The Do’s and Don’ts of Training a Puppy with a Remote Collar

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Purchasing a new puppy can be fun and exciting. However, the presence of a new puppy can suddenly become less enjoyable when they constantly get into the trash or dig holes in the backyard. To curb these behaviors, purchase training collars for dogs as a teaching tool, something every new puppy owner should consider using. However, in order for the process to be effective, owners should familiarize themselves with these do’s and don’ts of using a remote collar to train.

Do Purchase a Collar That Complement’s the Puppy’s Training Needs

Owners should buy a remote training collar based on their puppy’s training needs, disposition, and environment. For example, if the puppy never barks but consistently tries to run away from their owner’s unfenced property when they are let outside, a bark collar may not be the right fit for the puppy. Instead, an electronic fence may be the better option.

Do Introduce Other Training Methods First

Although electronic collars are an effective way to quickly get training results, other methods of training should be tried before the electronic collar is introduced. Dog owners should examine how their new puppy responds to positive and negative feedback. For instance, if the dog becomes aggressive when they are scolded, an electronic collar may cause the dog to lash out at their owner instead of refraining from the bad behavior.

Don’t Cause the Puppy to Fear the Handheld Device

If a puppy misbehaves and their owner instantly reaches for the handheld device, the puppy will begin to fear the controller. While the puppy will initially associate the shock that they feel when they misbehave with the handheld device, this connection will eventually result in the puppy fearing their owner. To ensure this effect doesn’t occur, always keep the handheld device out of the puppy’s line of sight when stimulation is delivered to their collar.

Don’t Use the Collar and Leash Together

The purpose of training collars is to teach a new puppy to behave on their own. Because of this, puppy owners should refrain from using the training collar whenever they have direct control over their dog, like when the puppy is on a leash. While this is the primary reason why training collars and leashes should never be used together, using them simultaneously can also cause harm to the puppy. This is due to the amount of tension that is applied to the collar when it is attached to a leash.

Don’t Use the Stimulus Unless Necessary

The stimulus applied to a dog’s training collar should be used sparingly. If a dog owner uses it too often, their puppy may begin to become afraid to do anything out of fear of doing something wrong and receiving the slight shock from their collar. As a new puppy owner, only use the stimulus as a way to curb behaviors that cannot be controlled with a firm “No!” and stern look.

By buying a collar that complements their puppy’s training needs, not using the collar and leash together, and only using the shock stimulus from the collar when necessary, new puppy owners will see a significant improvement in their puppy’s behavior and responsiveness to certain training commands.