Dog Training Collar aka Shock Collar Buyers' Guide
In an era of high speed Internet access, cell phones, and palm
pilot organizers, it was only a matter of time before dog
trainer would adopt the electronic training collar as an
acceptable and humane way of training dogs. Notice I did not use
the term "shock collar". The reason will become clear after a
brief look into the evolution of "The Dog Training Collar".
More than 30 years ago, electronic collars made their way into
the dog-training scene. However, because the first generation of
dog training collars were only capable of delivering one level
of stimulation to the dog, they where appropriately nicknamed
shock collars. These collars required the trainer to select the
level of correction by inserting an "intensity plug" into the
collar (before putting the collar on the dog for training, once
the collar was on the dog they could not change the intensity
level). This plug would then cause the collar to emit the same
level of stimulation for all corrections issued during the
session, regardless of how small or large the infraction – hence
the nickname - shock collars.
The term shock collar had a very negative connotation that
dramatically decreased their widespread acceptance in the
dog-training arena. It was commonly stated that, "Only hard
headed dogs that could not be trained by traditional means where
run with shock collars". As a result, very few professional
trainers were public about their use of electronic dog collars
fearing that clients would not entrust dogs to their care.
However, some professionals, including legendary Rex Carr, where
up-front about their use of electronic collars and worked
diligently at developing a training program that utilized the
collar in a way dogs could understand. Rex quickly became know
as a pioneer of training retrievers with electronic collars. In
fact, most if not all training techniques used today with
retrievers are derivate from Rex's original work.
Recognizing the limitations of the first generation of
electronic dog training collars, manufacturers worked to refine
their design. It was only until the release of the second
generation of electronic collars that allowed the trainer to
vary the level of intensity from the hand-held transmitter. The
trainer could now select from one of three levels of intensity
for a particular "intensity plug": high, medium and low. This
design still had its shortcomings. The trainer still only had 3
levels of stimulation to choose from and the lowest level of
stimulation was typically inappropriate for simple corrections.
While the second generation of electronic collars was a great
advancement in dog training collars, this technology was
replaced in the last decade by collars that gave the trainer the
ability to select multiple levels of intensity from the
transmitter. This single advancement combined with customer
education has done more for the widespread acceptance of the
electronic collar than any other advancement in the collar's
history.
Manufacturers quickly recognized that a great design alone was
not going to give their product the acceptance needed to support
their newfound industry; it was only through education that new
customers would understand how to use these training devices to
advance their dog in a proper manner. The most significant form
of education came when Tri-Tronics released a book written by
Jim and Phyllis Dobbs and Alice Woodward, Tri-Tronics Training
Retrievers. This book focused on incorporating electronic
collars in all phases of training retrievers and walked the
reader through a series of detailed steps, bringing a dog from A
to Z.
As a result of the technological advancements and the
educational support provided by manufacturers, the days of the
"shock collar" are gone, giving way to the remote training
collars. Today, like cell phones, its becoming more difficult to
find someone who trains without an electronic collar.
The remainder of this article will focus on the technology
found in many of the collars manufactured by the industry
leaders and explain how each is applicable in training gundogs
and your selection of an electronic collar.
Types of Stimulation - Continuous Stimulation vs. Momentary
Stimulation
Let's start by defining the two forms of stimulation available
on the market today. First, there is continuous stimulation;
this method of stimulation delivers an electronic correction to
the dog for as long as the trainer presses the button on the
transmitter. If the trainer holds the button down for five
seconds the dog will receive five seconds worth of stimulation.
However, most models on the market today will timeout after
seven to ten seconds of stimulation has been applied to the dog.
The second form of stimulation available on some collars is
momentary stimulation. Momentary stimulation, sometimes call a
"nick", is different from continuous stimulation in one simple
way; no matter how long the trainer depresses the button, the
dog will only receive a short electronic correction, the
duration of which is measured in a fraction of a second.
When might you use continuous or momentary stimulation?
Continuous form of stimulation can be used in training when you
need to extend a meaningful correction to your dog and
re-establish control of a training situation. A great example of
a training scenario where you might need to apply continuous
stimulation is when you need to gain control over your dog on a
runner. In this situation, a simple "nick" or short burst of
stimulation may do nothing to stop him on that illusive cock
pheasant. Often, a dog might just run through a short burst of
electronic stimulation because he is too excited about the
prospect of fresh scent to listen to your sit or "hup" whistle.
The continuous level of stimulation is what is required to stop
him in his tracks. Because the correction is applied to the dog
for as long as you hold the button down the effect to the dog is
a stronger form of correction. Another example of when
continuous stimulation would be a valuable training tool would
be when teaching a flushing dog to turn on the "come around"
whistle. Here you would use a much lower level of stimulation
and apply the stimulation in conjunction with the "come around"
command/whistle, only releasing the pressure when he complies
with your command. In both training scenarios, the dog has to be
taught the way out of the pressure (or the correct response)
before utilizing a collar.
