E-Collar Training

Why an e-collar?

An e-collar is an invisible leash. It lets us use Traditional training, also called escape and avoidance training (training styles), at a distance with a single tool.

Two methods

There are two approaches. Method 1 keeps your dog collar-dumb: they don’t know the collar delivers the corrections. Method 2 makes your dog collar-savvy. You can always move from method 1 to method 2, but never back.

Method 1: collar-dumb

The collar is used sparingly, strictly for positive punishment. This can solve some problems quickly and permanently, and the collar comes off earlier in your dog’s development.

I go out of my way to keep your dog from learning what the collar or remote is. We use it for jumping on people, counter surfing, digging, chewing, and other unwanted behaviors. We can try it for recall, but that greatly increases the chance of a collar-savvy dog. The collar is used as little as possible, at high stimulation.

Method 2: collar-savvy

The e-collar becomes far more useful once your dog understands it. Then we can use it for negative reinforcement as well as positive punishment, and fold it into any training: recall, heeling, barking, and reactivity. This is where extra sessions come in.

Because the collar is now the main rule enforcer rather than a secret, we switch from high to low stimulation, usually 10–25 depending on the dog. I strongly prefer this method, but remember: a collar-savvy dog can never go back to collar-dumb.