Is an E-Collar Right for You?

No training tool will magically turn your dog into a perfectly behaved pet for all occasions. If you’re even a little familiar with Reeds K9 Training balanced approach, you’ll know that we always use the safest and most effective training tools, and that balanced training means both positive and corrective reinforcement.

At Reeds K9 Training, we use remote e-collars to get a dog’s attention and reinforce verbal commands during off-leash training, just as we use pressure from a slip or prong collar during on-leash training.

How do we use an e-collar?

We use remote e-collars to get a dog’s attention or re-enforce a command, and we use the least possible amount of stimulus. A properly used remote e-collar does not deliver pain; that would be cruel and completely ineffective for training purposes. We teach dogs that they can turn the pressure off by completing our verbal commands, the same way we would use leash pressue.

The e-collars we use are adjustable from 1 (least stimulus) to 100 (most), and majority of dogs respond to a setting of 8 or lower – that’s something most humans wouldn’t even feel!

Assess the benefits of e-collars

Outside of the professional training environment, depending on your specific training goals, it may make sense to consider an e-collar to use for training sessions at home. Keep in mind that e-collars can bring greater consistency in training sessions but can also create a confused dog if not introduced properly and used in a consistent manner, so be sure to do your research first.When used properly, there are numerous benefits, such as:

• E-collars can help make sure a dog follows verbal commands when they are off-leash. If your dog is approaching a busy road, or maybe a porcupine, wouldn’t you like to know your dog will respond to your commands immediately?

• E-collars can be used to make expectations and house rules very clear for your dog. In short order, a dog should learn that it is unacceptable to bark every time someone walks on the sidewalk in front of your home or when there’s another dog passing by out the window. If you don’t want your dog jumping on guests, counter surfing, or stealing the kids toys, e-collars can help establish clear boundaries for these negative behaviors too.

• E-collars should make at home training sessions less time-consuming and more efficient and productive. When used properly, the collars focus a dog’s attention instantly, delivering the message faster.

The dog experts at Reeds K9 Training would never promote e-collars for every dog – or even every owner. This would be like advocating the same physical fitness training program for every adult. Too many variables exist to make such a blanket statement.

What we do advocate is that you let us assess and evaluate your dog, and your challenges by talking with you about specific behavioral issues and answering your questions. One way or another – with or without an e-collar – you can count on one thing: a long-awaited breakthrough for your beloved dog.