While there’s a bit of controversy surrounding remote training collars, there’s no denying that they can offer some unique benefits.
These collars are a preferred training tool of some of the world’s leading dog trainers, which certainly speaks to their effectiveness.
Whether you’re teaching a young dog basic obedience instructions or have adopted a fully grown dog with some stubborn behavioral traits, a training collar with a remote can be a useful training tool to help you achieve your goals.
So, what are the benefits of using a dog training collar with remote? Despite the controversy, they offer 5 perks that stood out to us.
As with anything, there are pros to training collars along with some cons. This article will cover everything you need to know before buying a dog training collar!
Disclaimer
Before opting for shock collar use, we strongly suggest obedience training as your initial response to bad behavior.
Training your dog can prevent the potential stress of a shock collar, and is a positive way of deterring unwanted behavior.
A shock collar should be a last resort and only considered if obedience training fails or if you have a stubborn, large, or aggressive dog.
While shock collars aren’t physically harmful, and have been used by trainers to get the attention of tough cases for decades, for certain dogs they can cause emotional distress.
Brain training techniques are a science-backed way to improve your dog’s behavior without the use of force or dominance!
5 Benefits of Using a Dog Training Collar with Remote
1. They Offer Consistent Reinforcement
When obedience training your dog, one of the most important factors that will determine the effectiveness of your training efforts will be how consistent you are.
A remote training collar will help you correct your dog’s negative behaviors by producing a consistent stimulus.
Even if you’re using a collar that only produces a mild shock, the dog will come to associate the shock with poor behavior.
Whether your dog is chewing furniture, excessively barking, or pulling the leash while you’re out on a walk, that same level of shock will tell the dog that you disapprove of that specific behavior.
You can then use a consistent treat to reward good behavior.
Without a remote collar, it can sometimes be difficult to show your dog that they’re behaving negatively.
If they display negative behavioral traits, like excessive barking, but you’re in another room, the dog might forget what you’re punishing them for by the time you get to them.
With a remote, you can punish the behavior from a distance, which improves consistency.
The consistency of punishing poor behavior and rewarding positive behavior during obedience training can be effective.
In most cases, you’ll correct your dog’s negative habits much faster if you prioritize consistency while training them.
2. Anyone Can Use Them
Another advantage of a training collar with a remote is that just about anyone can use one.
It can be difficult for a smaller person to train a large and powerful dog by themselves, but a dog training collar with a remote makes it easy for anyone to train any dog, regardless of the trainer’s physical size and strength.
Remote training collars are easy to use. They’re even a practical training solution for elderly dog owners and those with physical disabilities.
If you have mobility issues, you may find it incredibly difficult to use traditional methods to train a dog, especially a larger breed.
A training collar with remote control will give you the ability to teach your dog right from wrong with the simple press of a button.
If you adopted an adult dog that hasn’t been leash trained, training them requires a tremendous amount of physical strength to safely and effectively teach it how to behave while you’re out for walks.
However, an electrified training collar can make this process easier. Whenever the dog starts to pull, you can activate the collar by pressing the button on the remote.
Read More: Radius Shock Collar for Dogs With Remote. We tested the best radius shock collars for dogs 10 pounds and up on the market today!
3. They Make it Easier to Teach Your Dog Proper Off-Leash Behavior
One of the more difficult skills to teach a dog is how to behave while they’re on an off-leash walk.
Without using a remote-based training collar, you’re limited to verbal commands and the hope that you can keep them close with treats and other rewards.
If you use a training collar with a remote, you can simply press a button if your dog begins to wander too far away.
A training collar provides security that can make the training process less stressful.
A training collar with a remote control becomes even more useful if you have adopted an unruly adult dog.
If they have never been allowed to go on walks without a leash, there’s always the chance that they’ll bolt, especially if they see something that catches their eye, like another dog or a squirrel.
Your dog running away can be frustrating, but it can also become very dangerous, especially if you’re using off-leash trails near a busy road.
Think of an electric training collar with a remote as a mobile invisible fence.
Whenever your dog begins to wander, you can tap the button and give them a mild shock to warn the dog that they’re getting too far away and need to return.
While we’re on invisible fences, check out our guide on How to Adjust Intensity of Invisible Fence Collar and find the right shock strength for your dog!
4. They Provide Your Dog with Instantaneous Feedback
Another factor that will play a major role in the effectiveness of your training efforts is how quickly you can provide your dog with feedback when they exhibit negative behavior.
Dogs, especially when they’re young, are easily distracted and don’t have the best short-term memories.
If you’re trying to teach your dog not to behave in a certain way, like not digging in the backyard, the quicker you can show your disapproval, the better the results will be.
Ideally, you’ll provide your dog with some form of stimulus as they’re performing the negative behavior, as this will help them form a connection between the action and the punishment.
Since electric training collars work almost instantaneously, you’ll be able to provide your dog with a mild shock the second they perform the actions that you’re trying to prevent them from doing.
