Copyright 2004, Marc Goldberg, all rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced without written permission of the author.

By Marc Goldberg

“You want me to learn more about what?” I practically shouted at my friend Mary when she suggested I take a look at modern electronic collars. I not only shouted, I’m sure I shuddered as well.

Like many of you, my experience with what are now called E Collars or Remote Training Collars, was limited to one horrible day in the early 1970’s. That was the day I strapped that terrible thing on my Sheltie, found an opportunity to reinforce a known command, and pushed the button.

His reaction was awful. I was 14. My mother who knew nothing about dogs or dog training, and doesn’t even like dogs, gave me an order that day.

“I don’t care that you are training in Utility. Get rid of that thing and never use it again.”

This might just be the only demand my mother ever made of me that I listened to without protest. That is, until several years ago. It took quite a lot of convincing, but I’m glad Mary persisted in pushing me to reevaluate today’s E Collars, and to look together for a new approach to using them.

Two things have changed in the last thirty years. First, E Collar manufacturers now make products that feature settings so low that they are almost undetectable to dogs and humans. Second, new and gentle training techniques have evolved, spearheaded by a few trainers. Like me, they believe that an E Collar can be used successfully on such low levels as to be called educational, not corrective. Moreover, I believe that many aspects of positive motivation—such as toys, food and play--can and should  be integrated into those new E Collar methods.

Before we delve into details on how my own E Collar techniques have evolved, let me just say I do understand this issue might just represent the Mother of all Dog Training Controversies. A great deal of angst in the dog training community is expended on questions of whether pinch collars are cruel. So naturally, a tool such as a remote collar, with its potential for abuse, is going to arouse a great deal of protest.

I do not ask for your approval on a tool you may never have seen used as a gentle cue. I merely ask you to consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe newly designed tools in the hands of a gentle trainer who adores dogs can be both brilliant and humane. The collar is a tool. Just that. It is inanimate. The question, then, becomes, is there a way to use it to train dogs in a way that would not offend my mother?

Today, I always put a remote collar on the client before the dog. I need the client to understand a simple truth. I will not hurt their dog. From 80 year old grandmothers to 3 year old children...all client family has felt the collar.

Their reaction is nearly always the same. First they giggle. Second they tell me it won't work. Because it only tickles. Only then am I ready to work with the dog.

If you were to give a hammer, chisel and a block of marble to the average person, they could only create a pile of gravel. Yet give those tools to Michaelangelo, and the result is the statue of David. A remote training collar in the hands of an artist is quite similar. You can train the dog quickly, without ever stressing the dog and without hurting him.

So how does one do it? How does one use a collar to teach a dog faster than ever before possible? And most importantly, how does one do it without being harsh to the dog?

The first step is for the trainer to pledge to him or herself that we have a goal. That goal is to train the dog without pain, fear or even stress. It is difficult to harm a dog in anyway when training with food and a flat buckle collar. I use those all the time. But with an e collar, potential handling errors by the trainer can upset the dog. So our first decision must be to find a collar setting which the dog will notice, but will not upset him.

The collars I prefer feature a type of stimulation called “momentary.” No matter how long you hold down the button, on a single push the collar emits one electronic tap of predetermined duration. My favorite model taps as fast as 1/1000^th of a second. This is so fast that it is over as quick as the static shock you get from a doorknob. And by the way, the intensities I use are usually quite a bit less that what you typically feel from the doorknob.

The reaction that I want from the dog is extremely subtle. At most you may see an ear flick, such as a dog might make when a fly lands on its ear. What you are not looking for is a yelp, or even a startle or any other look of discomfort. By beginning at the lowest range on the correct collar, at most you will see a quizzical reaction from the dog. This is the level at which I do most training, both on, and soon, off leash.

Many dogs find the lower range of momentary to be so gentle that they do not even give you the benefit of that ear flick or quizzical look. If you just continue dialing up the scale, pushing buttons, by the time you note the first reaction, it may be a far more intense reaction than you intended.

In my method, if I have not seen a sign from the dog by a certain, and rather low range point, then I stop increasing the intensity. I simply begin to train the dog. Remember, I have a goal of training without stress. I do not want to go up the scale, hurt the dog, then have to work my way back down the scale and try to rebuild trust. I just start training the dog.

Most of the dogs I train are leash pullers. They drag their owners down the street, choking themselves the whole way. I think of remote collar training as a language that I am going to teach the dog. I want him to understand that these tiny taps have significance.

So I begin to walk the dog, and use these nearly imperceptible taps to show the dog that walking is great fun, but pulling is not.

I’m looking for dawning realization in the dog. I can almost hear him thinking, hey, I used to like pulling on the leash, but now a mosquito bites me every time I pull. I think I’ll walk closer to the human. I start many dogs on levels so low I never get the initial reaction I described earlier. In that case, I’m looking for the behavior shaping to begin within a few moments of walking and turning. If we make progress, I know I’m on a good level even though the dog has never reacted to the collar in any way. If we do not make progress, then I slowly up the tap intensity  until the dog begins to care where my body is and adjusts himself to me.

From the very first lesson, dogs enjoy the training process. That's because we're out walking and playing. No one is yelling or jerking on them. They get to move, sniff, explore and experience. They just don't get to pull. After a few short lessons, I have dogs loose on drag lines, chasing balls and Frisbees, recalling off distractions and randomly receiving food rewards. If a dog should fail to come off a distraction, I can now just push the button at an appropriate level. Comprehending the language, the dog says, oh hey, he’s talking to me. He remembers how to respond…by recalling.

Remote collars are inanimate tools. Just like hammer and chisel, not everyone uses them well. My advice is to take a second look at the tool, and seek training from an expert who has the same goal as you do…to train the dog with joy, not with fear.

Marc Goldberg is a remote collar specialist, and a Professional Member of the IACP. He calls his technique the ForceFree Method™.

Copyright 2004, Marc Goldberg, all rights reserved.