What are the beep, vibrate, and electric modes on e-collars for?

Shock collars such as the SportDog work well when used properly. The key is you have to train them on a leash to know what the response is before letting them off leash to use it. This brand come with several shock settings and a beep. Some people use the beep as a praise and reward when they are far off and do well, other use it as a warning beep to listen or the shock is next. When you have them on leash, tell them a command. If they do not do it, you shock them and make them do it. This teaches them the consequences. When they do right, you praise them. AS they get better you can start with longer distances until they fully understand--which doesn't take long. Once they get it, some just need the collar on to keep paying attention without using any buttons

Shock collars, bark collars, and clicker training are all acceptable ways of training pets. The down side is they are ineffective if not done properly. They are great modalities in the correct hands that know how to implement them and do it correctly to where the dog understands what is being asked of them. Consulting a behavioral/trainer that is experienced is the best way to achieve positive results.

You should look at Dogtra collars ( www.dogtra.com ). They offer vibrating collars and remotes. A consultation with a certified trainer would be recommended to ensure proper and appropriate usage while training.

I personally recommend against them. Most bark collars work by delivering a shock to your dog, in an attempt to "stop" them from whatever behavior they are doing. However, this often either causes pain to your dog, or starts an association of the shock with other things, such as you, or a nearby child or person, which may cause redirected aggression instead. Instead of shocking your dog when they bark or do something they shouldn't redirection through positive reinforcement is a better option. it can help build a bond with your dog without resorting to pain or fear, and while still stopping the problem. If your dog likes to bark, say, when someone walks past the house, you can instead get your dog's attention with a favorite treat or chew toy, moving them to a different room and refocusing their behavior on that, instead of the person causing them to bark. If they are distracted or upset, refocusing them into a sit or down (far enough away that the stimulus causing them to bark isn't as distracting) can help change the behavior from "bad" (barking) to "good" (sitting), which you can then start to reward if they present that behavior instead of the bark in the future. It does take longer to work with positive reinforcement and redirection training, but the overall result is a change in your dog's underlying behavior, rather than just a band aid that can lead to fear, redirected aggression, and at worse severe injury. If you're curious to work on more positive reinforcement behaviors, speaking with a local dog trainer or animal behaviorist (specialists in behavior training specifically) is best as they can work with you in person on any specific problems you're having.

I'm so glad that you found a good training method for Timber. The problem with shock collars is that often people do not use them correctly. If you are shocking your dog inappropriately, they will get confused about what is going on and everyone will be frustrated with training. When used appropriately, shock collars can be a very effective training method. I'm so glad that it is working well for Timber, so you must be doing it right. Congrats! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend using corrective collars like a pinch collar or gentle leader. These can help stop the pulling behavior. You may also look into the low voltage shock collars. These collars emit a small shock that is similar to being snapped by a rubber band. You can use this to correct the behavior and these collars can all be found online or at your local pet store. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

If used properly, it may help. Consider a consultation with a certified trainer for additional assistance. A head harness, such as the Gentle Leader or Halti, may also provide more control and allow for quick corrections while out on a walk.