The secret to training dogs is to develop a trusting relationship with your dog. That is the big picture to success, however, training tools can be extremely helpful to help get you there. One misunderstood tool, is the remote training collar or as some people refer to it as a “shock collar.” In truth, it really is not a shock collar when it is used appropriately at a low setting or as Robin MacFarlane of That’s My Dog, Inc. of Dubuque, Wisconsin coins as the “just right setting”. When used in this manner, it is a very effective and humane communication tool to teach your dog not only “what not to do” but more importantly, “what to do”. When considering using a remote training collar, people commonly make three mistakes: 1. They buy an inferior collar that does not offer a wide range of stimulation so you can truly use the lowest setting that gets your dog’s attention, 2. They do not know how to lay the foundation work so the dog understands how to make the low level stimulation cease, and 3. They purchase the inferior collar unit without professional instruction.
Inferior collars are those that typically have low number of stimulation levels (7-15). Whereas, the Dogtra remote collars have 100-127 levels. This doesn’t mean that they are more powerful but instead offer much smaller steps between the levels so you can use the “just right setting” instead of having to go to a higher level too quickly. With the aid of a professional dog trainer who is a remote collar specialist; you can quickly learn how to teach your dog the foundation work necessary for your dog to understand the collar system. Board and Train or Personal in home instruction is the best way to learn but there are other options too: Remote Adventures Class in Garden City or at Walled Lake, Michigan or follow along Robin MacFarlane’s excellent “Just Right!” DVD instruction of training.
So if you want your dog to be all that he or she can be, build a trusting relationship with your dog and consider adding a remote training collar to your toolbox of training tools.
