Training with handheld remote trainer can be an important step in going from the leash to no leash with confidence. It’s more fun for you and your dog if you can run through the fields and woods without being encumbered by a leash. With any training, it’s important to be sure your dog feels sure of your ability to handle any situation. When he has this confidence in you he respects you and he feels safe and secure when with you. Once you are absolutely sure your dog knows what action you want when you give him a hand signal or command, you can begin training with handheld remote trainer.

Here are preliminary, on leash, steps:

1. Do enough on leash repetitions of a command so that your dog has either been praised for doing it properly, or effectively corrected when he has made a mistake
2. Have clear “no” command that ONLY has one meaning and that meaning is “you are making a mistake”
3. Learn the effective correction for your dog on leash. When finding the effective physical correction for an individual dog it’s important to understand what his mother taught him when he was a pup. She ignored, growled, snapped the air at him, then nipped him on the neck. Her response was completed within 3 seconds. She elevated her physical correction according to what the pup needed. At the level the pup stopped an unwanted behavior, the mother immediately stopped all physical correction. For example, if you have a timid or shy dog, your tone of voice may be enough of a correction to make him stop a behavior that you are unhappy with. For a more strong-willed, determined dog, you may have to nip him on the neck using your leash and training collar. Once you find the level of physical correction you need for your dog, use that level of effective correction consistently. When using a remote trainer you will find the tone, vibration, or stimulation level that works effectively for your dog. It’s important to note that you are not trying to hurt your dog; you are trying to use the lowest level of correction to help him understand that you mean business because it keeps you and it keeps your dog safe!

Now you are ready for training with handheld remote trainer remote trainer:

1. Fit the remote collar high up on the dog’s neck making sure the box stays between his lower jaw bones. Be sure too that it’s not too tight that it makes the dog lick incessantly. Refer to the instructions that came with your unit.
2. Fit his flat nylon collar with his id tags on right next to the remote collar a bit lower on his neck.
3. Fit the training collar he is accustomed to and understands as a correction just below the id collar on his neck.
4. After you have proper fit of all the collars, remove the remote collar and turn it on. Then put it back high on his neck, again checking to be sure it fits properly.
5. Attach the leash you have been using to the familiar training collar but be sure to keep itthe leash loose. The dog is learning about the remote collar so you DO NOT want him to feel the leash until you need it to HELP him comply with a command.
6. Give your dog a command that you are sure he knows the meaning of, “sit stay” for example. Have him sit stay for a long enough period of time that he will get up on his own. As he starts to break the sit stay command, say the word “no” as you press the vibration button on the remote trainer. Then immediately use your effective leash correction as you have always done, to guide the dog into the proper sit stay position and praise him when he is sitting. Repeat the command to stay, and dial your hand-held unit to electric level one. If he gets up again, press the electric stimulation button being ready to immediately use your leash to help him into the sit stay position. Praise when she is sitting and repeat the stay command. He will more than likely be confused because the vibration and electric stimulation are unfamiliar. But by using your leash immediately to HELP him comply with the command, after enough repetitions he will understand that if he complies with a command on the vibration, he will avoid the electric stimulation and if he complies on your verbal command he will avoid the vibration.
7. Note that the tone button was not yet mentioned. I reserve the tone button to mean “check in with me”. When I begin remote training, I press the tone button and when my dog looks in my direction I praise him and give him a treat. I do this in many different locations with different levels of distraction making sure I ALWAYS help him look at me to get his treat when he hears that tone. This becomes a huge help when he is eventually off lead running through the woods and I can’t see him. I want to be able to give him that tone and have him think he should find me to get his treat (or toy) and find out what fun command we are going to use next. The tone becomes his additional signal to come when called. Make this a GAME. Coming to you MUST ALWAYS BE FUN. If even one time you do something to your dog when he comes to you that he finds unpleasant (like ear drops, making him swallow medications, a bath or other grooming that he doesn’t like) he will NOT come to you when you call him. Please don’t make that mistake in your training. It could be the difference between life and death one day.
8. After enough repetitions in different locations and levels of distraction using the 6 ft training leash, you’ll see your dog complying with the command “come” on your verbal command or just the vibration. Now it’s time to use a long line. I use 30-100 ft long lines depending on how far away from me I feel would be safe for that particular dog. Generally, I use 30 feet in a wooded situation, 100 feet in a field. You will need to determine your comfort distance. With the dog wearing all three collars as described in the preliminary steps, attach the long line to the training collar. With the long line handle in your hand but dragging on the ground so he doesn’t feel it, and before your dog gets to the end of the long line, call him to you. If he doesn’t come to you, press the tone button and repeat the command “come”. If he still doesn’t come, press the vibration at the same time you say “no” and tug on the leash giving him the familiar collar correction. As you reel him in, dial up the collar to the level of stimulation that is effective (but doesn’t make him cry). And when he is in easy reach, praise him and tell him “done”. Let him go away from you. Then call him again. Repeat the above sequence if he doesn’t come. Keep repeating the sequence until he comes to you without the tug of the long line. Then give him a jackpot of treats, play with him, pet, him praise him profusely. Then go for the rest of your walk. The lesson is over. Your dog will quickly learn that if he checks in with you right away when you call him, he will avoid the repetitions and corrections and get back to the fun stuff!!
9. When you feel confident that your dog will do his commands for you because he is wearing the remote collar, you can eliminate the long line. I do however, carry a leash of some kind in my pocket so that if I come across a place that I should have my dog on lead, I have one with me.

