Introduction to E-Touch Dog Training
Force-free Method Learning  

September 2008
Keith Coddington
k9 Natural Instincts
Phoenix, Arizona

The modern remote electronic training collar is a training tool when used properly can achieve amazing results in a short period of time.

The electronic collar (e-collar) allows dog owners a way to communicate to the dog in a way the dog understands better than any other tool that I have seen. It also allows the owner to remain calm and "in control"... giving the owner a humane and very sustainable way to prompt their dog rather than yelling, repeating commands and issueing correction after correction with no results.

Unless you have been trained on how to use the electronic collar properly by a professional I can guarantee that it is not being used as intended.  The directions that come with the collar itself are nowhere near the type of training and techniques I’m referring to.  In the cases with clients that have previously hired trainers that use the remote collar, I have found they are not nearly as effective or life lasting as the techniques I teach. 

When most people initially hear of the remote collar they immediately associate the collar with pain. Actually, that that is more or an urban legend than anything else. When used properly, e-collars are set at a level so low that most owners can barely feel the stimulation in their own hand, if at all.

I have had customers that were at first very uncomfortable with the electronic collar, yet when they felt the level of stimulation I was using in their own hand they were put at ease every single time. The e-collar is used to "prompt" the dog and teach them to focus on you.  Just like a choke collar, prong collar, or even a flat collar, you are using the leash to prompt the dog to refocus its attention. Personally, I would take a remote collar at the levels I use it at any day over a chain or prong collar around my own neck.

"Can the same results be achieved without using the electronic collar?"

Yes they can. For example, if I take a dog to train I will have a huge advantage because there are no prior associations with me and I can take charge of him from the moment I meet him. This makes my job much easier and the dog learns to respect me from day one.

On the other hand, most owners have many prior "associations" with their own dogs that the cards are stacked against them. They have tried many other techniques including treats, leash corrections, verbal corrections and so on. Their dogs have learned that there are ways around the rules therefore they do not take the owner seriously. This leaves the dog not respecting the owner and problem solving ways around the boundaries the owner is trying to set.

The electronic collar gives owners a new way of communicating that the dog has never seen before. It's new to the dog. They have no prior association with it.

The answer is actually simple. "Yes, you can teach without the electronic collar, but...it will take much more time and consistent effort when compared to more traditional training methods."

I personally researched and learned from some of the best trainers in the world on how to use the remote collar properly.  I was looking for a way for my customers to combine the dog psychology knowledge I teach with long-lasting and practical results. The idea was to accomplish this with the most effective techniques and most immediate results.

If you have used an electronic collar with your dog in the past, don’t worry it is not too late to learn the proper techniques and commands.  With some basic counter-conditioning your dog can re-learn the meaning of the stimulation with significant results. More importantly, we teach you - the dog owner - how to use the e-collar properly. With the proper training and skills you can achieve the same results as a dog that has never had one on before.

Many people ask, “Will the dog have to be on the remote collar for the rest of their lives?”  

Every case is different, but this mostly depends on you. 

Once you are trained and acquire familiarity with the proper use of the e-collar and are consistent with a program and the goals of discipline, you should no longer need the collar in 60-90 days with on/off leash reliability.  Basically once the appropriate behavior is a habit we begin using the collar less and less until there is no longer a use for it. 

In order to use this tool effectively we must also have the proper understanding of dog psychology and how our behavior affects our dogs.  This will be covered in great detail in our Dog Psychology 101 Course (Training Options page) which is a prerequisite before taking this course.