Do Dog Training Collars Train Dogs?
The catch with investing in dog training collars is that you can’t use them as a substitute for proper training. Training collars can be a very useful tool if used properly and sparingly, but in the wrong hands, they become problematic.
Available in two configurations, citronella or electric, training collars are designed to reinforce the owners training needs. They should be used as part of an overall training program and not as a substitute for attention. It is possible to simply place a collar on a dog, hold the remote, and shock or spray the dog each time it is doing something wrong, but that isn’t a particularly effective way to teach a dog to behave.
Positive reinforcement techniques have been shown, in many studies, to be more effective in the long run. As is the case with invisible fences where a dog will exceed the predetermined boundary if there is sufficient cause, a dog will ignore a training collar to get what it wants, if sufficiently motivated.
If you choose to use a training collar anyway, then citronella collars are considered more humane and more effective. The scent is generally inoffensive to humans and hits the dog in multiple senses. Electric collars, such as training collars and barking collars, are highly controversial with many people and can cause “hot spots” where the probes make contact with the skin. For hairier breeds, they may not work at all.
Just like with any other training method, the use of dog shock collars has to be carried out appropriately. In the hands of untrained humans with questionable motives, an electric collar can quickly become inappropriate or pointless.
Add comment October 9th, 2009