Once a remote trainer is understood by a dog you can use it to teach him the boundaries of your yard. I have found that training with handheld remote trainer before installing an invisible fence allows me to have my dog off lead when out of the yard and off leash inside the yard. To see a review on handheld training devices, visit https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/rf-buying-guides/best-ultrasonic-dog-repellers-reviews.

Be sure your dog understands what you want before you use corrections

If you are interested in purchasing training equipment to find the appropriate correction for your dog, here are our recommendations.(https://pawsiloveyou.com/recommended-products/)

Find the appropriate correction for your dog with training equipment. There’s a difference between correcting your dog and punishing him. Corrections aide him in the learning process, punishment does NOT. For this reason, professional dog trainers have developed various types of dog training equipment to help owners give their dog a gentle yet effective correction when he makes a mistake. It’s important to find the appropriate correction for your dog’s age, personality, and sensitivity to physical touch. Keep in mind that his mother already taught him that her corrections to him would get more intense until he complied with her wishes. But mother would NOT over-correct him. Overcorrecting your dog is mean!

Dogs are as varied in characteristics as humans are.  While a large dog can have a hard character and need more of a correction, many large dogs can be sensitive to physical touch and have gentle personalities. While little dogs look cute and sweet, many can be insensitive to touch and have very strong-willed personalities.  And there are dogs of every degree in between. Therefore, some dogs require nothing more than a warning tone in your voice or a sharp “no”, while other dogs require a strong physical correction, like his mother taught him.

How do you know what dog training equipment is appropriate correction for YOUR dog? In general, a young puppy or a gentle affectionate personality should start out with an everyday dog collar that merely carries his ID and rabies tag. Once you are sure he knows what a command means it’s fair to correct him with gentle verbal to let him know he is making a mistake. But if you find your dog isn’t making any progress or you find yourself having to tug too hard, you know it’s time to try the next step in leverage, an Easy-Walk Harness. (See the AKC article on dog training at https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/)

When you do quick tugs on the Easy Walk harness, the loop in the front causes a hugging motion at his shoulders while taking away his ability to pull forward. If he is a young pup or a physically sensitive dog, this is all the correction he should need. He’ll realize that the annoying tugging stops when he complies with the command.

If you aren’t making any progress with the Easy Walk harness, it’s time to up the correction with the leverage of the martingale collar. When a martingale collar is fitted properly, it delivers two nips on the neck where the chain brings a little bit of the dog’s skin through the rings. This reminds your dog of the way his mother corrected him when he was a young pup in the litter. If this is effective for your dog, then that’s all the correction you need. However, if you find yourself having to tug on the leash too hard, or your dog is not making any progress, then you will want to try a prong collar.

