I have clients hold the collar on their hand and I stimulate the collar with the level that we start their dog off with. I have only had a couple of clients that can even feel the stimulation on that level. Once the dog is acclimated to the collar, he dictates what level of stimulation is needed to match the distraction at hand. I love to watch clients go through this training because of the freedom that they have (more importantly the freedom that the dog has). Usually, the dogs are totally off leash by the third session. They are 50 yards away and come back when called. Everyone we train comments on how easy it is on the dog. It’s cool stuff!

I suggest putting the collar on the dog in the morning and taking it off at night. This collar is no different than a choke or pinch collar and not uncomfortable. It is a tool used to train and re-enforce commands.

The batteries in the Dogtra collars that we sell and use will last you for years. They are rechargeable and do not develop a “memory” like some older versions. You should have no maintenance cost associated with this collar until it is time to replace the batteries.

The collar will last for several days under normal use. We recommend that the collar and transmitter be charged overnight 2-3 times a week.

This is the one area of misconception that I run into with new clients. When the early ancestors of these collars were developed, they were misused by many “trainers” that did not have a system to train the dog. They would strap the collar on the dog and give it a command. If the dog did not respond they would hit the dog with the highest stimulation they could.

 

This resulted in the dog suffering and being totally confused. This was fairly common in police dog training to get the dog to release a piece of bite equipment. We start with the lowest level possible. This is the level that I know the dog is feeling (usually a tilt of the head or a scratching of the collar) but not so high as to cause the dog to yelp or show other signs of discomfort. You should never hear your dog yelp while we are training him.

Once the collar is properly introduced, you can use it to re-enforce all commands. We stress that the dog must know how to complete the command before you can re-enforce it. This is not different than sitting me down at a piano and telling me to play you a song. You can use all sorts of motivational techniques but that won’t help me play the piano. I don’t know how. It is only after I’m taught that I can complete that task and be motivated or compelled to do it. BRILLIANT!

Yes. However, your training time is increased by weeks if not months. And, once the leash comes off, the dog senses your lack of “control”. Not to mention, when you begin training under distractions. I offer a basic obedience course that covers the basic commands and works on timing and consistency with corrections. I use a chain collar (this is commonly referred to as a “choker” but I don’t “choke” dogs) to administer corrections. Again, once the dog learns all of the basic commands and the e-collar is properly introduced, it can be used to take the place of the chain collar.

To teach new commands we use treats and praise to get the dog to sit, down, stay, heel and come. Once the dog knows what is expected, and is at least six months old, we begin to introduce the dog to corrections. This is where the dog does the command because you told him to and not because there is something in it for him.