Many of us love to have a dog around. Along with the joy of having a pet also comes the responsibility to ensure that our dog understands what is and is not allowed when out for a walk.
This is where a dog training collar can come into play. Here are a few reasons why a dog training collar can lead to both a happy pet and a satisfied owner.
When we first acquire a new pet, a period of adjustment ensues. Your dog will be checking out the new surroundings and also trying to determine what types of activities will be acceptable in order to hold your favor. Just as you will teach your dog how to be housebroken, you also will use the dog training collar to reinforce what you consider to be proper behavior in other ways. As an example, your dog training collar will be part of the apparatus you use when taking your dog for a walk.
In some cases, the collar may come with a detachable harness that fits around and under the pet’s front legs. This will allow you to teach the dog how to not strain against the leash. Other lessons such as how to get the dog to understand that you will control the direction that the walk takes also can be learned with the use of this type of dog training collar.
In addition, the dog training collar helps you to teach your pet how to set a comfortable pace where both of you get exercise but are not unduly winded.
A training collar is also helpful around the house, when it comes to teaching your new pet about areas that are not for the pet. As an example, some dog training collars come with a device that will emit a low grade electrical shock – not enough to harm your pet, but enough to help the dog associate certain behaviors with a deterrent.
This can help you to train your dog to not dig into the trashcan, or to invade the dog food supply, and to stay off the furniture in the formal living room.
Owning a dog is a lot of fun, but it also is a responsibility. By using a training collar to help your pet understand what is and is not acceptable behavior, you ensure that both of you will be happy for many years to come.
Electronic Dog Collars
The electronic dog training collar can be a great boon to pet owners struggling to train their dogs. But like all other training methods, it has its proper uses and its improper uses, and too often new pet owners find themselves unable to distinguish between the two. It may be as well to clarify from the start what we mean when we say ‘electronic dog training collar.’
We are emphatically NOT talking about collars which deliver an electric shock when the dog misbehaves. These collars are cruel and more painful than necessary, and often have very low results for the amount of damage they do.
An electric dog training collar, on the other hand, has a small box capable of emitting loud and unpleasant noises, and is controlled by a remote, which the pet owner holds in their hands while training the dog.
The electronic dog training collar is only useful as an aid to a human trainer. Don’t expect the collar to do the work for you. The best way of using your electronic dog collar is to reprimand the dog when it does not obey your command. Give the dog a command (such as, Sit, for example) and if the dog does not obey, respond by making the electronic dog training collar make its noise.
Show the dog what you want it to do (in the case of the command ‘sit,’ press gently on the dog’s lower back, making it sit, while repeating the command to sit) then repeat the command. If the dog obeys, reward it with a treat and a praise. If the dog does not obey, again, use the electronic dog training collar, show the dog what you want it to do, and try again.
For best results, you should never give the dog more than four or five seconds to obey a simple command such as ‘sit.’ A dog who obeys eventually is not a dog who obeys at all.
Dog Shock Collars
When we have a pet, it is up to us to train our dog to understand what sorts of behaviors are acceptable and which are not. One of the ways we can help our dog understand the difference is by the use of a dog shock collar.
The basic operation of a dog shock collar is pretty easy. When the dog is engaged in an activity that is not allowed, the collar emits a very low grade shock. The voltage is not enough to harm the animal, but it is enough to begin the process of averting the dog from activities that are not desirable.
As an example, the dog shock collar is part of an overall package that is known as an invisible fence. By placing sensors around the perimeter of your yard, the dog will receive a mild shock should the animal attempt to leave the perimeter.
This over time will help the animal develop a sense of staying on you property and not wandering off.
The dog shock collar can be used in other ways as well. Should you have certain piece of furniture that are off limits to the animal, you can activate a shock when your dog sits on that antique sofa, or crawls into the bed that is sporting that expensive duvet you just purchased.