With proper dog training equipment you can mean what you say without being mean

HE PRONG COLLAR SIMULATES THE MOTHER DOG’S FULL SET OF TEETH

The prong collar is not as menacing as it looks. It’s constructed that way so that only the tiny ends of the prongs touch the dogs neck. This simulates the full set of teeth the mother dog or an alpha dog will use on a subordinate when an unwanted behavior must stop. The good news about a prong collar is, less pressure is required to get a dog to understand that he is making a mistake. Your dog may simply need to feel the prong collar, and because he backs off on his own, no tugs will even be needed. The leverage of the prong collar is nicknamed “power steering” for that reason. You can be very gentle with a prong collar; or you can use more pressure for the insensitive, stubborn adolescent or adult dog. Remember, always use the least amount of pressure to get your dog to stop an unwanted behavior. DON’T make him fearful of you or feel defensive toward you. As a loving dog owner, it’s your responsibility to find the dog training equipment with the right amount of correction to help your dog learn.

Be sure your dog understands what you want before you use corrections

If you are interested in purchasing training equipment to find the appropriate correction for your dog, here are our recommendations.(https://pawsiloveyou.com/recommended-products/)

Leashes help guide your dog through life while keeping him safe. They keep your dog in the training area, which expands as he advances in his education. Leashes make teaching easier and give you the means to apply appropriate corrections when training the commands. With practice and patience your dog eventually won’t need a leash at all. So how many leashes do you really need? The chart below may help.

Leash	Description
4-foot Light Nylon: Use with puppies or dogs newly brought into the house	A 4-foot leash is very handy for use inside the house.  If you attach your dog to your belt loop with a clip, you can catch him EVERY time he’s making a mistake. You can correct him when he goes potty on the floor and quickly get him outdoors. If he breaks a house rule, you can correct without chasing him. You’ll also be able to teach him to physically follow you, so he literally sees that you are the leader. And you can practice many repetitions of the “easy” and “let’s go” commands for short distances in the safe confines of the house.
6-inch Tab: For dogs that know the house rules, but need an occasional correction	Use the 6-inch tab when your dog does something you don’t like. You still have something to take hold of and give two quick tugs of correction. If your dog is rebelling, attach the 4-foot leash again to the dog and yourself showing him that he’s lost his freedom because he’s not obeying the rules. Switch back and forth. When he’s not obeying he gets the leash back on and loses the freedom to mill about the house. When he’s obeying, the leash comes off and the tab goes on and he wins some freedom.
6-foot Leather: Your dog’s lifetime adolescent and adult leash	A 6-foot leather leash is the basic training tool used to keep your dog in the teaching or training area. At first, a 6-foot radius area is best.  It keeps the dog close enough to guide him into compliance with a command when you’re in the teaching phase. And it helps you give a quick correction in good timing when you’re in the training phase. Soft leather is gentlest on your hand and because it gives a little it won’t make a sharp hard jerk on your dog. But it’ll be strong enough to give an effective correction when needed.
26-foot Flexi-Lead: A chance for your dog to stretch his legs	The 26-foot flexi lead allows your dog to get an adequate amount of exercise every day. By using the 26-foot leash for an extended amount of time, your dog will see how far away from you he can get. Therefore, he gets into the habit of staying within about 30 feet of you when he is eventually off lead altogether.
30 and/or 50 foot Long-Line Used to transition to off lead altogether	The long-lines gives you enough time to give a command and let your dog process that command. Then either he complies with the command and gets rewarded or doesn’t comply and gets a correction. You can step on the long line or pick it up and tug on it to administer a correction. It’s very handy for example, for perimeter training and proofing your dog on the command “come”. You can connect the two together to make a longer line if you like.

