Well I have to admit dog training collars are a huge asset if you use them right. They can however be a HUGE problem and cause more problems than they correct if you don’t use them correctly. I’ve seen trainers literally “Lock” a dog up by over use of the collar. The dog gets confused, and will do absolutely nothing . He just sits there and get’s fried because he has no clue what his owner wants him to do…I highly, highly recommend you view the TOP DOG DVD SEVERAL times before you make any attempt to use a dog training collar.
The TOP DOG DVD gives very detailed instruction on how to effectively use an electronic dog training collar. I cannot stress enough how important it is to know what you are doing with that collar. It is easy to ruin a dog by incorrect use of the collar. Do yourself and your dog a huge favor and watch TOP DOG a few times before you start using the electronic dog training collar.
Using a collar to teach new commands is a definite way to ruin a dog. Pressure with a collar should only be applied to a dog that you are CERTAIN understands the command you have given and chooses not to obey it. Using a collar to “correct” a confused dog will only compound the problem.
I did not start using an electronic dog training collar on Homer until I was 150% confident he knew the commands I was giving. He was over 6 months old before I started using a dog training collar. Homer was perfect with basic, short distance commands of, SIT (which also meant STAY) HEAL, HERE, OVER, and BACK, before the collar was introduced. He had been playing Baseball perfectly for over 2 months at distances of less than 30 yards.
I started to use the collar to extend his distances. The electronic dog training collar now gave me a way to correct him at long distances. Homer soon learned that no matter how far away I was I was still in command. This is the great advantage the collar gives, it lets the dog know you are the ALPHA even if your 100 yards away.
Joe Dynarski