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You are here:  > Dog Talk > DOG TALK:
Training > Robin MacFarlane: How To Train Your Dog

If You Know How to Train a Dog, You Know How to Use a Remote Collar, Right?


by Robin MacFarlane



The idea that someone knows how to train a dog seems to include the assumption that they understand how to use a remote collar properly.

It is a belief that I've run into many times. Most often I pick up on this presumption when I communicate with people who tell me either they've tried an e-collar in the past and it "didn't work," or they worked with a trainer who used e-collars and it worked but their dog "wasn't happy about it."

It is a similar thought process that many go through when they feel they have exhausted all options for training and now must turn to a remote collar as a "last resort."

Experience has brought me to the conclusion that the people making those type of comments haven't invested much time researching various ways to use the ecollar other than as a means of positive punishment for disobedience.

That line of thinking is limited in the understanding of how much finesse an e-collar can add to a training program

Frequently I've witnessed discussions where dog trainers and dog owners are at the conclusion that because a dog has been exposed to some form of correction (leash and collar, verbal or other), he will automatically know how to respond to e-collar pressure.

This is a big leap to make.

It is also a stretch to assume that because someone has good skills with a leash or any other training tool they will automatically understand how to use a remote collar with appropriate timing and techniques.

I look at it in the same way I do with any other transitions I've made over the years. At 15 years old I learned how to drive an automatic transmission. That didn't mean when I bought my first manual at 18 that I automatically just jumped in and took off!

Years spent mastering all the shortcuts on a keyboard didn't save me from the frustrations of moving to the touch screen of a tablet either. I caught on, but it wasn't an instantaneous leap.

When it comes to dog training tools we somehow seem to forget there is a learning curve to each of them as well.

So what is the solution to this common assumption?

A simple reminder that education is never a waste of time.

None of us are too old or too experienced to learn something new. Hopefully we are all looking to take in a bit more knowledge or pick up one more tidbit that might make our dog's training go more smoothly.

If you're still thinking remote collars are a last resort, they don't work, or they must always be painful or stressful to the dog, does it really hurt to spend time looking at the work of someone who espouses otherwise?
-- Robin



Robin MacFarlane is a professional dog trainer and owner of That’s My Dog in Dubuque, Iowa. Her best-selling dog training DVDs, JUST RIGHT and JUST RIGHT 2 have helped thousands of dog owners teach their dogs basic obedience and fix problem behaviors through a system of training that you can easily work into your daily routine.
  • Robin writes for Gun Dog Supply on our E-collars Dog Training blog
  • Follow her on Facebook
  • Read her other posts here on RobinMacFarlane.com



    • Robin's Obedience DVD

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  • Dogtra JUST RIGHT
  • Sport PRO
  • PRO 550
  • Dogtra ARC
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  • SD-425X, SD-825X
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    Robin MacFarlane: Ecollar Training Videos

  • Does Your Dog Know Her Place?
  • Teaching a Recall? Start Slow and Make the Dog Successful
  • How Long Does My Dog have to Wear the E-Collar?
  • Consistency Without an E-collar
  • Skills Every Puppy Should Learn
  • Dogs and Doorbells -- Oh My!
  • Stop Your Dog from Bolting to the Door!
  • Use Food Lures to Shape Your Puppies Introduction to Sit, Stand and Down
  • Puppy Training 101: Play Biting Problem
  • Teaching Your Puppy to "Kennel Up"
  • Dog Tricks: How to Teach Your Dog to Walk Backwards
  • Want a Standing Ovation? Teach Your Dog to "Take A Bow!"
  • Want Your Dog to Come to You? Try Moving Away from Him.
  • "Catch me if you can!"
  • Before You Expect a Dog to Stay on a Place, Teach Him to get on Willingly.
  • Adding E-Collar Prompting to your Place Command
  • Impulse Control Games are a Time Well Spent Playing with your Dog!
  • Teaching the Down Command
  • Juggling All Your Training Equipment?
  • House Manners
  • "Pay Me!"
  • How to Strengthen Your Dog's Understanding of "Stay"
  • E-Collar, Leash, Treats, Toy, and the Dog. How to Manage it All!
  • Dog Tricks: Teaching Your Dog to Dance


    • How to Train Your Dog

  • Proper Fit of E-Collar
  • Is Your Dog Collar Wise?
  • "How long does my dog have to wear the collar?"
  • Pressure Necrosis
  • Using Treats in Training
  • Can I Use an E-Collar on My Small Dog?
  • I Need a Shock Collar!
  • Dog Training: Keeping it Real: Training Your Dog Should be Easy
  • Why Would I Want to Use an E-Collar on My Dog?
  • A Tired Dog is a Good Dog
  • Three Things You Must Know to Have a Reliably Trained Dog
  • Are Remote Collars Punishment, Negative Reinforcement, or Motivators?
  • The Best Way to Rescue a Dog
  • It is More than Just Pushing a Button: Part One
  • What About the Leash?
  • Tennis Ball, Tug or Cookie? What do Rewards Have to do with Good Training?
  • The More Important Tool: Part 4 of "It Is More Than Just Pushing a Button."
  • Do You Need Impeccable Timing in Order to Use a Remote Collar?
  • What Does Your Dog's Future Look Like?
  • 6 Essential Things to Teach to Have a Good Dog
  • The Top 3 Reasons Your Remote Collar Doesn't Seem to be Working
  • How Long Does It Take to Train My Dog?
  • Put a Plan Into Motion for Dealing With Your Dog's Behavior Problems!
  • Why are You Grateful for Your Dog?
  • Are You Struggling to Get Your Dog to Stay? Try This.
  • There are Only 3 Levels on a Remote Training Collar?
  • The One Thing You Must Know if You Want to Train with an E-Collar
  • How to Help Your Dog Understand What You Want
  • Photos: One Great Reason to Teach a Place Command to Your Dog
  • New Puppy Tips
  • Sit? or Sit! -- The Case for Intonation When Speaking to Your Dog
  • Number of Commands
  • So Your Dog Knows Sit. Now What?
  • 20 Reasons to Teach a Place Command
  • E-Collar Use: Training vs. Enforcing
  • Know How to Train a Dog, Know How to Use a Remote Collar?
  • 5 Ways to Enhance Feeding Time
  • "But my dog doesn't like it."
  • Outwit Your Dogs if You Want Better Behavior
  • Weaning Off E-Stim: Tap, Tell or Help
  • Proofing: How to Help Your Dog Really "Get It."
  • Should Your Dog Sleep on the Bed With You?
  • Human Body Language
  • Good Health: The Missing Link for a Happy and Well-Adjusted Dog?
  • Are You the Center of Your Dog's World?
  • E-Collar Training: Be Sure to Do This Before You Go Off Leash
  • What Behavior are You Rewarding the Most?
  • The Importance of Routine Nail Trims for Your Dog
  • When is the Right Time to Start Training My Dog?
  • Is it Important that a Dog Learn to Heel?
  • 3 Things to do Right Now to Avoid Separation Issues with Your Dog
  • Training Your Dog to Stop Barking
  • How to Use a No-Bark Collar

    • Pull-Quote= When it comes to dog training tools we need to remember there is a learning curve to all of them.



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