Momentary stimulation can be used in training when you need to
apply a short, light form of correction. A classic training
scenario where we would use momentary stimulation is when
utilizing "indirect pressure" during training. With indirect
pressure, you want to apply a short, quick correction for not
compiling to a command after you have gotten control over him
through attrition. For example, if your dog refuses to take a
"right-handed angled back" command on a blind retrieve,
momentary stimulation can be used after stopping him with a firm
"sit" whistle, "nicking" him once he is sitting for refusing to
take the "right-handed angle back" command, then re-issuing the
"angle back" command. In this case, the momentary stimulation
applies a short less intense correction that does not "rock the
boat".
Range
Upon first consideration, you may not think that you would need
an electronic collar that has a range of one mile. However, if
you are hunting over a big running pointer, in the thick
backwoods of New England, you might be better served with a
collar that has an effective range of a half-mile or greater
than a collar with less range. Most manufacturers quote
"line-of-sight" range for their collars. However, the effective
range of an electronic collar can vary according to terrain and
environmental conditions. For basic obedience and most yard
work, a collar that is capable of extending to 150 to 300 yards
is more than adequate. However, if you are training in the field
or working in any type of cover, more range is needed to produce
a reliable signal.
Intensity Levels
Maybe the most important advancements in the electronic collar
in the past ten years has been the change in the design of the
electronic collar to allow a trainer to change levels of
stimulation at the transmitter, rather than at the collar. In
days gone past, a trainer could only change the levels of
stimulation by physically changing the "intensity plug" and/or
contact points on the collar itself.
Today, virtually all quality dog training collars on the market
allow the trainer to select the level of stimulation from the
transmitter. The old term, shock collar is no longer accurate,
the term "electronic training collars" has since replaced this
term primarily due to this single design change which allows a
trainer to select just the right amount of stimulation necessary
to correct the dog making the electronic collar a humane
approach to training dogs. Now you can select a mild level of
stimulation (barely noticeable by human touch) or a severe level
of correction that would make even the toughest man take notice.
The responsibility is now with the trainer to select the
appropriate correction for the dog.
Transmitter Design
Probably the most important factor in regards to usability of
an electronic collar rests within the transmitter design. Most
transmitters on the market today fit easily into your hand.
However, differences exist in the design of the transmitter.
Some manufacturers make transmitters that are small, lightweight
and can be hung on a lanyard. Other manufacturers make
transmitters that are larger but extremely easy to use. Like
most things in life, it comes down to personal preference. In
order for any collar to be an effective training device it must
be easy to use and be able to apply the correction at the exact
moment it is needed. The last thing you want to be doing is
fumbling for your transmitter, setting an intensity level when
you should be delivering a firm correction that the dog will
understand.
The last feature to take into consideration when evaluating the
design of a transmitter is the resistance of the transmitter to
weather. Some transmitters are water resistant while others are
waterproof. If using an electronic collar while waterfowling you
might want to consider a transmitter that is waterproof and can
endure a "fall in the drink".
Collar Design
The final consideration when choosing an electronic collar is
the design of the collar/receiver unit itself. Some earlier
models of electronic collars, intended for upland use, had
external antennas that extended beyond the body of the collar
and often became caught up on or became damaged by heavy brush.
This design has since been replaced with antennas that are
self-contained within the body of the receiver unit.
Like the transmitter design, collars also come in units that
are water resistant and waterproof. If you intend on using your
dog in or around water I would highly recommend purchasing a
collar that is waterproof. These collars can be fully submerged
in water while in the field without harming the internal
electronics, a must for most hunters.
Final Note
Used correctly, the electronic collar can be an invaluable tool
when training your gundog. There is no other tool that can help
you effectively apply a correction to your dog than one of the
many electronic collars on the market today. The days of chasing
down your dog to apply a traditional correction (only have lost
the significance of the timing) are long gone. Now you can
effectively and reliably apply the correction at the moment when
it is needed. Do your homework, if you have any questions
regarding the selection an dog training collars a.k.a. shock
collars, please don't hesitate to visit us at Gun Dogs Online.
About The Author: Geoffrey A. English is the Founder of
GundogsOnline.com, the internet's premiere online magazine
dedicated to http://www.gundogsonline.com/ hunting dogs. If you
have any questions regarding choosing
http://www.gundogsonline.com/dog-training-collars/ dog training
collars or http://www.gundogsonline.com/shock-collar/ shock
collars, please don't hesitate to visit their site.
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