You're currently on:
Do Electronic Dog Collars Work?
If you have a new dog or you’re having trouble with an older dog, and you’re looking into training, you’ve probably come across what are known as electronic dog collars or ECollars. Electronic dog collars have been around for over thirty years, believe it or not. People have used them to successfully train their dogs to do various things, and more importantly they’ve used them to deter problem behavior. It makes sense. Dogs wear collars anyway; owners may as well use them to their advantage so that they can have the best dog possible. Not everyone has the time to train their dog so they opt to use electronic dog collars instead. They can train their dog even when they’re not home and the best part is they only have to buy the collar once instead of paying for an expensive trainer. The collar, after a while, pays for itself.
Electronic dog collars are intended to train an animal, most commonly dogs, to do their owner’s bidding. They can be used to keep the animal from barking, from going beyond a boundary such as a yard, or they can even be used to train the animal to do certain tricks or perform certain behaviors. The collars either emit a low dose of electricity, a high pitched noise or a spray that is bothersome to the dog. Let’s say for example that a dog is known for barking constantly and the owner wants to stop this. The owner might put an electronic dog collar on the pet in order to train it. Then, whenever the dog barks, the collar will go off and this will teach the dog that barking brings on this shock or horrible noise or spray and this will deter the dog from barking in the future.
Electronic dog collars aren’t just for barking, however; although they are commonly used for such troublesome behavior. These collars can also be used to deter the dog from digging, from getting up on the nice furniture, from running off the property, from begging at dinner time and they can even be used for common obedience training. Bark collars are different from the other types of electronic dog collars. With bark collars, the collar emits a small shock, noise or spray whenever the dog starts barking. It’s a timed mechanism designed to go off as soon as the dog starts to bark. For other behaviors, such as digging or begging, the electronic dog training collar would come with a remote control the owner or trainer can use to control the dog from a distance. The dog won’t know it’s coming from the owner or trainer; they will only associate the bad behavior with the unpleasant feeling, noise or smell and they will eventually stop behaving that way.
The electronic dog collars provide many benefits to the owner. The first important benefit is that the dog will learn how to behave in a proper manner. There’s nothing worse than a dog that does whatever it wants to do much to the owner’s dismay. With these collars, the dog will learn what behavior is acceptable and will essentially do whatever the owner wants.
Another important benefit to the owner is that it’s a relatively inexpensive way to train your dog. Most of the time, when training a dog, you have to buy treats or toys to provide positive reinforcement. After a while this can get very expensive. Some people also like to take their dog to a professional dog trainer and that costs even more money. With an electronic dog collar, you only spend the money once and that’s all you need to teach your dog how to behave.
Kinds of Dog Collars
There are a few different kinds of electronic dog collars. These include shock collars, spray collars and sonic collars. All three types are effective but they may not all work for every type of dog. And some owners may not like certain types. For example, some owners think emitting a small electrical charge, no matter how minute, to a dog is the same as striking it. They see it as cruel. The truth is, however, all three electronic dog collars have been tested and retested to ensure they are harmless to the animal. They can be calibrated to coincide with the breed, size and weight of the animal and they will work if used properly.
The electronic dog shock collar is probably the most popular of all three types of collars. The charge emitted from the collar is not unlike a static charge a person gets when they walk across a dry carpet. It is not the high powered shock that people often think it is. It’s a small charge that only acts as a nuisance to the animal but it’s enough to stop them from engaging in whatever behavior is inappropriate.
The sonic collar is also popular amongst owners who like to use electronic dog collars. These collars emit a high pitched sound that only the dog can hear. Again, it acts as a nuisance and in no way harms the dog. Eventually the dog will get sick of hearing that annoying noise and will stop the bad behavior.
Finally, there’s the spray collar. This collar sprays citronella in the dog’s face. The noise and the smell act the same way an electrical charge or noise does. It’s very annoying to the dog and the animal soon learns what behavior causes the collar to activate and soon stops that behavior.
Now that you know the history, theories behind and the usages of electronic dog collars, you can use them to your benefit to train your dog. They’re safe, they really work and they will help you mold your dog so that it acts appropriately in any given situation.
Loading...