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After hearing the word ‘shock collar,’ some instantly think of a collar that punishes a dog. But is that all there is surrounding a shock collar? Is there a positive way of Training Dog With Shock Collar?
A dog can be trained with positive reinforcement and proper guidance to break the myth.
This article will be a guide to training a dog with a shock collar with reliable methods and tips.
So, let’s get into the guide without wasting another second!
Step-By-Step Guide On How To Train a Dog With a Shock Collar
Getting a shock collar for your dog is another thing, but training your dog is an important yet challenging task. So, let’s go step-by-step over the guide to training your dog with a shock collar. Here you go:
Step #1: Buy a Good Quality Product
Always make sure to buy a good quality product for your dog which can properly assist in training your dog and be pleasant for your dog.
A bad quality product can lead to inconsistent shock intensity and maybe something more. Plus, it can also malfunction when your dog is wearing it, which results in shocking your dog accidentally.
So, getting the best dog shock collar is like a precaution. Also, many affordable yet good-quality shock collars are available in the market.
Step #2: Start With Basic Training
Shock collars don’t deliver results instantly. You need to learn everything in detail. Hence, I recommend going over the basics and discovering the collars functioning while teaching your dog simple commands, such as sit, down, stay, come, etc.
Also, keep positive reinforcement in mind and reward your dog every time it follows the command with a ‘Good Boy/Girl’ or whatever you prefer.
Trust me; it’s the best way to start the training with a shock collar with your if you continue this approach while training. This training should be a way of getting rewards for your dog.
Step #3: Show Your Dog which Behavior wins him a treat
Avoid using the shocks on your dog if they behave wrongly and don’t obey your commands. If you shock your dog to correct a behavior, it will not teach your dog to behave right. It will make things worse. The dog might feel confused and develop aggressive responses.
Hence, it is better to use the shock collar as a marker when your dog does something good. This could be the first step toward positive reinforcement.
Step #4: Make Use Of Positive Reinforcement
Now, if you want your dog to think of the shock collar as entirely positive and listen to the commands, the dog should start liking the collar first.
To accomplish that, as I mentioned before, the dog should learn to associate the collar’s corrections with rewards and treats. So, whenever the correcting shock goes off, the dog should pay attention to you and follow your command to get the reward.
If you use the collar otherwise, it might negatively impact your dog, leaving your dog in aggression and confusion.
Step #5: Use Safer Modes Like ‘Vibration or Beep’
Currently, Modern-day shock collars are not the same as the early tomes shock collars, which were harmful back then. The early shock collars were used to punish dogs when they behaved wrongly.
Nonetheless, using the ‘Vibration or Beep’ mode is recommended instead of the shock correction option. It will definitely help your positive reinforcement training sessions and keep your furbaby happy.
However, if you ever need to use the shock option, you can change it back to shock corrections if you’ve mastered how to use it safely.
Step #6: Take Professional Help If Needed
If there comes a time that you are not able to train your dog with a shock collar effectively, you can always ask someone for help. By someone, I mean someone who is an expert in dog training and has experience parenting a dog.
Plus, losing your patience will not help the dog and will only worsen this for you.
So, if you want the shock collar training to work successfully, you invest your time in finding an expert dog trainer who is experienced with dogs and shock collars.
Moreover, an expert can teach you to use the shock collar correctly while getting the best out of your dogs safely and positively.
Also, I know an expert dog trainer can be expensive, but your dog’s well-being is more important, so it’s worth the money. You never know when you can fetch some tips in between the training sessions.
Step #7: Don’t Push Your Dog Too Much
The last and most crucial step to remember, once you are almost done with the training part, is when you should stop the training. You wouldn’t want your dog to be burned out. Also, shock collars are not supposed to be on your dog all day but only while training.
Also, you shouldn’t spend a long time on shock collar training as it can be stressful and might give your dog sores around the neck. Hence, using a shock collar is a meticulous task at hand.
Another essential factor that every shock collar user should know is that shock collars don’t work for every dog. So, if your dog doesn’t get used to the collar, quit it and find another alternative to training your dog.
It is always worth quitting if your dog is sensitive and uncomfortable in a shock collar. Ultimately, pushing your dog can lead them towards anxiety issues.
How Should You Introduce Your Dog To A Shock Collar?
Even though a shock collar is effective, it’s not easy to make your dog used to the collar. You must do it step-by-step with patience and without pushing the dog too hard.
Let’s see the small guide I have prepared to introduce your dog to a shock collar:
Step #1: Check the intensity of the shocks
Before putting the collar on your dog’s neck, check the intensity of the collar’s shock corrections by yourself first, as it is not harmful. It only feels like a buzz.
However, if the shock feels extremely intense to you, you shouldn’t apply it to your dog.
Step #2: Learn The Basics Properly
Further, teach your dog basic obedience commands such as sit, lie down, come, and stay, which the dog should be able to follow without difficulty.
Also, you can familiarize your dog with marking words like ‘Good’ and ‘Yes,’ as mentioned above, indicating that they did well.
This process should be done before you use a shock collar on your dog. In addition, you should use the shock collar to communicate with your dog instead of suppressing your dog’s feelings.
Step #3: Have Patience!
Many users make the mistake of expecting results instantly from a shock collar which is not recommended. Plus, use the collar correction levels on lower intensities and increase them over time as per need.
With patience, you make your dog get used to the collar but do not expect it immediately.
Step #4: Make Your Dog Feel Positively About The Collar
Train your dog in a way that will encourage the dog to love the collar by offering the dog treats every time he/she learns something new. You can buzz the collar once or twice without command and offer a treat immediately.
That’s why we say it repetitively, and Positive reinforcement is the best way to make the dog like the collar.
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Wrapping Up!
Even though shock collars are controversial, training a dog with shock collars doesn’t have to be bad if you know the right methods.
Shock collars are also a way of communicating with your dog while training and correcting your dog’s behavior which can be done with positive reinforcements.
Ultimately, prioritizing your dog’s well-being and comfort is ideal rather than forcing them to get used to the collar.
FAQs: How To Train A Dog With A Shock Collar
As dog shock collars help train your dog for good behavior and learn commands. So, indeed, a shock collar is helpful in stopping a dog from pulling.
Shock collars are indeed faster and time-saving to train a dog. However, both types of training depend on whether your dog is comfortable with shock collar training.
It is usually recommended by vets worldwide not to use a shock collar. However, if you still use a shock collar to train your dog, your dog should be at least six months old or above.
