The answer
There is no number, and every trainer in this record says so. The figure on the remote is a reading taken against this dog, in this place, today. One trainer answers the question by refusing it three times in a row: 'The number is determined by the context.' Others tell owners and viewers not to get hung up on the numbers they see in the videos, because the same number is nothing to one dog and frightening to another. Across more than fifty dogs the working level moves with the distraction in front of the dog, with how wound up or fixated he is, with how far through the program he is (it goes down as often as up: Beo and Reaper are both turned down mid-program because they have become sensitive to it), with the collar model, with the coat and the fit, and with how much is at stake if he fails. Size and breed do not set it: a sensitive Rottweiler, a huge dog who yelps, and a soft puppy who would be frightened by a level a bully shrugs off are all on film.
What the trainers look for is a reaction, not a number. Usually it is the ears coming up, a small shake, or the dog turning back to look for the command. Nothing at all means go up; a yelp, a scramble or a dog who loses his bounce means come down. One trainer states it as a ceiling: any response is all he wants, and anything more is tormenting the dog. A level that produces nothing is not the gentle choice either; it is discomfort with no information in it. Before turning it up, the trainers repeatedly check the collar is actually touching the dog, because a loose collar looks exactly like a dog who does not feel it.
Where they genuinely differ is where the search starts. Kelton, on a resilient dog who had already refused a recall, argues for starting where it registers, because creeping up from below desensitises the dog. The fullest version is at Hattie's follow-up: creep up and "all of a sudden if you use it at all it has to be a 90"; start out a little high a few times instead, and "then you can back it way down and it's effective". Thor's go-home makes the same case to a family - 'better to accidentally do it a little bit too high' than too low, as long as the rest of his day is fun and you reconcile straight afterwards - and Baxter's trainer gives the same reason, citing a paper: start super low and creep up, and the dog is desensitised until every walk needs an 80. Boog's trainer shows the instinct and its limit together: he expects to need a high level, but starts at a moderate one on an unfamiliar collar "just to be fair". Connor and others start low and climb until the dog answers, then stop: Bernie's trainer went from 5 upward in fives and found Bernie simply 'sits higher', and Rocky the Rottweiler's trainer starts around 10 and goes up until the dog goes 'oh'. With strong bully breeds one handler climbs fast on purpose; with a puppy a low ceiling is set before the session, and hands are used instead of more collar. Kelton decided on 18 September 2026 that both starting rules are context-dependent and both are presented; neither is called wrong.
Inferred, not said on film: the two starting rules share a criterion. Both treat a level that is doing nothing as the failure, and both stop at the first real response. Nobody on film says that out loud.
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What to do
Do not go looking for your dog's number. Set it against what is around you (a quiet house is not a busy park), check the collar is snug, press once and watch. Ears up, a small shake or the dog looking back at you means it landed; nothing means go up; a yelp or panic means come straight down. 'For them, it depends on context, so don't get stuck on a number. More what matters is their reaction.' (watch 11:10)
What the trainers say
The number is determined by the context. The number is determined by the context. It is determined by the context and then their reaction.
For them, it depends on context, so don't get stuck on a number. More what matters is their reaction.
If they do feel it and it's effective, they either reorient towards you and look for you to give them command if they've not listened to something.
any kind of response that's all i want so like most of the time i just want to see the ears so if i hit it there you go then like that's enough if you hit it your dog's like rolling around and everything it's what you like you don't like you don't need to torture your dog and torment them
how does she respond to this if she isn't fazed by it it needs to be more if she goes right back to it five seconds later it isn't high enough needs to be more if she screams it was too high
don't get hung up on the number on the screen because the number is relative to the dog and the context um it is not this absolute figure that like this is low and this is high
I might have it on, because I will say I never keep it at like a fixed point because dogs are never the same every day, right? Just like people aren't the same.
so it has to do with context motivation distraction level all that stuff
better to not start really low because if you do it really low and he doesn't get the point and then you have to like gradually go up higher they have a bunch of studies where you it's like boiling the frog
to make the dog uncomfortable i turn it up until the dog responds i don't like start high i usually start at like …
the radius you start low and default and you keep like if they don't respond you keep hitting turn it up until they're like fine
making sure that because she's younger we gotta make sure that there's less pressure on her because right now like if you go in too much with the pressure it still shut down fairly quickly
the way you do it is when it cranks up really fast the dog's like oh it's getting like stronger really fast and i'm like fine i'll do it and that way you don't end up like you don't actually hurt dog
by a car he could get in a dog fight he could anything could happen right so the higher the stakes are and the more important the thing is um that will often determine how high i have it set
You would never use this to like reinforce a sit. Right. Right. Yeah, or a heel or something.
