Pets look even **cuter** and more **lovable** when they’re well-behaved. Pets learn obedience through teaching and practice. Appreciate good behavior in your pet, and ignore bad behavior. This way, your pet picks up on what makes you happy and learns to follow along.
Some trainers use negative reinforcement to teach the pet. In negative reinforcement methods, the pet’s unwanted behaviors are repressed by giving stimuli or sometimes punishment.
Several Tools and Techniques Are Used to Train the Dog. These Tools Are:
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Collars
Collars are of various types available to train dogs. These collars are worn around the dog’s neck. These collars contain the ID tag of the pet. The trainer can attach a leash with it to teach and rectify the dog’s walk.
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Long lines
Long lines vary in length from 15 to 30 feet. To let your pup move here and there at long distances, you can use long lines instead of leashes.
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Leashes
Leashes are long straps that vary in length from four to six feet. You can easily hold a leash to let your pet walk with you. Also, the leash can be attached to anything having a hook; in this way, your dog is tied easily anywhere, even with a door.
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Portable mat
A portable mat is a very important thing for your pet. You can take it anywhere you want your pet to sit. A washable and foldable mat is a golden thing to take with you for an outing with your pet.
Many other things are also included to train the pet. This training includes making your pet respond to slang such as sit, stand, walk, run, stop, and stay away.
Other than these, dogs should be taught to reduce excessive barking without any reason. For example, many people leave their dogs in the yard lonely. As a result, the dog might run away from the house, crossing the yard. Trainers train them to avoid moving towards the fence or crossing it.
This dog fence training is done by using fences. These can be wooden, steel, or electric fence. Also, the shock collar can be used to keep your dog in the yard.
Why Is There a Need to Train a Dog?
Training is good for stubborn dogs. Even a trained pet takes more love and affection than a pet that is not trained. A trained dog obeys you and does not behave absurdly.
Training is necessary to teach your dog what is good and bad. Sometimes many dogs do unwanted things in front of others that you do not want them to do. That is why trainers train them. Also, a trainer teaches the dog to respond to several words such as sit, stand, walk, pick up the thing, stop, and much more. When a trainer teaches all these actions to the dog, he becomes obedient to his owner.
Training includes positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.
- Positive reinforcement is one of the training modes and involves appreciation. For example, when the dog does something good, the owner politely responds in a good way. Or may express it by saying GOOD BEHAVIOR. From this slang, the dog learns and becomes confident each time and shows that good behavior again and again. Therefore, positive reinforcement is a good mode of training.
- The second type of training mode is negative reinforcement. In this mode, the dog’s unwanted behavior is suppressed by yelling at the dog. This is also done by using different dog collars, spray collars, prong collars, or shock collars.
It is very likely that the dog can escape the area or yard where he is being trained. Unfortunately, this behavior is also so unwanted by many trainers and owners. They do not want the dog to cross the boundary and run away from the yard while playing, running, or finding something.
Such dogs are taught differently not to cross the boundary and escape. This is done by using traditional fences, underground wire, or wireless fences.
Also, the remote control shock collars can be used for this purpose. This is done by creating an invisible fence or wireless fence.
What Is a Shock Collar?
A shock collar is a dog collar used in training by the trainers during negative reinforcement. An electric shock is given to the dog whenever he shows some unwanted behavior. This unwanted behavior can be the dog’s excessive barking, crossing the boundary edge of the yard, or jumping unnecessarily.
A dog shock collar is a remote control collar; the control or transmitter is in the hands of the trainer. He presses the control button to give a slight shock to the dog. This slight shock is a tinkling effect felt by the dog on his skin.
This shock is not the actual severe shock. It is the same mild static feel that a human can sense while running the comb through his hair. Definitely, you have experienced such a mild tingling sensation. But the shock collars have the capacity to increase the shock intensity.
How a Shock Collar Is Used?
A dog shock collar is worn around the dog’s neck. Whenever the dog shows any unnecessary behavior, the shock collar generates a shock that the dog feels on his neck.
