How many levels of correction does an electric dog fence need to be effective?
One Electric dog fence company says their containment collar has 128 levels of correction. Are more levels of correction better for training? Will it help training go quicker?
First, let’s outline what “levels of correction” are:
- “Level of correction” is a term used to describe the intensity of the shock the dog will receive when crossing the boundary.
- Saying there are 128 levels of correction means there are 128 different levels of intensity in the shocks the dog can receive.
Telling dog owners that their pet needs so many levels of correction is confusing and unnecessary. A simple correction is just as effective as many levels.
If you’ve ever touched a hot stove accidentally you know how a correction works. When you put your hand on a hot stove did you care what the temperature was or did you just know it was unpleasant? You probably just wanted to remove your hand as quickly as possible. If the stove was 165 degrees would it have made a difference to you? What about 168 degrees? Hot is hot! All we need to know is that the heat caused pain. What mattered is that it was enough of an uncomfortable stimuli to get our attention and cause us to pay attention to where our hand was at the time it received it’s ‘correction.’
The same is true of dogs experiencing corrections on the electric dog fence.
Instead of focusing on many levels of correction, the trainer should only let a dog get a correction when it’s behavior is confidently inquisitive or confidently bold, never when the dog is fearful or scared. Training is so important in teaching a dog where it can safely go in the yard and where it should avoid. Proper training – although it may seemingly take a bit longer – is fairer to the dog and promotes solid lifelong understanding.