Begin with fun walks

To begin, take your dog for many walks with proper leash for the environment and experience your dog has according to the table above. If he pulls, give quick tugs on the leash to slow him down and stop him from pulling.  He’ll figure out that when HE stops pulling, that annoying tugging stops too. In time that annoying tugging will become the physical correction that tells him he is making a mistake and helps you learn How do I correct a dog? https://pawsiloveyou.com/course/3minute-walking-politely-on-a-leash/

If you have a new puppy, here is an excellent article on “How to Teach a Puppy to Walk on a Leash.” https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/teach-puppy-walk-leash/

Be sure your dog understands what you want before you use corrections

Be absolutely sure your dog is deliberately disobeying you before you do any type of correction. A dog who doesn’t know what a command means is confused and stressed by a correction. You also need to learn how to properly use training equipment. And you need to find a correction that is effective, not cruel, that matches your dog’s age and personality. It’s important to learn how to correct your dog. Be kind but effective when you correct your dog so he clearly understands, “oops I made a mistake”. And tune in next time to learn about proper use of training equipment as an aide to learning How do I correct a dog?

If you are interested in purchasing a collar or harness to answer the question “How Many Leashes Do I Really Need?”, here is some we use and recommend (https://pawsiloveyou.com/recommended-products/)

Collars help lead your dog through life while keeping him safe, but What Collars or Harnesses Do I Really Need?. They let you teach and correct when training. A variety of collars gives you the means to apply appropriate level of correction when needed. With practice and patience your dog eventually won’t need a training collar at all. The chart below may help. The AKC site has a good article on this topic (https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/choosing-collar-or-harness-for-dog/).

Collar or Harness	Description
FLAT COLLAR	A FLAT COLLAR is mostly used to keep the dog’s identification information and for walking a dog that has already been trained to walk politely on a leash.
EASY WALK HARNESS	The EASY WALK HARNESS is the first piece of equipment used to begin teaching your dog to walk politely on a leash. Because you clip the leash on the front of the harness, it discourages him from pulling by gently redirecting his attention toward you. NOTE: Sometimes, because of the build of the dog, the harness fits better if you put the belly strap over the dogs back and the back strap under the belly.
MARTINGALE COLLAR	If your dog is not making progress on the EZ WALK HARNESS, switch to the MARTINGALE COLLAR. The MARTINGALE COLLAR simulates the gentle nip on the neck that a mother dog would use to teach her puppy.
PRONG COLLAR	If the gentle nip of the MARTINGALE COLLAR is not effective, the PRONG COLLAR provides a stronger, yet safe, correction for the strongest willed dog. The quick connect makes it easier to put it on and take it off after it is properly sized. Unlike the choke chain, the PRONG COLLAR does not cause choking or damage to the wind pipe. Since it quickly stops the dog from pulling, it’s often called “power steering”.

Begin with fun walks

To begin, take your dog for many walks on the collar in new and interesting places. If he pulls, give quick tugs on the leash to slow him down and stop him from pulling.  He’ll figure out that when HE stops pulling, that annoying tugging stops too. In time that annoying tugging will become the physical correction that tells him he is making a mistake and helps you learn How do I correct a dog? https://pawsiloveyou.com/course/3minute-walking-politely-on-a-leash/

If the annoying tug isn’t enough, you may want to elevate your correction to a nip on the neck like his mom did when she found it necessary. A martingale collar will deliver two tiny nips on the dog’s neck when you use your leash in that same tugging motion. Some dogs are stubborn, or otherwise not very sensitive to the touch, and may need the leverage of a prong collar. A prong collar looks like a whole set of mom’s teeth. When used properly, it can be effective without much of a tug. Sometimes the mere weight of it makes the dog take notice. Prong collars are especially helpful when the dog is stronger than the owner.

Be sure your dog understands what you want before you use corrections

Be absolutely sure your dog is deliberately disobeying you before you do any type of correction. A dog who doesn’t know what a command means is confused and stressed by a correction. You also need to learn how to properly use training equipment. And you need to find a correction that is effective, not cruel, that matches your dog’s age and personality. It’s important to learn how to correct your dog. Be kind but effective when you correct your dog so he clearly understands, “oops I made a mistake”. And tune in next time to learn about proper use of training equipment as an aide to learning How do I correct a dog?

