Rules of Electronic Dog Training

Electronic training operates on the same basic principles used in all canine behavior modification: correction, redirection, and reward. Therefore, it is imperative that the dog understands the basics before more sophisticated training begins.

"Dummy Equipment Effect": Before electronic training begins, the owner/trainer needs to be comfortable in the use of the device, and the dog needs to be comfortable, as well. Thus it is very important to create the "Dummy Equipment Effect" before beginning.

Dogs are highly intelligent and certainly smart enough to know the difference between the different types of collars being used. They look different. They smell different. They exert different pressures on the neck once they are applied. Even the owner/trainer acts differently with the different collars. In some cases, the owner/trainer is there; in other cases, he is not.

Because all of this is true, it is important to eliminate the equipment itself from the learning process. Here is how.

Before beginning to train with an active electronic collar, the dog should first become accustomed to a deactivated collar (i.e. take the battery out). Even if the dog trainer or dog owner is under pressure to train the dog quickly (e.g. the neighbors are complaining), he still needs to teach the dog that the collar is not something to be feared.

The last thing someone wants to see is the dog cowering when it is being approached with a training collar, electronic or otherwise. By spending just a few days introducing the dog to the collar, other problems can be prevented.

General rules: All of the general rules of obedience training apply to electronic training as well. In fact, they are probably even more important in electronic training. These guidelines include:

• Do not train the dog for extended periods of time.
• Limit the number of corrections the dog receives in one training session and in one training day.
• Be sure that corrections are properly balanced with reward.
• Always give the correction at the same time. That is, do so only when the dog is actually misbehaving, not before the misbehavior occurs or after the misbehavior has stopped. This is important because it gives the dog a chance to learn, (i.e. to understand what causes the correction in the first place).
• Perhaps the one most essential general rule is to work on only one behavior at a time.

Finally, the beginning point of most electronic training includes the use of a leash, which serves to help redirect the dog away from escape and other inappropriate responses. This, in turn, makes it increasingly important not to correct arbitrarily or out of frustration. As a dog trainer or owner, it is necessary to be as disciplined as you want the dog to be.

Good Luck on your electronic training. Please stop by our store Luckys_World to see some of our electronic training and electronic pet containment fencing.

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