The E-Collar
The electronic collar, or e-collar, in my opinion, is one of the most overused and misunderstood tools a trainer can have. When done right an e-collar is a very effective tool for giving an instant correction when the dog is not next to you. On the flip side, it can also be a torturous device when someone doesn’t understand how to use it correctly. First let’s set the record straight, an e-collar is not a shock collar. Gone are the days of collars with one setting of wide open and a screaming dog. Today’s collars have multiple levels of stimulation, with continuous and momentary (nicks) settings. Also, an e-collar is not a remote trainer. Nothing about an e-collar is a trainer; it doesn’t teach a dog anything that is your job. The collar is used to correct a behavior. The biggest key to remember is that it does no good to correct a dog for a behavior when you have not taught the correct behavior. I have seen people crank up a collar and light a dog up when it did not follow a command, then find out the dog was never taught the command to begin with. This is a good way to ruin a dog. You must also be sure the collar is fitted correctly on the dog. It has to be snug enough for the probes to make contact, but not so tight as to hinder breathing. There are tons of books and articles that discuss collar conditioning a dog, take some time and read up, or find an experienced trainer near you and have them work with you on how to use one. Gone are the days of “If they ain’t burnin’ they ain’t learnin’”. The e-collar is a great tool for a trainer to use, and once you understand how and when to use it, it helps minimize training problems and offers instant corrections. Below are some good articles about using an e-collar.
http://www.coonriverkennels.com/pages/tips.asp#ecollar
http://www.ponderosakennels.com/e-collarintroduction.htm
http://www.averysportingdog.com/TrainingCamp/2006August.php
http://www.totalretriever.com/tip38.htm http://www.loucastle.com/fit.htm