Bring your dog from confinement to your training area. He should be wearing his e-collar and another collar, either a flat buckle or slip-type collar. Attach a 15-foot line to this collar and not the e-collar. Allow your dog to relax and explore his surroundings. With the e-collar variable intensity setting at zero, push the �nick� or momentary button to �tap� your dog. You will see no reaction. Now continue to �tap� at random, increasing the e-collar setting each time. Watch carefully, as the first signs that your dog notices the e-collar are subtle. When they first feel the e-collar some dogs stop sniffing the ground and look up; others may turn to look over their shoulder or shake their head as if a fly landed on their ear. When you see the first sign that your dog noticed the tap, stop increasing the e-collar intensity. After a short pause repeat a few taps at this setting to make sure that your dog did, in fact, notice the e-collar. If he did, this will be the introductory or teaching setting for your dog. The most effective intensity setting for teaching with the e-collar is one that is just significant enough that your dog notices the e-collar taps, but not so significant as to produce any panic or distress. If panicked by the e-collar stimulation, reduce the setting; if he shows no reaction, increase the setting. Caution: In an effort to integrate e-collars into the teaching phase of training, some trainers experimented with using the e-collar at low levels on a continuous stimulation. However, because the normal anatomical response to electrical stimulation is muscle contraction, using low-level continuous usually results in slow or resistant responses to e-collar pressure and command. Do not try to substitute low-level continuous for the momentary taps. Having identified the proper intensity setting for your dog, the first command you will teach is the �here� or recall command

Teaching the Recall or �Here� Command

With your dog at liberty, the 15-foot line attached to his choke collar, and the e-collar on your introductory level, wait until he is again engaged in exploring his environment. Command �here� in a normal tone of voice and begin tap, tap, tapping with the e-collar as you gently pull or turn your dog toward you with the line. Stop tapping and praise as soon as your dog turns toward you. If he stops before reaching you, start tapping and repeat the �here� command. Praise him for coming and then wait for him to return to exploring. Repeat. You want your dog to discover that when he hears the command �here� and feels the tap, he can stop the tapping by moving to you. Work several of these recalls. Remember to praise your dog each time he comes before releasing him on �OK� and allowing him to return to his exploring. Don�t wait to see what he does when you call; begin e-collar tap, tap, tapping immediately after your command and add a gentle pressure or pull on the line. The correct sequence is: command �here,� then begin the e-collar taps and gentle line pressure at the same time. Both the e-collar taps and the line pressure end as soon as your dog starts to move toward you. Your dog discovers that he can stop the tap by coming to you when called. You are ready to move on to shaping the �heel� response when: a) your dog responds immediately to your command and tap on �here,� b) when he begins to linger longer near you after each recall, and c) you notice that even while exploring he is mindful of where you are.

You need to either teach whoa first or work with a helper. The pup will tend to get clingy when nicked with the collar. You need a way to hold it back until you give the command and stimulate it.

You need to either teach whoa first or work with a helper. The pup will tend to get clingy when nicked with the collar. You need a way to hold it back until you give the command and stimulate it.