If you are interested in purchasing a collar or harness to answer the question “What Collars or Harnesses Do I Really Need?”, here is some we use and recommend (https://pawsiloveyou.com/recommended-products/)

When your dog does something that you don’t like, or something that’s dangerous for him, you need to know, How do I correct a dog? In our last blog we discussed that correction helps a dog learn. The type of correction is important. First of all, realize that every mother teaches her young about corrections. For example, your mother may have scolded you and sent you to your room. A mother cat may raise her paw, then swat.  A mother dog may snarl and growl and then nip a pup.

https://archive.triblive.com/news/use-mother-dogs-technique-for-correcting-nipping-puppy/

Begin with fun walks to learn, How do I correct a dog

Since you won’t use your teeth to bite your dog when he makes a mistake, you’ll need a leash and a harness or collar. A no pull harness, like the Easy Walk harness, helps you learn How do I correct a dog?

To begin, take your dog for many walks on the leash in new and interesting places. Show him that he is required to keep slack in the leash. When he does, praise him and let him sniff, sniff, sniff so he enjoys himself. If he pulls, give quick tugs on the leash to slow him down and stop him from pulling.  He’ll figure out that when HE stops pulling, that annoying tugging stops too. In time that annoying tugging will become the physical correction that tells him he is making a mistake and helps you learn How do I correct a dog? https://pawsiloveyou.com/course/3minute-walking-politely-on-a-leash/

If the annoying tug isn’t enough, you may want to elevate your correction to a nip on the neck like his mom did when she found it necessary. A martingale collar will deliver two tiny nips on the dog’s neck when you use your leash in that same tugging motion. Some dogs are stubborn, or otherwise not very sensitive to the touch, and may need the leverage of a prong collar. A prong collar looks like a whole set of mom’s teeth. When used properly, it can be effective without much of a tug. Sometimes the mere weight of it makes the dog take notice. Prong collars are especially helpful when the dog is stronger than the owner.

Be sure your dog understands what you want before you use corrections

Be absolutely sure your dog is deliberately disobeying you before you do any type of correction. A dog who doesn’t know what a command means is confused and stressed by a correction. You also need to learn how to properly use training equipment. And you need to find a correction that is effective, not cruel, that matches your dog’s age and personality. It’s important to learn how to correct your dog. Be kind but effective when you correct your dog so he clearly understands, “oops I made a mistake”. And tune in next time to learn about proper use of training equipment as an aide to learning How do I correct a dog?

You love your dog and you want to be kind. So how do you let him know when he does something that you don’t like, or worse, he does something that is dangerous for him? You may ask yourself, “is it cruel to correct a dog?”

The fact is, correcting your dog is NOT cruel. Actually, allowing him to make the same mistake over and over, then punishing him when you get angry, is cruel. That just confuses a dog and stresses him out. When a dog doesn’t know what you want, it’s cruel to punish him. You need to take the time to teach him what you want. Guide him using his leash to teach him all the command words that you want him to learn. Once you’re sure he knows what you want, but is disobedient, it’s fair to correct him. That same leash that guides him, can also teach him an effective but appropriate correction. Correction helps a dog learn; punishment does not! https://pawsiloveyou.com/course/3minute-walking-politely-on-a-leash/

It’s not cruel to correct a dog; it helps him learn

When your dog makes a mistake, correct him to help him learn. Don’t get angry; get patient. Teach your dog what each command means with treats and repetition. When he gets it right, reward him. And when he doesn’t, correct with a verbal command, like “no”, then help him get it right. Don’t forget to give him a treat.

If you are absolutely sure your dog is deliberately disobeying you, you may need to learn how to use training equipment to find a correction that is effective for your dog’s age and personality. That way he clearly understands, “oops I made a mistake”. https://archive.triblive.com/news/use-mother-dogs-technique-for-correcting-nipping-puppy/

Teach your dog what you like and what you don’t like. It not only makes EVERYBODY happy, it keeps your dog safe! In our next blog, we’ll go over how to make those kind but effective corrections.