The feedback that a training collar with a remote can provide can be useful for teaching your dog not to:
- Chew and gnaw on furniture
- Bark and growl
- Pull on their leash
- Pee and poop in the house
- Bite and other types of aggressive behavior
- Jump on people
Unwanted behavior will be much easier to eliminate through training if you can provide your dog with instantaneous feedback.
Fortunately, a training collar with a remote makes this much easier.
5. They’re Effective in Distracting Situations
Since the shock a remote training collar creates is felt in all situations, they’re just as effective during distracting and chaotic situations as during quiet and calm conditions.
With the simple press of a button, you can quickly and effectively communicate displeasure with your dog’s unwanted behavior, even if the dog is distracted or can’t hear or see you properly.
This effectiveness can be helpful if you own more than one dog, as multiple dogs barking and fighting can be an extremely chaotic situation.
If your dogs are going crazy, it can be very difficult to communicate with the dog you’re hoping to train with voice commands alone. A training collar helps solve this problem.
DID YOU KNOW? Remote collars are used to train police dogs.
Since policemen and K-9s work in some of the most frenzied scenarios, it pays to be able to deliver an immediate and direct command with the press of a button.
Pros and Cons of Using a Training Collar with a Remote
While the benefits listed above make a compelling argument for using a training collar with a remote, it’s still worth considering all of the pros and cons before deciding.
Pros
1. Quick Results
Remote shock collars are incredibly effective training tools. One of the main advantages of using one is that they can correct unwanted behavior much faster than other training methods.
If you have a particularly stubborn and poorly behaved dog, the fast results you could achieve with a remote training collar could make using one an appealing option.
2. They’re Surprisingly Affordable
A good training collar with a remote can range in price from $50 to over $250.
Keep in mind that these prices are significantly cheaper than the price you’d pay to have your dog professionally trained, or what it would cost to have an invisible dog fence installed on your property.
3. Many Training Collars are Adjustable
While the older models were fairly limited, the more modern training collars offer plenty of flexibility for the amount of stimulation the electric shock delivers.
Not only can you adjust the intensity of the electric shock, some of the best models even feature a painless vibration mode, which will just give the dog a warning, rather than cause it any pain or discomfort.
Read our related article on the Best Vibrating Collars for additional information on a more humane way to use training collars.
4. The Best Training Collars Work from an Impressive Range
If you purchase one of the high-quality options, your training collar can receive inputs from the remote from a lengthy distance.
The best models work from as far as 400 yards!
Even the more affordable training collars are still effective from a range of about 50 yards.
Cons
1. The Shock Can Be Painful
Unsurprisingly, it’s the fact that training collars can cause pain and discomfort that’s the main reason why some dog owners refuse to use them.
While pain can be an effective way to train an unruly dog, you can achieve the same outcome with positive reinforcement, even if it does take a little longer.
2. Training Collars Can Cause Fear and Anxiety
Many dogs are highly susceptible to anxiety and stress, particularly dogs rescued from previously abusive situations.
PLEASE DO NOT use this method of correction if your rescue has been abused or neglected.
This is not only traumatizing for the dog but can also create a hazard for your family or children due to aggressive self-preservation/self-defense behavior.
If your dog is anxiety-prone, you may want to choose positive reinforcement as a training method rather than the negative reinforcement that your dog would experience if you used a training collar with a remote.
Read our related article, Can Shock Collars Cause Seizures, to learn about other potential side effects of using a shock collar on certain dogs.
3. They May Not Be a Good Option for Puppies
Can you put a shock collar on a puppy?
While some people will use a training collar with a mild shock when training their puppy, veterinarians and animal behaviorists debate what age to train puppy on electric fence.
They have the potential to hurt the puppy and cause injuries if the puppy is too young and the shock is too strong.
Since most people believe that positive reinforcement is a safer training method for puppies, training collars aren’t always the best option for younger dogs.
Stop by our related article on When to Start Training Your Puppy to see where and when to start.
Should You Use a Dog Training Collar with a Remote?
Whenever you discuss any sort of training tool or training method designed to cause pain and discomfort, there will always be some debate regarding the effectiveness and whether or not it’s ethical.
For most dog owners, deciding whether to use a dog training collar with a remote is a personal decision that depends on the age, temperament, and history of the dog as well as the owner’s comfort with using one.
If you choose to use a training collar, choose one with adjustable settings, as this will help you fine-tune the intensity of the shock.
If you’re using a shock collar that doesn’t cause significant pain and just gives the dog a quick warning with a mild stimulus, there’s very little chance that the collar will cause any injuries or trauma.
When used responsibly, a training collar with a remote can be a safe and effective tool that you can use to teach your furry friend right from wrong.
Make sure that it’s clear to the dog why you’re pressing the remote and triggering the shock. Otherwise, you might confuse your furry friend.
