Use Your E-Collar Training to Teach Your Dog "Quiet"

Do you have a dog that creates a lot of noise and ruckus when other dogs or humans go past your property? It is great when our dogs have a sense of wanting to warn us of an impending intruder, or a "stranger" that is actually coming to the door. But for some pooches, every person or dog that simply walks down the block is cause to raise the alarm! It becomes highly frustrating for us and for the neighbors if the dog can't be quieted. This type of guarding behavior tends to grow and get worse because it is self-reinforcing. The barking dog ends up believing their noise and display actually caused the intruder to leave, so they do it again with equal or greater intensity the next time someone walks by. It can be a vicious cycle, and I've seen homeowners go to great lengths to try and block the dog's view from the windows with curtains pulled and furniture rearranged. You really don't have to go to those measures, and you can teach the dog to Quiet on command. It is particularly easy if you are already doing some e-collar training with your dog. The crucial thing you must remember if you opt to use your e-collar for teaching a Quiet command is to collar condition the dog first! Don't start out your initial training by tapping for vocalization. Start out your training with recalls and following on leash and a bit of other obedience as you see in the e-collar obedience DVD. Once your dog has some conditioning, THEN you can tap for Quiet (over laying the verbal command), and the dog will understand that interruption to their behavior and understand what to do to control it. Let me know if you have questions, but I think you will find this brings a lot more peace to a noisy pooch!

Questions? Since 1972, we're here to help. Call 1-800-624-6378 or 662-324-2410 and we'll answer any questions or take a phone order. Prefer email? Contact sales@gundogsupply.com. -- Steve Snell