Letting Dogs Be Dogs While Still Keeping Them Safe
By Elaine Hope Poulin, M.Ed, C.P.T.
Dogs have an innate drive to explore and wander. However, as loving dog owners, we’re often hesitant to allow them to do this off-leash. What if they run off and get lost? Or, worse yet, what if they get hurt? Those are the things we worry about when it comes to releasing a dog from the leash. So, although we’re keeping them leashed to keep them safe, we’re also keeping them from experiencing the freedom that will allow them to fully experience a happy life. But, with the remote training collar, there’s a way to allow your dog to be a dog while still keeping him safe and sound.
Using technology similar to a TENS unit that chiropractors and physical therapists use to stimulate muscles, the remote training collar is an extremely humane tool that can be used to teach and reinforce the types of behavior you want from your dog. It delivers low-level stimulation or a vibration when in the pager setting that gets your dog’s attention in a pain-free way—which is a welcomed relief from the yanking and cranking that a dog often experiences around his neck area when attached to a leash.
Unfortunately, the remote training collar is sometimes still associated with the inaccurate term of “shock collar.” However, the remote training collar can no more “shock” a dog than a TENS unit would shock a human being. In fact, many find it to be a much more humane form of getting a dog’s attention than yanking or pulling on his or her neck with a leash. The remote collar training method uses an e-touch technique that is like tapping someone on the shoulder from behind to get their attention. With this method, the dog learns to pay attention and also develops self-control through a very effective and positive way of communicating.
No matter how well a dog has been trained, he’ll never be 100% reliable. He has free will and can easily be lured by unexpected and/or high-level distractions—from a ball being thrown into the street by a child to a rabbit darting out from beneath a shrub to other dogs encountering him during a walk. In a split second, your dog can get away from you—even when on a leash. With the remote collar, this concern is eliminated. You’ll be able to have control of your dog at all times.
When you understand how to use the remote training collar and your dog understands how to respond to it, you both can enjoy off-leash adventures fully and safely. He can run freely while always being connected to you through the “invisible leash” of the remote training collar. It’s a healthy, happy and natural way to live for him and it will facilitate a much more fulfilling relationship for both of you.
Additional Information: “Are Electronic Dog Training Collars Safe?”