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USING AN E-COLLAR TO REINFORCE OBEDIENCE COMMANDS
“HERE”
Bolting can become a disastrous side-effect of e-collar conditioning if your dog is allowed to move away
from your control. Therefore, keep using the leash until the conditioning process is finished. Toss a few
bumpers and work on obedience drills in the training area. Check for that wagging tail which signals
a good attitude. Then command “Here,” deliver a brief correction on the correct level – paying close
attention to the dog’s reaction – and then immediately command “Here” again. Reward your dog with a
stroke on the shoulder and verbal praise. Repeat “Here”-brief correction-“Here” three to five times on
the first day at various places in the work area while making sure that no two brief corrections occur at
the same spot. Your dog will receive at least three brief corrections, but no more than five, during the
first couple of sessions. If things are going well, you can go to five. But, if your dog is nervous, stop at
three. Continue the obedience routine with no static stimulation for a little longer. Make sure rewards
follow proper responses. Finish by throwing a bumper or ball to each spot where your dog received static
stimulation in an effort to show that the location had nothing to do with why the correction occurred.
Pay close attention to your dog’s attitude during this routine. If momentum fades, use fewer brief
corrections and more play time. Increase the reward by adding a few extra shoulder strokes along
with a happy tone of voice. Don’t be afraid to skip a day if your dog shows repeated signs of too much
pressure. This is not likely to occur if you are careful, but understand how to overcome it just in case.
“SIT”
Next, it is time to condition your dog to sit and accept a correction while maintaining control in the seated
position. Have your dog do a quick obedience drill and command “Sit.” While the dog is seated, give a brief
correction with the collar and immediately command “Sit” again. If it moves around or gets up, return the
dog to the seated position by using the leash. Reward on the shoulder and verbally. Repeat the “Sit”-brief
correction-“Sit” three to five times per session. As before, move around so you do not stimulate your dog
at any spot more than once. Use a positive reward after each successful brief correction.
“STAY”
When your dog is comfortably accepting e-collar pressure while remaining seated, you can start to use
the e-collar for correction on the “Stay” command. After successfully seating your dog, command “Stay,”
deliver a brief correction and command “Stay” again. Watch for the acceptance response and do not
move ahead until you get it. Call your dog to you and repeat the process several times without e-collar
stimulation. Repeat the “Stay”-brief correction-“Stay” at other locations and repeat this process until
your dog is the picture of perfection, remaining seated even when distractions tempt it to get up and move.