15
SPORTDOG.COM
FINDING THE CORRECT STATIC STIMULATION LEVEL
The hardest thing about using an e-collar is finding the proper level of static stimulation and sticking
with it. Some folks are of the opinion that you should use continuous high-level static stimulation
until the dog complies. Others think you should use low-level continuous static stimulation. Both
programs can work and create a dog that performs great, but either of these methods could lead to
trouble for a novice trainer.
Your long-term goal is to have your dog remain under total control while receiving correction from
the e-collar and understand why the correction occurred. Remain under total control is the key
phrase in that sentence. If your dog is jumping around or cannot focus on you because it is vocalizing,
it is not under control. If your dog reacts in either of these ways, back off. Either you are progressing
too fast or the static stimulation intensity is too high.
You should shop for the correct level of static stimulation by starting with the lowest intensity
and continuing up until you see the acceptance mechanisms appear. This is first introduced during
obedience drills. With your dog on-leash, call it to you. After a few successful “Here” routines, apply
leash pressure and stimulate with the e-collar at the same time. Look for the swallow response,
head drop, or neck twitch. Sometimes you can see a change in the breathing pattern. Progress up in
intensity until you see your dog say, “I accept” with one of these responses. When you see your dog
drop its head or swallow, you are there and this will be your most-often used correction level.
COLLAR CONDITIONING WITHIN EACH OBEDIENCE COMMAND
Never correct your dog with the e-collar without first conditioning it to accept and understand the
collar. This will take a short period of time, but without the conditioning process, your dog will be
dazed and confused about the discomfort around its neck. It is easy to confuse your dog and undo
a couple of months of good training in just a few minutes by over-stimulating on a correction or
correcting when it is not justified. No corrections should occur until the conditioning process has been
successfully completed. The collar-conditioning process can be thought of as practice in accepting
electronic static stimulation. Your football coach didn’t send you on the field without practicing the
plays and likewise, we do not want to send your dog into the world without an understanding of how to
comfortably accept electronic correction.
