Remote Collars - Why they should be left on

Fred Hassen provides some excellent insight to the questions all clients ask in this article which is also posted on the Sit Means Sit website:

When people first encounter electronic dog training collars they are amazed at how effective they are as a training tool. You can see results almost instantly in your training! People ask me, “Does the collar have to always be on the dog?”; “Doesn’t the dog become collar wise?” or “Shouldn’t I just use it when a problem arises that cannot be fixed by other methods?” The most important fact about dog training is that reinforcement never ends. This fact, above all others is what will help you become the best possible dog owner. Does the collar have to always be on the dog?
As a trainer, my dogs never leave the house without an ecollar on. Is it because they will not perform without it? Certainly not. Dogs trained with electronic collars are able to learn and follow commands on a regular basis without the need of electronic stimulus. It is similar to the way that a trained dog walks down the street with its owner and the dog is wearing a choke chain, you certainly do not see the owner tugging at the leash every second. With an ecollar, it does not mean that you are pushing buttons every second either. Most of the time you will not need to reinforce your commands, but when your dog loses focus you are able quickly correct the behaviour with the electronic stimulus and get back on track. Doesn’t the dog become collar wise?
What does ‘collar wise’ mean? The idea of a ‘collar wise’ dog means that after the initial training just wearing the remote electronic collar would make the dog behave. This is not true, although the dog might associate wearing the collar with going outside, to the park or for a walk; they will not become ‘collar wise’. The remote electronic dog collar must be used consistently so that your dog knows what you want and can strive to behave accordingly. The idea that reinforcement never ends is no different than how much of our ‘real lives’ work. In the work force, people who have been at their jobs for any length of time obviously know their job pretty well-whether it is cooking french fries at McDonalds or working for an accounting firm, you would know your job pretty well after a while. Even in those instances, they do not just fire all of the managers, and let you pick up your check under the door every Friday. Someone is still there to constantly oversee the operation to ensure that it’s functioning properly. Without that, the organization would fall apart quickly. Dog training is no different. I’m sure your dog was trained how to “sit” a long time ago. Now, whether he always does it when asked — well, that’s another matter. That is why it is important to consistently use the electronic dog training collar. With the knowledge that reinforcement never ends, we can handle any situation. Anytime we take our dogs outdoors there are distractions that can pull their focus away from our ability to command them. Factors that we can’t control such as; loose dogs, cats, kids on bikes, trucks driving by with dogs in the back, and people playing frisbee are just a few of the things that challenge us when we walk our dogs. If your dog is off-leash without a remote dog training collar and misbehaves it is difficult to correct them. By the time you have caught up to your dog, correcting their behaviour is often delayed and ineffective. Also, it is very hard to not get emotional and perhaps overreact to the disobedience because you want it to cease immediately. In moments like these we can fall into a bad habit of yelling at the dog. While using an ecollar, these problems can be dealt with immediately, and unemotionally. If the level needs to be moved up or down to suit the correction, it can be without any elevation in the voice. It’s as if you are right there correcting him, without the yelling. Shouldn’t I just use it when a problem arises that cannot be fixed by other methods? Electronic dog training collars are very effective in tough training situations, but that is not their only use. Dogs of all temperaments benefit from this amazing training tool. People have asked me if the electronic collars will change the personality of their dog, making them timid, nervous or scared. Quite the opposite, electronic dog training collars are able to bring out the best in your dog, the confidence, obedience and calm nature that has been hidden by poor training methods and their natural exuberance. Hunters who use dogs such as pointers, retrievers, or even packs are big fans of the ecollar. Hunters may want their dog to lie down at 200 yards away because a deer is running by, or to come back to them in that instance. Hunters rely on the remote electronic collar to convey their commands because yelling in that situation is simply not an option. It is no different than you or I wanting our dogs to lie down at a distance because a cat, dog, child or even a mailman is passing. With the electronic dog training collar, we can give the command and then, if necessary, reinforce immediately so that the dog is obedient, safe and getting their job done! If electronic collars made a hunting dog too scared to do its task, or diminish its hunting instincts in any way, hunters would not use them. Instead, hunters and field trial trainers are some of the biggest fans of remote electronic collar training. Many field trial specialists have integrated ecollars into their training programs with terrific results. The Las Vegas K-9 unit adopted the remote electronic dog training collar and have seen excellent results. The Las Vegas K-9 Unit competed at the Western States Canine Trails and took “top dog” and “top agency”. Although the dogs are not allowed to compete while wearing the electronic collars they train with them and the results speak for themselves! With ecollar training recalls become quicker, smoother, and very happily performed because the dog knows exactly what is expected.