"Collar Wise" Dogs

#AlphaDogTraining #dogtrainersutah “Collar Wise” Dogs By Alpha Dog Training https://www.alpha-dog-training-slc.com/ (801) 910-1700 We use the term “collar wise” dog to describe a dog who only listens and performs when they are wearing equipment like a collar. When collars are taken off, the collar wise dog will ignore commands, perform at less than their normal level, and will not take direction from the owner. Here’s a big factor to consider: It’s the relationship with your dog. This is one of the most critical, and one of the most misunderstood aspects of why dogs become collar wise. Sometimes people will use an e-collar as a shortcut when there is a deficit in their relationship with their dog. This is especially true with recalls. If we have a young dog, and teach them recalls in a motivational way, with lots of rewards and strong positive emotions for the recall, it is very easy for us to then layer over the remote collar for proofing against things like wildlife. When we then go to remove the collar later on in our dog’s life, they love recalls, they love interacting with us and I have not allowed bad habits to develop around distractions such as dogs or other animals. Now let’s look at a different scenario. We have a dog who we really want to have off leash on the hiking trail, and he’s hard to motivate and doesn’t really like coming back to us. We could spend a month on foundation work, so we’re just going to rush into the collar work. For this type of dog, the collar has become the reason that the dog comes back, rather than a backup form of correction for rare mistakes.

This dog has a very strong likelihood of ignoring me completely when the collar is gone. It is the difference between a dog coming to you because he likes you and enjoys his job, and a dog who is only coming to avoid a correction. Be sure to use praise and happiness to get the dog to come back to you as dog are really only trained with happiness. Of course, happiness can be a treat. So, rotate a treat with verbal praise. It works every time.