This shock is mild and can be adjusted according to the dog’s age, skin, and even dog’s temperament. In addition, it is an adjustable collar, and the intensity of shock can be adjusted easily. Also, the trainer decides the frequency of shock given to the dog.
The dog Shock collar is mainly used to train police, hunting, and stubborn dogs. This is the last resort to training a dog by giving him mild shocks.
A few dog owners use these dog collars to punish the dogs with electric shocks by increasing the intensity of the static shock.
These static correction shock collars are used to repress the needless behavior of the dogs, such as excessive barking or crossing the boundary edge.
What Are the Pros of Shock Collars?
When used moderately and within limits, a shock collar gives expected results. The use of this dog collar can modify the unnecessary behaviors of dogs. It has the following advantages.
- The intensity of the shock generated by the shock collar is adjustable to train the dogs. Some dog pets can bear a good deal of shock, but other dogs cannot bear a minor shock even. So the shock is given while considering the dog’s skin in view.
- These collars are affordable easily. A trainer can buy a suitable shock collar at a reasonable price because so much variety is available in the market. Moreover, many modern shock collars are available, which are more effective than older ones.
- These electronic collars give quick results during training. Such as for reduce the excessive barking of the dog or prevent the dog from jumping over the perimeter of the yard and escaping, these shock collars give quick results when used carefully.
What Are the Cons of Shock Collars?
No doubt, when shock collars are used accurately, they give optimum results and repress unwanted behavior. But when this dog collar is used excessively over the dogs can lead to multiple problems.
- Multiple shocks to the dog can cause painful burns to the dog’s skin. In addition, the skin might damage and bleed.
- The severe dog shock can lead the dogs into severe depression and anxiety. The dog becomes more aggressive and stressed. The bonding between the pet and owner is also affected when the owner inflicts the dog with dog shock punishments.
- Static shock can disturb the normal functioning of the heart by putting strain on it. This strain increases blood pressure and also affects normal respiratory function.
Why Dogs Escape From the Yards?
Dogs need a spare containment system to walk here and there, to play or run. Keeping your pet in the yard is good for his pleasure and refreshment. An open yard is good for the dog to play. Some dogs do not want to stay overlong inside the house. They love to play out of the house. For the training, dogs are kept in the yard. The safety of the dog is very necessary. For safety, the yard of the house must be fenced.
The dog is in front of your eyes for one moment and out of sight for the next moment because an instinct keeps dogs moving here and there and crossing the dog fence.
This instinct can be an exciting thing, a friendly dog, or something curious for the dog present on the other side of the yard over the fence.
During dog training to get the dog in the yard, your puppy’s safety is necessary. It can escape from the yard. So the yard must be fenced at the perimeter. This is done by putting a boundary wire along the whole boundary. In this way, the dog in the yard cannot easily escape the yard.
Some dogs can jump so high easily and escape the yard. Therefore, you need to put an additional wire to keep the dog inside the yard.
Even if the dog continues escaping the boundary wire, a wireless electric fence can be used. The dog can never see an invisible fence, and the dog is wearing an electric shock dog collar.
Can You Use a Shock Collar to Keep the Dog in the Yard?
A shock collar is used for boundary training to keep the dog in the yard. Along with shock collars, electric fences are used. The electric fence prevents the dogs from escaping during the training or even when the owner or trainer is not near the pooch.
A shock collar is worn around the dog’s neck and connected to the electric fences present along the boundary. This electric fence gives the pet a static correction shock. Thus shock keeps the dog in the yard.
This kind of training comes in the negative reinforcement of the dog’s behavior. When the dog tries to leave the containment system again by crossing the boundary wire, this dog’s behavior is repressed by the use of a static correction shock collar. After learning this, the dog never crosses the boundary of the dog training area.
What Is a Proximity Shock Collar?
A proximity shock collar is a specifically designed shock collar with given yardage or footage. The footage specifies the zone of containment system in which the dog is placed and does not let it go outside the boundary.
