any pain. However, they are meant to cause mild discomfort. This is intended to surprise your pet into discontinuing whatever action he's done which is against the rules. As he stops the action and you stop the charge, he'll begin to recognize a connection between these processes.
Begin by setting the collar at the lowest intensity level. Build up from there. Otherwise, you may find that your collar loses its effectiveness quickly, or that your pet is in fact hurt by the collar when that was never your intention.
Test Range First
Before you put the collar on your dog, be sure to test out the range so that you can see whether or not it will work effectively at different distances. Be sure that you stay within the proper range of the remote collar when you plan to train your dog, so that you can be sure that he's experiencing the jolt from the remote collar and that it's working properly.
Don't Attach Too Tightly
A collar that is too tight can restrict your pet's breathing and make it difficult for him to chew or swallow. In some cases, this may actually be a danger to your pet's overall health. For this reason, be sure to leave a bit of space around his neck. Still, you'll want the collar to fit snugly on him so that you get the best results from the shock.
Wait until It's Appropriate to Use
Remote collars and other types of training collars in general should not be used on dogs that are too young. If you attempt to do this, you may find that your pet will not respond properly to the training techniques. You may also find that he's unable to adequately support the weight of the collar with his body. In either case, you'll be wasting your time and running the risk of causing problems with the training or injury for your pet if you begin at this point. It's best to wait until your dog is at least 6 months old to begin training of this type.