E Collar

[ShearMadness]

Sorry for the novice question. What is the ecollar used for? Is it for when the dog is out of range and cant hear you? Or just enforcing commands?
Ive seen a lot of options out there. Which one do I need? And which one do I want?
Thanks

[Meskousing]

I'm not the most qualified, but feel bad that nobody else has replied.

E-Collars can be used for reward and punishment when used properly. E-Collars and push a dog away and pull them in when used properly. To learn how to do this, get with an experienced trainer (someone that has titled dogs, at the very least) or follow a reputable training program that includes e-collars.

Which one depends on your needs and the program you plan to follow. I would suggest staying away from buying such an important tool from a big box store. Read reviews and take note of what experienced trainers are using. I'm not a beeper or vibrate fan. My "warning" is my voice and train as such. A vibration can be more uncomfortable than a light nick to a dog. However, I know there are lots of good trainers that do believe in these options.

[Timewise65]

Probably one of the most common errors made in training dogs is using an e-collar on the dog, when you as the trainer have not been trained on the proper use of the e-collar as a training aid! So be very careful here, improper use can ruin a good dog!

First you need to understand that using an e-collar can only be done once the dog has thoroughly been trained to commands like 'sit', 'down', 'here', etc. This means you have to have completed training so that the dog knows what you are commanding it to do. Once you have that then an e-collar can be used to enforce a command that the dog is ignoring. So you cannot use it on a dog that is not well trained already......

An e-collar, when PROPERLY used, only stimulates a dog that is disobeying a command that he/she already has learned! Using it on a dog that has not already been trained to specific behaviors, will likely ruin a good dog. Additionally, the level of stimulation is never enough to provoke a 'jerk' or worse yet a ''yelp' from a dog. My dogs will usually , 'look around' when I have to use the collar.

Misuse of these training implements is far to common! As is ignorance of how they are to be used... If you decide to get one, also find a pro trainer to work with you and your dog on how to properly use it!

[Steve007]

Is it for when the dog is out of range and cant hear you?

You're getting good information here,but it's worth adding that the above is an exceedingly bad idea. Use a whistle (presuming the dog is trained to it) or a beeper to locate, but not stimulation. If he's on point and you use an ecollar, you're setting you're setting yourself up for a problem. And being unfair.