I love large dogs. Their companionship and the tasks they perform can't be compared with smaller breeds. But training them is not easy. When I was training my St Bernard using a normal collar, he would sometimes pull unexpectedly, and the leash would slip out of hand. One time, I was determined not to let the leash go, and he ended up dragging me on the sidewalks.
But problems don't end with pulling. These dogs have deep and booming barks. It's something that can get you into trouble with your neighbors. Stopping the dog from barking is probably the hardest thing if you don’t have a specialized tool for the job. Fortunately, there’s a solution: E-collars. Here is everything about E-collar technology for dog training.
Understanding E-Collar Technologies
E in the E-collar stands for electronic. It's also known as a shock collar or remote training collar. It consists of a receiver worn around the dog's neck and a remote control held by the owner. The remote can send signals to the receiver, which can produce a tone, vibration, or mild electric stimulation.
These collars have come from far away. The first crude prototypes started as early as the 1950s. The caging for the electronic part was made of metal box or wood, sizing the same as a quart carton of milk. These collars only had one button, and one level of stimulation.
So, when the owner pressed the button, the collar delivered a shock. There were no level settings. Over the years, E-collar technology has evolved, with newer models offering multiple stimulation levels, vibration, and tone options.
How Modern E-Collars Work
E-collars use Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation or just TENS technology. In the medical field, TENS technology is used as a non-invasive therapy that uses low-voltage electrical currents to stimulate nerves.
Let's say you have knee pain. The therapist will connect electrodes before and after the knee. Usually, the connection is through sticky pads. Then mild electric current is passed through the area. This creates a tingling sensation.
The machine works by reducing the signals of pain reaching your brain. However, for the E-collars, the primary methods of stimulation used are tone, vibration, and electric shock. Remember, the neck is the most sensitive part of the dog, and that’s where the collar sits.
So, the electric shock disrupts the dog's mind. It's usually not painful, but the disruption prevents unwanted behavior. In simple terms, the collar tells the dog to stop whatever it is doing. It is just the same way tension on the leash tells the dog to stop when it reaches the lead end.
When it comes to design, modern E-collars look the same as standard collars, except that there's a small receiver box. The whole TENS technology is in this box. It contains the battery powering the electronics and the contact points that deliver the shock.
Benefits of Using E-Collars for Training
Like any other new technology, E-collars have solved most of the pain points that traditional collars have failed. Both for the dog and the dog owner. Here are some benefits of using E-collars for training.
Gives Training Versatility
Most of the territorial and protective dog breeds like the German Shepherds have a problem of tracking and barking. In most cases, they’ll try to dash and attack first. If they feel they’re on leash and restricted, they bark.
So, if you are using a no pull harness to control the dog, it ,mens it’ll bark as an alternative. Remember, excessive barking is another destructive behavior that you need to train the dog against. E-collars are versatile. You can use them to train against barking and pulling at the same time.
For example, when the dog pulls, you enable the shock. The dog stops pulling. When the dog starts barking, you enable the tone. Usually, the collar emits sounds in the ultrasonic range. A human can hear sounds in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
Dogs can hear sounds in the frequency of 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz, way higher than humans. However, dogs hate frequencies above 25,000 Hz. So, when the collar emits sounds in this range, it’s something annoying to the dog. This distracts the dog from barking.
The good thing is that you won’t hear sounds in this frequency, so it’s not distracting to you. As a result, E-collars are more versatile, as they can train against more than one unwanted behavior.
Gives You Flexibility
The primary work of a dog collar is leash attachment. If the D-ring for leash attachment breaks, the collar is useless. You can't control your furry friend. The same thing happens if the lead slips out of hand. You have to hold the leash all the time.
Otherwise, you’ll lose control of the dog, just like one without a collar. A standard leash is only 6 feet long. Now, imagine you're training the dog in your yard. You'll be closely following him round and round all over the yard.
