A factor that is even more important than the dog’s overall temperament.
My personal belief is that the decision about e-collar training should depend on a factor far more important than the age of the dog. The more withdrawn puppies should have extra attention paid to exploring the world and experiencing a spectrum of positive adventures rather than focusing on reining them in too soon and creating potential hesitancy. If your pup is large enough to fit the collar properly AND has an outgoing, boisterous type of personality, you can very likely add an e-collar to the training tool kit and get started earlier than you would if you have a quiet, reserved pup. Some pups are ready to go around 14 or 15 weeks of age, others should be close to the typically standard prescribed 6 month old time frame before you start. It is ideal if the pup grows up never really having learned and ingrained bad behaviors to begin with.īut when it comes to the question of how old is “old enough” to start using an e-collar to train a dog, the truth is, there isn’t a one size fits all answer. Each interaction with them is a learning opportunity and basic manners like housebreaking, learning to inhibit play biting and control of nuisance whining, barking and jumping up should start young. Our dogs are taking in information all the time. It is fairly common knowledge that you should start training your puppy as soon as he comes into your home. In fact, the more people you ask, the more conflicting opinions you get! You’re wondering if you can use dog obedience collars to start teaching better manners but a friend who has trained a few of his own dogs has told you he is too young. He is darting into the street to chase squirrels, chewing on the corner of the sofa, and using those piranha-like incisors to clamp down on your hands when you try to pet or brush him. The pup mostly ate, slept, gently gnawed on his toys, and waddled along a few feet behind you, never getting too far from sight.īut a few weeks have gone by and that devoted pup has suddenly developed a mind of his own. You recently acquired a new puppy and other than the middle of the night potty breaks, the first few weeks were pretty easy. At what age can I start e-collar training?