Proximity shock collars can be used to train the dog through a positive reinforcement method. For example, when the pup does not cross the fence, he is given a gentle pat to boost confidence. This confidence makes the dog stay in the safety zone of the coaching area.
The shock collar is worn to the do, and a fence is placed across the boundary during the dog training. The pet does not leave the patch.
What Is the Difference Between a Proximity Shock Collar and a Shock Collar?
A shock collar is like other collars used to train the dog in its behavior through negative reinforcement. For example, the pet is made to wear a shock collar and learn to control excessive barking.
Whereas proximity shock collars are the collars that give the dog a boundary area of training.
In shock collars, the dog is given training through negative reinforcement, while the proximity shock collar dog is trained with positive reinforcement mode.
How Proximity Shock Collar Is Used to Keep Your Dog in the Yard?
Many trainers use a Proximity shock collar to give the dog boundary training. In this kind of training, either a wireless electric fence can be used across the boundary of the coaching area, or an invisible fence can be used with a wire buried underground.
The trainer or owner first chooses the type of fence he wants to use during training for the dogs.
How to Train a Dog With the Wireless Electric Fence?
A wireless electronic fence is used at the boundary of the training area to teach the dog not to escape the area or cross the boundary fence. This electric fence is connected with a transmitter. A trainer needs to follow the following process to give the pet boundary by using a wireless electrostatic fence.
What the Trainer Needs?
The trainer needs a shock collar, a wireless fence signal transmitter, White flags, a long leash, and a reward or treat.
Setting Up the Signal Transmitter
Metals must not distort the signals generated by the transmitter. The metal in the house can disturb the route of signals, and these signals, when distorted, cannot reach the dog properly. So the trainer must avoid any metal in the training area.
Charging the Collar
The electric shock collar needs to be charged because this training collar has a rechargeable battery inside it. The trainer should charge it again when used first before using it in the next session. If this training collar is left uncharged, the whole training session would need to start again.
Use Correct Contact Points on the Training Collar
Every pet has its kind of skin. Some dogs have thin coats, and too many dogs have thick coats. Use short contact points for the dogs having thin coats. Long contact points are for the dogs having thick coats. So the trainer needs to choose the contact points for the training collars based on the dog’s skin he is dealing with. This helps in getting good results.
Set the White Flags
Place the boundary flags across the boundary so the pet can learn the boundary. When the dog wearing a shock training collar comes across the boundary, it gives a warning beep. After learning through several warning beeps, the dog easily gets he is coming towards the boundary. This warning tone keeps your dog or trainer’s dog in the training area. Some collars have a vibration mode instead of a beep, so the pet sense that vibration.
Keep Your Dog Stress Free
Initially, the pet will not learn so quickly in one or two boundary training sessions. The trainer needs to teach the dog about the boundary and keep the dog stress free. For getting good results, the pet must not forcefully inflict shocks. This can damage the health of dogs.
Keep Training Sessions Short
During prolonged training sessions, the dog gets tired easily. Therefore, the trainer should keep the sessions short. Each training session must be of 15 minutes.
Day 1: Set a Beep, Tone, or Vibration in the Collar
Do not take Kickstart from the shock on the first day of training. Adjust the vibration, beep, or tone in the collar. When the pet comes across the fence during playing or navigating, the signal is transmitted to the collar. The pet gets a stimulus in the form of a beep or vibration.
Initially, the shock is not good if the pet dog can easily learn from the beep stimulus or tone.
Reward Within 2 Seconds
When the dog does not cross the fence after listening to the beep and comes back, give a gentle pat to the pet. Also, give him a treat or reward within 2 seconds minimum. The dog does not understand initially why the trainer has given him the treat. But after several sessions, the pet will learn the trainer is rewarding him for his positive behavior.
Take a Start With a Short Leash
During initial sessions of fence training, a short leash is used for the pet. After several sessions, use long leashes.