It's boring and exhausting. Even worse, you may be training against occasional escaping over the fence. If your furry friend feels comfortable when you’re around, he might not try to escape. That means you’ll have no opportunity to train against it. That’s the main limitation of the traditional collar.
E-collars give you more flexibility. You don't have to closely follow your dog. You just sit in one corner of the yard with the collar remote controller. Then, when he tries to jump over the fence, turn on the stimulation. You can even hide somewhere like behind a gazebo and watch.
Once he feels lonely and decides to escape, you enable the stimulation. That way, he thinks the stimulation has something to do with the fence, not you. You can't achieve this with a standard collar.
E-Collars Are More Safe
A mind blowing research published in the Veterinary Record Journal shows that no dog collar is safe when the dog pulls. When collars were tested, the collar that showed the smallest pressure gave a whopping 83kPa.
When I compare this with the pressure of 4.3kPa, which is known to cause tissue damage in humans, a dog's neck can't withstand 83kPa without some form of tissue damage. But there are variations anyway. Wider collars with paddings are safer than their narrower and unpadded counterparts.
However, you still don't want a heavy puller to wear a collar. The same applies to brachycephalic dog breeds. Already, they have trachea and breathing problems. A collar that exerts pressure on the airway just worsens the issue.
E-collars are a game changer. You don't have to tug your furry friend with a physical leash to discourage the bad behavior. The stimulation does the trick for you. So, the collar just sits on the neck without putting pressure on it. This makes it safe even for brachycephalic breeds.
Gives Your Dog Freedom
When using the standard collar and leash, it means the dog will be limited to a 6 feet radius around you. That's such a small area for giant dogs that love exploration like the Greyhounds.
Your furry friend won't have the freedom to explore the new scents and sights on the sides of the walkways. In short, you're making the walks boring for him. Sometimes the desire to explore might be the cause of the destructive pulling behavior.
E-collars grant this freedom. You're not physically attached to the dog. The collar won't stimulate the dog until you press the button on the remote controller. That means your dog can wander around and explore. You only stimulate it when necessary.
In fact, you can train your dog to know it's time to come back when the lowest level of stimulation or beeping sound starts. That way, you can even take a rest when hiking and allow the dog to explore around. When it's time to get going, just stimulate it, and it’ll come.
Myths and Misconceptions About E-Collars
Technology seeks to solve problems. The advancement of E-collars aims at improving dog training in the most humane way. But I can't refute the fact that new technologies have their share of problems before they stabilize.
Unfortunately, many people still believe modern E-collars have the weaknesses of the old prototypes. Here are the common myths and misconceptions about the modern E-collars.
- E-collars are for lazy people: Using an E-collar effectively involves understanding the device's settings, the dog's sensitivity and getting actively involved in the training. So, it’s not for lazy people.
- E-collars will burn your furry friend's neck: People push this misconception to the extent of creating images of dogs with burnt necks. In reality, the sensation from the collar can't burn your dog. Most of the burn marks result from allergies to certain electrodes like nickel. If that is the case, you just switch to a hypo-allergenic material like titanium.
- E-collars confuse dogs: The only thing that can cause confusion is forcing the dog to obey commands it doesn't know. But as long the dog knows what is expected, it'll remember and obey.
- E-collars use punishment instead of positive reinforcement: E-collars reinforce what the dog already knows. Giving the dog treats all the time won't yield fruits. After all, E-collars are safer than the standard no-pull collars. They don't choke or hurt the dog's neck.
- E-collars are meant for large breeds: These collars are incredibly lightweight and effective. You can use them for both large and small breeds. In fact, professionals even use these collars in Dachshunds and Chihuahuas.
- E-collars punish dogs: The shock, the vibrations and the high frequency sound are all things that dogs hate, but that doesn’t equal punishment. The stimulation doesn’t need to be long. It’s a reminder that you stop immediately when the dog stops what it was doing wrong. However, some people still view it as punishment, to an extent that countries like Denmark, Germany and Sweden have banned shock collars.
