Remote collar training can save a dogs life. This method of training allows us to cultivate an invisible leash, so to speak. We can whisper to our dog at super low levels. Conversely, when we need to shout at our dog, we have that capability and flexibility through the remote. When would we shout?
This sweet boxer is Janie. Janie is deaf and clears a 6ft privacy fence to get to her owners on the other side. This behavior becomes a safety issue. What if Janie jumps over the fence and runs to her owners across the street and gets hit by a car or attacked by an unfriendly dog?
So, we set up the scenario where we know she will jump the fence. I dialed the remote to the highest level and held the button down the moment she was committed to going over the fence. Then, I corrected at a mid level range for thinking about jumping over the fence.
What happens now? We effectively communicated to Janie that we don’t want her jumping the fence. She has not even considered that as an option in several weeks.
We went back to regularly scheduled training with super low levels. In this session, we began to ask for Janie’s attention and focus. When Janie feels the remote, she looks her owner in eyes. Immediately, the remote pressure turns off, her owner gives her a “thumbs up” to say good girl, and follows up with food to reinforce what we like. You can say yes and no with a remote collar. It’s all about the training, not the tool.
