There was a time when they were referred to as shock collars and for very good reason. If the same style of collar was used today then there would be a large huon cry among animal lovers.

Today's electronic dog collars don't shock; in fact, they are described as using a stimulating sensor which the dog at any given level of training knows when to respond to.

Does One Size Collar Fit All?

There is a misconception that one collar will suit all types of dogs. This is not exactly true. You see, each dog has a differently personality and has different levels of tolerance. Some dogs are happy-go-lucky while others convey a gruff exterior and aren't as easy to get along with.

Researchers understood this when designing electronic dog collars and had to incorporate this into the product. Different sensitivities and tolerances had to be catered to so a collar had to have levels of adjustment built in to enable a trainer to adjust it to reflect an individual dog's sensitivity.

The beauty with having this type of flexibility within the collar's structure means trainers now have the ability to correct the behavior of the dog in question by simply altering the levels of stimulation within the collar.

Suddenly, the options for trainers increased in regards to remote training situations. The use of electronic dog collars in obedience class situations and competitions has increased. In fact, in the area of competition, they have been invaluable in a dog's lead up preparation.

Competitions can be distracting for dogs in a number of ways and no matter how obedient a canine appears to be, most will agree their levels of concentration can sometimes be tested.

When a dog first enters training, electronic collars are used to encourage the animal to recognize the right actions with the appropriate commands. Again, the speed at which this is achieved depends a lot on the temperament of the canine.

Those with quality temperaments will learn quickly especially learning to negotiate obstacle courses while others with lesser temperaments will take a little longer. The aim of using the electronic equipment is to train the dog to get into a habit until the training it receives is committed to memory.

The aim of the trainer is to get his animal to stage where the collar is permanently removed. By this time, it is then ready to enter the field of competition.