This is one of the more frequent questions from the dog owners. For those who use the e-collar for their dog, the most important thing they should be aware of is that the e-collar is a training device. It should be used only for training sessions and the dog can’t wear it 24/7.
Below you can find several things that you will need to be mindful of while using the e-collar for your dog.
E-collar size
For the training sessions to be effective, you will need to ensure that the size of the e-collar suits your dog perfectly. If it feels tight around the dog’s neck, it can cause them discomfort as the prongs might be poking the dog and cause an injury. On the other side, if the e-collar feels slack, then the contact points will not be touching the dog at all, rendering your efforts in using the e-collar to be useless.
As a general guide, always ensure that you can insert at most 2 fingers between the e-collar and the dog’s neck. This will ensure that it fits the dog nicely and hence able to serve its intended purpose.
Settings on e-collar
Assuming that you have eased your dog into wearing the e-collar, the next important step that you will need to take is by knowing exactly what correction mode as well as the intensity of the stimulus that you should be using on the dog. This is an important step that most owners might miss out on! Some owners go about training the dog via the e-collar without knowing the limits of the collar.
If the above resonates with you, then it is high time you change your methodology and start to know what the correct settings are. For starters, always ensure that you start by adjusting the setting to its lowest. As you slowly, gradually increase the intensity, you will need to look at the dog’s response to it before increasing it further.
Time of wearing the e-collar.
Last but not least, owners have the misconception that it is ok for the dog to wear the e-collar at all times. Unfortunately, this is a harmful practice that should be stopped. There are various reasons why you shouldn’t do so. Let us find out what could go wrong if the dog wears the e-collar for prolonged periods, and how long can the dog wear the e-collar for.
- What can happen if my dog wear an E-collar for prolonged periods?
If you left the e-collar on the dog for long periods in a day, it could cause bed sores or pressure necrosis on the dog's neck. With pressure necrosis, the skin around the affected area will gradually die off because blood cannot flow to the affected area due to the constriction of blood capillaries. It can also cause bed sores to the dog, and this is an excruciating process that no dogs should suffer from. Think of it as bedsore that bedridden patients suffer from after staying in bed for long periods.
- If wearing the E-collar on the dog for long periods can cause damage to the dog’s skin, what would be the maximum amount of time that the dog should be allowed to wear the e-collar?
As a general rule of thumb, the dog should not be wearing the e-collar uninterruptedly for more than 4 hours a day. Most of the time, owners flout this rule when they forget to take the e-collar off the dog, allowing their canine friend to wear the e-collar throughout the night. Hence, you will need to develop the habit of removing the training tool after each training session. When you do so, you can take the chance to inspect the dog’s neck for any signs of pressure necrosis too.
Following these safety rules will provide you an excellent training time with your dog!