Days 2-3: Set the Minimum and Right Shock Level
Set the rechargeable battery collar on the shock stimulus if the pet dog does not respond to the tone or vibration. Whenever the pet comes near the boundary, signals are transmitted to the collar. This collar generates a mild shock felt by the pet as a slight tickling effect. The shock stimulus must be kept at low intensity for the beginning stages.
Some dogs can bear a good deal of shock, but others cannot, so set the right shock level.
Days 4-7: Keep Practicing
Keep your pet in the training area by using shock collars and practicing him for several sessions. First, practice it in your backyard and try to teach the dog about the fence. When the pet learns about the boundary of the backyard, then take the pet to a crowdy park.
Practice the fence training of the dog in the distracted places where the dog can see so many distractions. These distractions attract the dog, and the pet dog tries to run, crossing the fence.
Now, this is the very crucial stage of training. In this stage, the dog is made to learn not to cross the fence even if the dog can see an unlimited number of distractions welcoming the dog to cross the fence. These distractions can be exciting things, other pets, or various sounds.
Your pet must learn the boundary at such ch places; even so, your dog can become the most obedient one.
Weeks 2-3
Keep the dog fence training continued at crowdy places. Also, use whistles and other cues to give your pet signals of encouragement. Also, do not forget to reward your pet within a very short time. This will make the dog learn in dog fence training quickly.
Week 4
In the last sessions, make your pet learn to cross the boundary only in the following cases; otherwise, there is no need to cross the boundary.
- When the trainer puts the leash on the dog and takes off the shock collar
- When the dog is made to sit in the car or truck by himself.
How to Train a Dog With an Invisible Underground Fence?
This method of dog fence training is almost the same as above, but where the wire is buried underground and becomes invisible to the pet.
This buried wire acts as a transmitter and signals the collar worn on the dog’s neck.
If the pet crosses the wire, the collar gives a static correction to him. Then he stops. In this way, the pet learns to avoid jumping over the fence.
What Are the Pros of an Electric Dog Fence?
Trainers use electric fences with additional collars to train the dog. With these additional collars, trainers get optimum results.
- Electric fences are economical to use. You can use your backyard and place an electric fence to keep your dog in the yard. Even maintaining the fence is easier.
- Electric fences are reliable and easy to use. In addition, these fences give quicker results than other fences.
- Ss Electric fences are durable and long-lasting. Other fences break easily, but these are much tough than others.
What are the cons of electric dog fence?
- The electric fence can cause harm to the dog if the shock has high intensity. Therefore, many dog lovers do not use electric fences to train their dogs.
- Invisible electric fences can be harmful to other animals or people who are outsiders. In addition, they possibly can get a severe shock when they enter from outside.
- Electrical disturbances from the main supply can damage the fence.
A replacement collar must be used if your dog is getting fearful of the proximity shock collar. The replacement collar can help such sensitive dogs to learn easily.
Is a Proximity Shock Collar Safe to Use for Dogs?
The proximity shock collar is overall safe to use for pets. A dog can easily learn to avoid fence crossing by getting rewards because this training method follows positive reinforcement. The pet is given the confidence to show good behavior again and again.
Initially, there is a need to adjust shock intensity correctly. The optimum training results are only possible when the shock level is right. This can prevent the dog from getting any harm. If the intensity of the electronic shock is not kept right, then the results must be disturbing to the dog
Conclusion
Shock collars are effective collars to train a dog. These collars work on the negative reinforcement mode of training.
But the proximity shock collars work on positive reinforcement methods. The pet is given a treat or reward for not crossing the fence in this training.
Shock collars help keep the dog in the yard by connecting it with the transmitter. This transmitter is used in the fence. The fence can be visible to the dog or can be invisible.
In invisible fence training, as the dog comes near the fence, the transmitter in the fence sends a signal to the collar. Initially, the shock is not given. Instead, a beep or tone is used to give a stimulus to the pet. After a few days of the session, the static correction is started.
In an invisible electric fence system, the wire is buried underground. The rest of the training is the same as the visible electric fence system of training.
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