Electric Collar or Not?

We got our dog at the humane society and love him dearly. He was a stray and abused when he was a puppy before we adopted him. We were so excited to get a dog to go hiking with and walk along the trails.

After getting him situated into our routine and his home, we did an intensive obedience class that he enjoyed. But ultimately given his history, it was hard to train him to behave around other dogs and when we took him off the leash.

It got to the point where we dreaded taking him for walks because of fear of the various run-ins we could have with other dogs. So we decided to try the electric collar.

It is amazing and it worked so well that we hardly use it anymore. We use it to take him out to the park to throw the ball, to walk on the trail, and hike in the mountains. You can adjust the level of shock and you don’t need much to get their attention. I have found that the thicker the fur, the more you might need to adjust. We have not gone further than level two out of ten.

When using the collar, make sure that you start on a low setting and use the collar inside the house. When the dog does something he/she is not supposed to, then say “no” and push the remote for the collar. If they respond, you know it is working and they can start associating the uncomfortable feeling with doing something wrong. Make sure you praise them and give them treats for behaving correctly especially with behaviors that were formerly a problem.

We have had our collar for just two weeks and now it is in place around his neck for those outings, but rarely even used. We go out and take him off the leash without any problem. When our dog feels the pressure of the electric collar he behaves.

I know there are the issues of it being a humane way to fix problematic behaviors, but I feel it was inhumane to not walk him as much or give him daily exercise because of the fear of his inappropriate actions. If you are unsure of the benefits of the collar, talk to your local dog trainers and owners and get a variety of opinions before you buy.