THE REMOTE TRAINING COLLAR CONTROVERSY

        Regardless if one is on the canine training field or present during the instructional debriefing, the subject of remote collar (e-collar) training persistently emerges with the end result typically leading to unproductive debate.   Arguments presented by countless collar adversaries such as “is there a necessity of shocking a canine into compliance” or “the handler surely lacks control when the collar is immobilized” is a clear case in point of the on-going misunderstanding of the application and desired results of electrical stimulation training.   I for one will agree that the use of early limited level collars is cruel and limits the trainer to solely compulsion training.   Early production collars restricted the trainer to employing negative based enforcement to establish dominance by using high levels of electricity to form the behavior of the animal, notably in the area of control work.   In this circumstance the trainer would shock the canine for several seconds or until the animal complied with the command.   Under this method a genetically soft dog (perceives pain and/or stress more intensely than average dogs) that was “jolted” too many times would reach crisis point and become anxious for fear of doing something wrong, or he would react to corrections with panic and loose focus on the task at hand.   Unfortunately, this was the historical practice that has currently encouraged the controversy and poor media that has followed the present remote training collar system.   If this is the type of e-collar training that challengers are referring to within their arguments, then they are correct to condemn the use of this system.  

       However, the contemporary e-collar models available today have advanced tremendously, not only in size and stimulation level capabilities, but also distance of range.   For instance, models that are currently available on the market utilize 18-varied stimulation levels at the transmitter and have the capability to transmit up to a one-mile line of sight range.   This technology allows for the opportunity of accomplishing more than one objective during a single training exercise.   For example, when the remote training collar is correctly utilized the focus of training can be directed toward the properly selected dog’s instinctual skills on a positive level rather than on a negative level of continuous compulsion techniques.   Moreover, through the repetitive practice of correct timing of low-level stimulation during remote collar training, conflict between the dog and handler can be eliminated via the canine recognizing the correlation between its own performance of the command and the end of the mild discomfort.   In general terms, the dog associates perfectly timed corrections with his own performance, rather than thinking the trainer “got me.”   Therefore, the canine’s attitude stays confident because he believes he can avoid the correction through his own actions; validating the mind-set of “Master’s of Association.”   Overall, canines distinguish only pleasure or pain in life, possessing no principled values or the ability to think logically.   Accordingly, training and development must be approached cautiously to prevent any undesirable associations, especially with the canine’s knowledge being acquired specifically through good and bad memory experiences.   Even though, the highest level of “reliability” in a police service dog is obtained through compulsion training techniques, the highest level of “achievement” is accomplished through continuous coercion practices.

Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that this is the only suitable system or philosophy of training available for today’s working canine, nor am I condemning the use of proper compulsion corrections when needed.   On the contrary, what I am offering is an alternative thinking principle on the usefulness of a technologically improved training tool, which when used humanely, will provide compliance motivated by physical or mental pleasure, in lieu of compliance motivated by invariable physical and mental pain.   Which when both systems are collectively balanced, will lead to the ultimate goal of a Police Service Dog that equally maintains a high level of achievement and reliability.  

Note: For more information about Remote E-Collar Training check the Dobbs Training Center Web site library at: www.Dobbsdogs.com.

SGT Denny Kunkel 

APCA Master Trainer

  Dkunkel@NewHavenIN.org.