About the Goal
During the first step of the dog training process, you will be introducing your dog to the containment boundaries, and teaching him to respect them. The idea is he will turn and retreat when he is supposed to, without receiving a static correction. Before you begin, you should be sure of the following:
- You should have your training flags placed along the boundary line, about 5 to 10 feet apart from each other.
- The static correction delivery on the collar receiver should be disabled. Depending on the model, you may only need to set the collar on 1, which is an audible tone only. On some models, you change the collar setting on the transmitter itself. For a collar that doesn’t have this option, you would just need to remove the collar’s battery.
- Will you be training more than one dog? If this is the case, you need to know that you should train each dog separately. This is so that you can give each one the attention they deserve. In addition to this, training several dogs at the same time could cause them to distract each other, making it difficult to focus on the training.
How Often Should I Train?
Depending on your dog’s temperament, the boundary introduction phase should last from about 5 to 7 days. If your dog is energetic and adventurous, it could take a bit longer than this. In any case, it should never go below 5 days. Spending 15 minutes for each session, the daily regimen should exist of 3 training sessions.
Keeping it Fun
Plan on spending about 10 minutes before and after each training session playing with your dog. This is because it is important to keep your dog happy and in a good mood throughout his training. When you are consistent with playtime, the less stressed your dog will be, and the quicker you will see great results from your training sessions. Be sure to have your dog’s favorite toy on hand for playtime.
Taking it Step by Step
Step One
Begin by properly fitting the receiver collar around your dog’s neck. Be sure to make sure it is snug, but not too tight. If you are able to fit a finger between the receiver probes and your dog’s skin, it is fitted correctly. Make sure that the collar is set on an audible tone only.
Step Two
Fit a second collar around your dog’s neck, and put a leash on it. You should never attach a leash to the fence receiver collar, as it will cause the probes to dig into your dog’s neck.
Step Three
Walk around with your dog on the leash. Very slowly, approach the boundary of the wireless dog fence. Be sure to not force your dog to cross the line. Instead, wait for your dog to do it on his own. As soon as you hear the receiver collar start to beep, this is what you should do:
- Pull on the leash firmly, and force your dog to retreat from the boundary area, while you say, “No, no, no!” in a very firm tone.
- Once your dog is out of the boundary area and the receiver is no longer beeping, pet your dog lovingly, give him praise and a treat.
Step Four
Slowly approach another boundary training flag and try to cross the boundary. After the collar begins to beep, repeat the instructions outlined in Step Three, above. Keep doing this for about 15 minutes, and then be sure to play with your dog when you are done training.
Note
At any point during your training session, if your dog tries to cross the boundary line, even though the beep on the collar is sounding and you are pulling the leash, respond by shaking one of the flags while you firmly say, “No, no, no!” The idea is to make sure that your dog understands that the flags are bad. Pull the dog back into the safety zone and make sure to give it praise when the collar’s alarm stops beeping.
What to Expect
After the first 5 to 7 days has passed, you are likely to start seeing your dog retreat all by himself as soon as he hears the beep on the collar, without you even having to pull on the leash. Be sure and praise your dog when this happens. Depending on the temperament of your dog, you may see this change as early as the first day of training.
After a full week of consistent training, if you don’t notice any change in your dog’s behavior at all, not to worry. There is no need to extend the duration of this first phase. Just go ahead and move on to Step #2, Introduction to Static Correction.
What About If I Want to Walk My Dog?
- Take the wireless fence receiver collar off of your dog.
- If you are able to lift your dog, lift him up and move him across the boundary lines.
- Should your dog be too heavy, have him jump into the car and drive him outside the containment area.
What If You Are Unable to Hear the Collar Beeping?
If you live near a relatively busy street, it may be difficult for you to hear the beep, even if your dog can hear it. If this is the case, what you should do is turn the collar around on your dog’s neck, so that the receiver is located on the back of his neck, rather than underneath his jaw. If you do this, you will be able to see the LED light flash on the collar, each time the alarm goes off.
Your Mood During the Training Process
You should remain relaxed at all times, never stressing out or scaring your dog at all. Patience is key. Don’t forget to give your dog praise each time he goes away from the flags, no matter whether he does this on his own or if you have to help him. When you are walking around and approaching the wireless boundary, don’t look directly at your dog. Simply walk very slowly and keep looking ahead.
Next, it is time to continue forward with Step 2 of your dog training process: Introducing Static Correction.