Off-leash dog training recall is something most dog owners want to accomplish, but getting your dog to reliably come back when called is a hard task. In my opinion, it’s a privilege, and it can be very dangerous if your dog doesn’t listen to you off-leash. Modern remote e-collar training is taking the dog training industry by storm, and today, I’m going to teach you how to introduce the remote e-collar to your dog with confidence.
What You Need
- Dogtra 280C Remote Collar
- 15, 20 or 30 foot long lead
- Dog Treats
How to Introduce the Remote E-Collar
You want to start by associating that low-level stimulation with the command. So I trigger the e-collar stimulation with the command to come, and then when the dog comes to me, I shut it off. It’s a classic form of escape training. This is not a correction, it is not a punishment, it does not hurt the dog. All it does is get his attention from a distance without having to physically touch him.
You also want to make it fun by using lots of praise, “good come” and “good dog”, as well as physical praise, such as petting and treats. Eventually, you should be able to increase the distance, even getting the dog to come when you are not in their line of sight.
One important note is to not to try and do this from a “sit & stay” position. You want the dog to be mobile – walking around, sniffing, investigating, doing his thing.
Where to Place the E-Collar
The e-collar should be nice and snug, right against the dog’s skin. The receiver should be on either side of the neck. Not on the spine or the throat.
When to Use the Remote
The short answer is at the exact same time that you ask your dog to do something, in this case, to come. You say the dog’s name, hold the continuous button, and say the command. You release the button when the dog gets to you.
On the Dogtra 280C e-collar there are two buttons: a nick and a continuous. A nick means you’re just tapping the dog. Even if you hold the button, it only taps once. Whereas with the continuous, you hold the button and it continues to send pressure until you release it.
Once you’ve been doing this for a few days, and you’ve properly introduced the e-collar, and both you and your dog are comfortable with it, you can progress to using the nick, instead of the continuous. In fact, some dogs respond better to the nick than the continuous.
Either way, you want to do a quick 10-minute training – repeating the command come and using the nick or continuous button 3 or 4 times per session – and you want to do this 2-3 times per day for two weeks.
More Remote E-Collar Training for off leash Dog Training
E-Collars can be really overwhelming for dog owners, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there, which is why I put together this blog post and video. If you still have questions, I highly recommend working with a dog trainer in your area who is comfortable using an e-collar and can help you establish your e-collar basics.
You can also subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more helpful videos, or schedule a remote e-collar and off-leash training with me and my team in Clifton Park NY. We offer private and group training classes, Board & Train packages and Online Dog Training sessions, as well as out-of-state training packages, like the one I just did for Benny and the dog owners in my latest video. For more information, give us a call at (518) 952-7873.