How to Train a Dog With a Remote Collar | Full Training Guide

Introduction :

It is certain that “dogs are man’s best friend.” Raising a dog is very similar to raising a child. They both need training and reinforcements. Dogs can be classified as a member of the family, we always want them to be happy and satisfied. Also, we want to be well trained and behaved.

It is very important to train pet dogs in general. And to do so, you will need to have patience, kindness, understanding, trust, and forgiveness. It is not an easy task. We can’t just force behavior on a dog, if we did, the consequences will definitely be negative.

All creatures love to be free and never held back. So it is preferable for proper dog training to use the off-leash technique. During the process of training/ raising, they both do not like to be held and limited.

Letting your dog go off-leash running and having his/her own freedom with no fear and pure trust is one of the greatest feelings you can feel as an owner.

However, off-leash training can be very challenging. especially if your dog is new and is not used to you. It is not impossible to do so, but it is hard. And for that reason, electronic/ remote collars are invented.

When you want learn how to train a dog with a remote collar, you will need to bear in mind that your dog needs to follow commands using reinforcement from your part. And create situations to let your dog understand that he/she can trust you.

Why you should use Remote collar?

E-Collars have been around for decades. In the past, their stimulation and vibration were very strong. Which led to severe damage to many dogs’ vocal cords. there are even some dogs who developed disabilities due to how strong the shocks were.

However, due to recent technology, electronic collars have developed ever since and improved. now they are perfectly safe for your dog.

E-collars is an electronic wireless training device used on pets, cats and dogs. You put it on your dog’s neck and you hold a remote into your hand and let the training begin.

The confusion of the remote collar with a shock collar, and believe that using it on their dogs can be inhuman. Decades ago, shock collars used to have limited stimulation settings.

There is a difference between shock collar and e-collar. A lot of people to this day still have misconceptions on what it is exactly. Some still believe that an e-collar is a device that acts like a shock collar that is made to torture dogs like in the old days.

There are different signal levels of the e-collars. It has high-level settings which can be dangerous and harmful. And low-level settings that are barely noticeable. So if you’re thinking, would the electronic collar affect my dog in any way negatively? The answer is no, as long as you use it rationally.

Remote collars can be very beneficial to prevent your dog from bad behaviors. Such as digging the trash, running after people, chewing, or extensive barking.

At the beginning of training your new dog pet, when he/she is on leash or off-leash, it is very dependable. You can’t predict that your dog is going to 100% respond to you with good behavior and listens to your commands correctly. Because we all know that dogs are more of a spontaneous kind of creatures and we love that about them.

However, our intentions with our dog pets is always us wanting the best for them. We want them to obtain good behavior for their own sake, and of course for our own sake as well. So it is a 50-50 kind of situation.

For that reason, e-collars are preferable to use. Especially if you have a stubborn dog. Some people think that using e-collars is an authoritarian approach. While in fact it really is not. Remote collars can help prevent so many bad incidents and save situations.

You can use the remote collar with two different intentions, the first is to train your dog on taking commands from you such as “sit” and “come”. And the second is to train him/her to prevent bad behavior.

Nowadays many professional dog trainers such as Seth Pywell and Martin Deeley use and recommend e-collars. Pywell said that “The Remote Training tools are some of the most effective tools for controlling dogs.”

Deeley also believes that same where he stated that “The e-collar allows us and the dog to be calmer, and it creates a less intrusive way to help the dog learn and make the right decisions.”

How to Train your Dog using a Remote Collar?

1- How To Introduce a Remote Collar to a dog?

E-collar is considered a special tool. So the decision of choosing to use it is really not because the dog is hard to deal with. That is to say, it is a very helpful device that should be the first resort option.

Before using this device, you need to learn what it is and how it is used properly so that there would be no cause of damage to your dog. Remote collars are enforcement tools and distance minimizer.

Depending on the type of the e-collar you’re willing to use, try the different level settings on your fingertips to sense the intensity. After that, customize the most suitable range variety that could be used on your dog.

If you’re dealing with a puppy, you have to be very careful and make sure that you won’t scare him/her. Adjust the remote collar very gently on your dog’s neck and make sure that it is touching the neck properly. And of course, don’t put it too tight, keep it a bit loose where only two fingers could slip in.

We want to always see our dogs having fun. It is the best way to train a dog, to always let them have fun during the whole process. Never put pressure on them or use any negative reinforcement actions.