The shock will be enough to get the dog to jump down and in a short time your animal will associate climbing onto that particular piece of furniture with an unpleasant result. At that juncture, your pet will cease to have any interest in that piece of furniture, no matter how appealing it may have been in the past.
Use of a dog shock collar should be limited to situations where the action could possibly result in a danger to your pet, or to protect your property from possible damage by your pet.
While the purpose of the dog shock collar is to modify your pet’s behavior, it should not been seen as the only effective method, nor should it be used to attempt to train your pet to perform tricks or the more simplistic obedience tasks. For more information on the proper uses of a shock collar, check with your veterinarian and also obedience schools in your area.
Dog Bark Collars
A dog bark collar is intended to stop dogs from barking excessively. They range from citronella collars which spray the dog whenever he or she barks to electric shock collars which deliver a painful jolt of electricity to try to stop the dog from barking.
On the surface, these dog collars seem like a good idea to our technology crazed society. And your dog’s barking can be a problem, no doubt about it. But a dog bark collar has a number of significant problems which decrease their usefulness and can even make them dangerous to pets. These it may be as well to look at.
By far the safest and most humane of the dog bark collar is the one which sprays citronella when the dog barks. Dogs hate this, and the instant reaction to the bark helps to tell the dog what it’s doing wrong. But the citronella collar has some significant limitations. First, because it is triggered by the dog’s bark, it can also be triggered by other loud noises.
This results in the dog being sprayed when it hasn’t done anything, which weakens the training and may lead to trauma in the dog. Second, because the citronella resevoir is carried on the collar, the dog can feel its weight, and many dogs can actually tell when the resevoir is empty.
The electric shock collar mentioned above is the least safe and the least humane. The electrical jolt is painful to the dog, and may cause brain damage if sustained for long periods of time. And the electric dog bark collar is not even particularly effective; dogs will often continue barking in spite of the pain.
The best way to cure a dog of barking, then, is *not* the dog bark collar, but patient training. Especially if the dog’s barking is due to separation anxiety, spending time with your dog, playing with it, grooming it, petting it and talking to it are the very best things you can do. A happy, secure dog is a dog who will bark less often.
Canine Obedience Video – How to use dog training collar correctly
Dog Collars and Leashs
When it comes to taking proper care of your dog, it is important to make sure that everything you do and everything you buy for your pet is right for the height, weight, size and type of dog that you own. Here are a few tips to help you pick out the dog collar and leash that is right for your pet.
The first thing is to realize that a dog collar and leash is not a one size fits all situation. Different breeds require that the collar be adjustable so that the fit around the neck is secure but does not impair the pet’s ability to breathe or to move the neck freely.
In order to find that sweet spot between being comfortable for your pet but not so loose that the collar will slip over the head the first time your pet sees another dog on the other side of the street, you may have to try a couple different settings. Take your cue from the dog. If you see your pet is uncomfortable with the fit, then adjust the collar accordingly.
The length of the leash is also a factor in getting the right dog collar and leash combination. Here you should take into consideration the height and weight of your dog in relation to your own height.
Most leashes will come in several different lengths, but they will not necessarily promote one length over another based on breed. The determining factor includes you as well. Pick a leash that is long enough for you to comfortably walk with your dog without having to hunch over, while still keeping your pet in close proximity to you.
The strength of the dog collar and leash is one factor that has a lot to do with the size and breed. Larger dogs tend to have more muscle strength and can wear out a thinner weaker leash in no time. Nothing can be quite as disconcerting as walking your dog and having the leash or collar break at an inopportune time.
The good news is that collars often do come with recommendations based on the weight of your dog, which will help you select one that should be the appropriate strength for your pet. In selecting the leash to go with the collar, make sure you pick something that is at least the same grade and thickness as the collar. That should prove to be a good combination.
Selecting the right dog collar and leash for your pet can be relatively easy, as long as you keep these few basic principles in mind. To get more ideas on how to select the right dog collar and leash, visit your local pet supply store.