How to Use E-Collar Technologies Responsibly
E-collars are a transition from the use of muscles to using technology to control your furry friend. Like any other new technology, this requires some skills and responsibility. Here are some tips on how to use the E-collar technology responsibly.
Use the E-collar to Reinforce Commands Already Taught
Just like other training collars, E-collars are for reinforcing behaviors and commands. They don't teach new commands. For example, after teaching your dog the Come command, you can then stimulate it if it doesn't obey. It learns that the tingling is the unpleasant result of disobedience.
If you stimulate it without teaching the command, the dog will be confused about what's causing the tingling. It's a frustrating thing. It's like spanking your child without letting him know what he has done wrong. He'll interpret it as hate and develop a negative attitude towards you.
Attach a Leash When in Public
E-collars are a new revolution. Most laws are slow to adapt to the changing technology. There is a lot of cloudiness surrounding how laws interpret E-collars. Most of the laws require the dog to be under the owner's control when in public places.
Although E-collars are effective, they won’t give you that direct control over your furry friend. For example, imagine the dog unexpectedly dashes to maul someone. With a physical leash, you just tug and prevent it.
On the other hand, stimulation of the neck might not be timely enough to stop the dog from attacking. Another thing is that governments want the members of the public to be at ease. The public won’t be at ease when they see giant and territorial dogs like the Tibetan Mastiffs roaming around without a physical leash.
In fact, many who don't know about E-collars will think the dog is off-leash and might go ahead to report it to the authorities. So, to be on the safe side, always attach a physical lead when in public.
Keep in mind that you can be fined up to $365 for walking with a dog off-leash in roadways, sidewalks, beaches, school yards and parks in Canada. The law clearly states that the leash shouldn’t be more than 6.5 feet long, and must be attached to a harness or collar.
Make Sure the Collar Is Functioning
Electronics do fail. The collar might not be waterproof, and your Newfoundland decides to go swimming. Then, water damages the electronics! Also, batteries do die. If the batteries become flat, the collar won't deliver the stimulation.
It might not even communicate with the remote. The good thing is that most collars come with battery indicator lights. Most batteries can even last up to 100 days under normal usage. So, check that the collar is charged and working before going out.
Know the Best Stimulation Level for Your Dog
All dogs aren't the same. Some are more stubborn than others. For instance, Jack Russell Terriers, English Bulldogs and Mastiffs top the list of stubbornness and disobedience. On the other hand, dogs like the Papillon, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Australian Cattle Dogs are obedient and eager to please.
So, the stimulation level of the collar should vary depending on how well the dog responds to correction. To avoid overstimulating a dog that's ready to obey commands, start with the lowest settings. Then, settle on the settings that trigger a positive reaction. That way, the electrostatic shock corresponds to the dog's level of obedience.
Makes Sure the Fit is Right
The fit of E-collars should be the same as that of standard collars. Fit the E-collar in a way that leaves enough space for two fingers between the E-collar and neck. For smaller breeds like Chihuahuas, a one-finger gap may be sufficient. This will prevent the collar from slipping off while allowing for comfortable movement.
Place the collar slightly higher than the throat. This helps prevent irritation and ensures proper signal reception. To prevent irritation from the receiver, alternate the position where the receiver sits.
Don’t Turn On the Collar Immediately
Dogs are intelligent. Over time, they can know what the collar does. Once they know it causes the electric shock, vibrations and sounds they hate, they can start refusing to wear it. They can also know that the collar is a training tool, and might not be willing to wear it.
The best way to prevent this is to not turn on the collar immediately. Let the dog wear it for several hours. This makes the dog think it’s a standard collar. So, when the stimulation starts, the dog won’t associate it with that specific collar type.
In future, the dog will think even a standard collar can give electric shocks if it starts doing destructive things.
Conclusion & Final Thoughts
Sometimes your newly adopted furry friend requires training in so many areas. For example, he might need obedience training, leash training, training against destructive barking and escaping over the fence. E-collars are the only training tools versatile and flexible enough to handle all these. Just remember to follow the above usability tips and manufacturer's user manual.