The steps to how to train a dog with a remote collar can be a challenge. Dogs’ behavior varies and each one responds to commands differently. The best, and highly recommended, way to do so is to firstly Train Your Dog Without a Leash.

2- Get Started :

To get started, your dog needs to already be familiar with the basic commands. Such as “sit” and “stay”. Because otherwise, the process of using the remote collar would be very challenging.

There are different steps to use when you want to train your dog on his/her new remote collar. Depending on your dog’s bread, choose the ones that fit best and apply accordingly.

Step one: Since your hairy friend is already trained on the basic commands, you will need to start your training using those same commands with the e-collars to make the dog familiar with its concept.

At this stage, you also need to condition your pup to the collar. Your dog needs to be used to its collar. You have to associate the collar with everyday activities. Such as going out, walking, and playing with awesome dog toys. Even if you’re not using the remote, let your pup get familiar with it.

Step Two: When you feel like your dog is ready, set the tool’s settings to the lowest level and go up. Until you get a reaction from your dog. The reaction shouldn’t be from pain. It should look like your dog is disturbed by something. That is when you need to go a degree below and keep working with that level.

Your dog shouldn’t put his ears down and his tail underneath his/her body. If your little buddy did that, then it means the signal level is too high.

Step Three: At this stage, it depends on whether you want to train your bestie to good behavior, or you want to train them to avoid misbehavior.

Training Good behavior :

Let’s start with the action of “sit.” Teaching your little friend how to sit using this device is very easy and quick. Firstly you will need to verbalize the word “sit” while holding a treat in your hand.

Keep repeating the word while pressing on the remote as you say it for around 4-10 times. If he/she responds quickly, offer the reward (treat). Then give him/her a small break and do something else. After that, press the remote again while saying the word. This time if they respond, do not offer the treat.

If they did not respond quickly, you can hold the treat on your hand and gently press on their nose with the same hand and push them to sit while saying the word and pressing the remote at the same time. When they respond positively, reward them for the first few times then stop.

The same method is used if you want to train your pup with other commands like “eat” or “stay.” However, when it comes to moving positions like going to “bed”, you can decide whether to use a leash or off-leash and drag your dog while pressing on the button.

Once you reach your desired destination, say the word and praise him/her by saying “good girl/boy” and a treat. Repeat the process until your bestie adopts this behavior with the stimulation. Make sure to always give your hairy little friend a break.

To train your little friend the command “come” can be a bit different from the previous methods. For this action, the dog’s memory muscles need to be conditioned to the command. When your dog is far from you, start-off by calling his/her name and press the stimulation button until eye contact occurs.  Since he/she is already conditioned to the command of “come” without the e-collar, this should be done swiftly.

But if your dog is not familiar with any commands and you’re training him/her for the first time. You will need to use a leash. Call your pup’s name while dragging and pressing the button and also saying “come.”

You have to bear in mind that every command requires practice and patience. So you’ll need to keep repeating the same process for a while (giving breaks in between of course) until our little furry friends are conditioned to the action.

Training to prevent misbehavior :

If you have a hard-to-deal with kind of dog and you always face difficulties to stop them from jumping around, chewing, running, excessive barking, then this guide is for you.

We can start with the action of “jumping.” firstly, adjust the remote collar properly and set the most suitable level of stimulation for your dog (make sure it’s not too high.) approach your dog and give him/her a reason to jump. Once he/she jumps, quickly press the button.

If he/she doesn’t respond, turn the level of the stimulation signal one degree higher. Repeat the process until they fully understand and adapt to the action. This might require some time for the dog’s muscle memory to acquire this prevention.

Tips :

• Do not leave the e-collar on your dog for too long. When they go to sleep, remove the collars.
• We can’t emphasize patience enough. It is key to keep your relationship with your favorite creature healthy and built well.
• It is highly significant to adjust the intensity of the device appropriately. And check on it once in a while to make sure that it didn’t change.

Conclusion :

Our hairy friends are our treasure, so we need to protect them at all costs. If you learn how to train a dog with a remote collar can literally save your pet’s life.

Dogs are spontaneous creatures. They love attention and love to have fun. Once they are treated right, you would get the most out of their love. However, training them and conditioning them differs from one dog to another. Especially in terms of age.

The younger, the better. Once you give full dedication to training your dog, the results would be thrilling and will definitely make you feel the proudest parent ever.