Electronic Dog Training Collars Buyer's Guide

Sporting Dog Electronic Dog Training Collars have been used for many years to train companion hunting dogs and competition field dogs. The psychology of training using remote dog trainers has evolved into a sophisticated study, and techniques are more humane and more productive than ever. The sophisitcation of the newer collars as well as the ease of use has made them a practical necessity for a polished, finished dog.

Stimulation/Corrections are varied depending on the training system and your individual situation: All good systems incorporate a system of stimulation levels designed to get your dog's attention, guide his movement, and communicate your pleasure with his performance. Some systems correct your dog using a harmless but unpleasant static shock (most of them). Some use unpleasant audible or inaudible sounds which have previously been used simultaneously with the static correction until they are understood by the dog to BE the correction. Some use only adjustable vibration (NEW), warning or pager features.

Communication/Stimulation Levels & Duration:

Duration: Instant (Nick) stimulation is instantaneous and lasts only ½ sec (or less) no matter how long you hold the button down. Continuous stimulation lasts as long as you hold the button (emergency shut off in about 10 sec), and Pager or Tone-Only uses only a vibration, buzz or tone to alert or command the dog. (Vibration is a great tool for training young dogs, sensitive dogs, or deaf dogs).

Continuous stimulation is most often used in early stages of "gentle pressure" (often called "escape") training and Nick correction is best used to fine-tune the behavior afterwards. (Most trainers start with positive reinforcement and demonstration until the dog knows the commands before any electronic pressure is applied. "Escape" training, (where a dog is able to end a constant-low-level continuous stimulation by performing some task) is used in many or most hunting and field dog training scenarios and is also highly effective. (It should be used only after a thorough understanding of the technique has been mastered.) The new V-collars (escalating vibration) use pressure from vibration to guide the dog through the steps and are very useful for very young dogs, sensitive dogs, early training, and guiding during find-tuning. All of the collars presented here have both Nick and Continuous Stimulation options. Some have vibration, beeper, and tone modes as well.

Levels: The more finesse you have to tailor the stimulation to the exact temperament of your dog and the exact circumstances of the situation, the more quickly your dog will respond and the less chance there is of over-correction. Every dog will need at least a couple of different levels depending on the circumstances. You will find that a dog who performs flawlessly in the back yard will need a higher level of stimulaiton to gain his attention when he is outside his usual environment where distractions are high such as in the park or in the field. He may need a higher level still if he is engaged in a "high adrenaline" state such as when chasing a car, another dog or cat, or honed in on the wrong game. Dogs who are wet will need a lower level of stimulation due the high conductivity of their wet skin that will channel the full effect directly to them.

Training should be accomplished at the lowest level that gets a response without causing fear or yipping pain. Your dog should look up at you when he feels the stimulation. His neck muscle might give a small twitch, but no vocalization, lowered ear set, cowering or otherwise showing fear should be apparent.

Your system should have levels at both ends of the spectrum including a "very soft" stimulation mode at the low end. Novice trainers often look only at the high end which will be used only rarely (if at all) for aversion training. The low is even more important. Some electronic training systems such as the Unleashed systems have a low end that is so gentle that you can put it on your own skin and not feel uncofmortable. Because stimulation is used to get attention more than to "punish", it is important to have a very low end to help guide the dog without administering pain.

The number of different settings for corrections and the way to program them is important and completely individual to each manufacturer and to each collar in their line.

Multiple dogs? If you train more than one dog with your single transmitter, you will certainly want levels from low to high with as many shades of gray as possible in between so that the temperament of each dog is satisfied independently.

• Warning tones: During more than 30 years of training, we have found that warning tones are rarely useful and often do more harm than good when used in their assumed fashion - as a warning that a more severe correction is coming. They often cause the dog anxiety while making the owner feel that they have "saved" the dog. The trainer who uses the tone to warn often depends on it to the detriment of the dog and the training process - in short, it encourages “nagging" and inconsistent handling. We don't recommend their use in this fashion. Instead, we recommend a collar with a tone-only feature that you can use as a command tone. If you teach the dog to "come" using the tone, you will have a remote recall that will tell him when it is time to return to you. Or you might use it as a "whoa" command to tell him when to stop his forward movement. These are two very positive and useful techniques that make a warning or pager feature valuable.
  
  
• A praise tone can be very useful. It is highly regarded as a positive reinforcement tool and it lends itself well to positive reinforcement (or clicker) training. It can be a very valuable tool to let a dog in the field know that he is doing the right thing. A little like the game "hot-cold", a praise tone lets your dog know when he is getting "warmer" and encourages him to continue in the direction you have praised.



• Beepers for tracking your dog have replaced bells in recent years as beeper features have become more sophisiticated. The best beepers have a variety of sounds from duck quacks to hawk screams. They will also have volume control so that you can turn them up in high cover and down in open space or whenever appropriate. A good beeper collar should also have variable timing. Most keep on beeping when the dog is standing still (on point) and have a different rythmn when he is moving. You should be able to choose your preferences. A good beeper should also have a "locator" tone that you can use to find the dog when the other tones are turned off. Being able to keep track of his movement and knowing when he has spotted your next opportunity is very convenient. Dogtra 2500T&B Long Distance Collars have a built in beeper, so one collar does it all.

Range: Range is discussed below as far as different types of training. Range is adversely affected by terrain. Mountains, hills, dense trees all inhibit range and will reduce the range claimed by the manufacturers. We also recommend that you reduce the claimed range by about 1/3 in many instances just because "marketing" tends to exaggerate. Range for correction is not usually the reason to have a collar with long reach, as most trainers wouldn't dream of correcting their dog when he is out of sight and might be doing exactly what he is supposed to do. However range for recall is important. That is where the "tone-only" "Come" command (above) is invaluable and range matters.

Whether you will be training an Upland dog, a water dog or retriever, or a hound, there are a few of considerations you can judge early.

• Most hunting is done in the fall and winter when weather can be a factor. Larger buttons (for glove use) or more sturdy equipment is desirable - balanced against the size and bulkiness of carrying it. Whether you want the dog's receiver to be waterproof (able to be submerged in water) or just water-resistant (able to get wet but not completely submerged) is entirely dependent on the terrain in which you will use it. A water proof receiver is a necessity if you will be training near ponds, lakes or streams. A waterproof transmitter is usually not necessary unless you think you will actually drop it in water.
• If you will be away from electrical power for some time, Replaceable batteries are nice and instantaneous. However, a good, fully-charged NiMH or Lithium-Polymer Battery should hold a charge for several days of hard use. Dogtra Super X has new Lithium-Polymer batteries with fast charger.
• Sporting dog trainers have more range than pet trainers. Communicating with your dog from a distance is imperative if you need to tell him to return to you for any reason. That is where the "tone-only" "Come" command is invaluable and range matters.
• Long-distance trainers have longer external antennas on the transmitters. (There are no exposed antennas on the dog's collars any more). Some long-distance trainers have beeper-locaters or you might want to add a beeper to your dog's collar. (Remember that they are sometimes very loud and can rattle a dog that has not worn one before. Be sure to get him used to it much like you would steady him to shot)