E Collar Basics

By Steven Weir

Are you thinking about purchasing an E collar for your hunting dog? Perhaps you already own one and don’t know how to start your training. Don’t worry, like everything else in dog training its simple.

Firstly, if you’re contemplating whether you should or shouldn’t get an E collar for your hunting partner – do it. 

Having a dog that is E collar trained unlocks maximum freedom for your dog, ensures peace of mind for you as the handler and keeps your dog safe when off leash. 

Where most people start on their E collar journey is with the contemplation of using a tool that could potentially hurt their dog. That’s fair. Most tools used in a pressure and release system have the potential to hurt a dog. Your leash, flat collar, prong collar, etc. are all great tools when used responsibly. In the hands of the wrong person, it’s like a switch blade in the hands of a monkey. 

When I refer to E collar pressure I am talking about the common functions on most devices: tone, vibrate and stimulation. So how do we properly introduce the dog to the E collar and more importantly, how do we use the E collar responsibly? Let’s start with the basic principle of E collars in the context of recall which is the most common use. You are teaching your dog how to turn the E collar off. Do not think “I am teaching my dog to recall” or “when I press this button, he stops doing x behaviour” This is the wrong mindset. The E collar is a pressure and release system. Before the dog can be properly trained on this tool you must understand you are teaching the dog to turn the pressure off. 

STEP BY STEP HOW TO

1. Ensure your e collar system is working properly – test on yourself before putting on the dog. Fit your receiver around the dog’s neck. It should be snug, if you can pull the receiver module off your dog’s neck and fit your fingers between the prongs and his neck easily, it’s too loose.
2. Attach a check chord or long line to your dog’s flat collar. The flat collar is never tight on a dog, and it always sits below the E collar. 
3. Begin the training process in an open area with minimal distractions. Have training treats in your pocket. 
4. When the dog is not paying attention to you start by pressing and holding the stimulation. You want to use a very low-level stimulation for this process. 10% of your E collar is a good starting point. When in doubt start from 1% of your E collars maximum pressure. Hold this stimulation and call your dog towards you. Use your long line like a fishing pole to guide your dog back to you. Hold your hand out as a target for your dog. You can place a treat in-between your fingers. When the dog makes physical contact with your hand immediately release the pressure and praise the dog.
5. Continue to repeat this process while slowly increasing your level of stimulation. Do not rush this process. Be sure to pay close attention to your dog’s body language to guide you on how much pressure you should be using. I always recommend training the dog up to a minimum of 40-50% of the E collars maximum pressure. You don’t want the first time your dog’s feels an above average level of pressure to be in a situation when you NEED to use it. 
6. Once you have mastered this in a controlled environment you are ready to take this training to a new area. Keep your long line attached to the dog in the new area. Remember, once you start your rep and you are applying pressure it is constant until the dog recalls and makes physical contact with your hand. You should only drop the long line or completely remove it when you are confident you can use your E collar with no additional tools to get the dog to return to you. You will know your dog fully understand how to turn the E collar off when you begin your rep with pressure and the dog returns to you and contacts your hand with no verbal cues. That is the behaviour of a dog that understands how to turn the E collar off. 
7. Continue to train this behavior in new environments. Adjust the level of stimulation accordingly. The level of pressure must match the level of distraction/ arousal of the environment. A dog that is chasing a rabbit requires a different level of stimulation than that of a dog standing in the backyard. 

Find more at SPORTING DOG SERIES

Steven is a lifelong supportor of Pheasants Forever’s habitat conservation and mentorship programs. He is a trainer and proprietor of Westrock Kennels specializing in bird dog development and training.