changed the context change was that he was fixated on the dog barking
context matters not the number the number is not an absolute thing
a long time right yeah um to be yelling at somebody so the duration even if i was yelling
starting to proof the commands when you're proofing the commands you change and this don't get stuck on numbers never so numbers mean nothing
It's such that it shows that if you little by little raise the amount of stimulation, the end level that you end up having to use when you need to use negative reinforcement is much higher.
whereas if you start out a little high and they're like whoa and it works really well then if you do that for even just like a few times then you can back it way down and it's effective
the level is dynamic dynamic when you're training a dog. So when I first get a dog for two minutes of the walk, they might sit on 20 and then they get fixated and they sit on 40, right? Because they haven't learned the impulse control.
So negative reinforcement and penalties both vary depending on context, depending on mood, depending on temperament, depending on all kinds kinds of different things from dog to dog and within one dog
so i mean your mileage may vary so don't think about the number strictly think about like did it work right
where i was like don't worry about the number worry about what effect it has
so the higher the stress level and the higher the fixation typically the higher this correction
i feel like i'm gonna have to start out pretty high but we'll start at 50 just to be fair
He's gotten very sensitive to the e-collar, so I'm going to turn it down even more than I already did.
better to go high than low for the dog. Only because if you go too low the dog, you know, like Ace isn't going to get it.
is they do the opposite they start super low and they use it a bunch and then they have to go up and more and more and more and more because they desensitize the dog instead of sensitizing
quite a bit too low then it's ineffective right and they don't learn
i tried it on a five because i start all the way at the bottom and like work it up um so started at five and then 10 and 15
the 12 on the seat collar and they actually don't feel it. So I'm going to turn it down a little further. I'm going to put it on 8 and see if I can get a little bit less of a reaction.
So because of his fur I knew like I had to crank up the e-collar to find where it was good. It was good around 75
back down to like 25 because that's like roughly his baseline and but don't be afraid to turn it up turn it down just base it off like how he's responding
so it's very important that for all the commands that we've taught him that you use avoidance levels not escape
way you know the number doesn't mean much of anything right it's only the reaction
more of a jumpy jump and so i think 13 is fine for this so this is the lowest in condition
If the dog doesn't do anything, then I know it's not high enough.
say is it's better to accidentally do it a little bit too high okay than it is to accidentally do it too low
is fun for him and you reconcile right afterwards it doesn't traumatize the dog right
you need to dial things up depending on distraction level and that is about as distracted as he could be so I'm going to dial this up a little bit on the e-collar
How it looks, dog by dog
Deuce
The whole range inside one handover. The level is lowest in a silent house, higher with people and dogs in the room, highest at the peak of a reunion and back down when the room calms, and the trainer never keeps it fixed 'because dogs are never the same every day'. What accepts a level is not compliance: on introduction it catches him off guard without costing him his bounce; at handover he stops halfway through a jump and does not panic.
On film
I might have it on, because I will say I never keep it at like a fixed point because dogs are never the same every day, right?
he's not like losing any of his bounciness, which which is good
Sage
A soft dog worked low, and the fullest owner rule on film: not fazed or back to it in five seconds, go up; screams, too high; watch the ears. She reads differently with different handlers and in front of her owners, and the fit is checked before the level, because a loose collar looks like a dog who cannot feel it.
On film
level don't think about the number at all the only thing that matters is what the reaction that it creates in the dog
watch the ears if they bounce up every time you hit it it's working
Kodak
Worked low in the same walks where his housemate Rocko needs far more, and the handler warns viewers twice not to quote the numbers. He adds that no level beats a big enough motivation, so a dog blowing off the collar is telling you about the motivation, not his pain tolerance.
On film
don't don't get hung up on numbers because uh all that matters is the reaction of the dog not the numbers
Lola
Worked below what her handler can feel on his own skin. Kelton tells the family that body size does not decide the level (a big dog can yelp at a low one), that motivation and distraction do, and that two collar models in the same building differ, so a written-down number is meaningless without the unit.
On film
because like I've had dogs that were you know look like Zeus and I'm like you know people normally think like oh like bigger dog more pressure not necessarily
That's because she's a very sensitive dog to any kind of pressure at all.
Luna
The level searched for rather than chosen on day one, and moving afterwards for four reasons: the distraction, her arousal, how dangerous the behaviour is, and her own opening up over the program. Her trainer is also the plainest voice for starting low and climbing, and says he rarely has to do it.
On film
There's almost no distraction right now, so the e-collar's turned down a ton For Luna.
if it's a really aggressive dog, like I'm talking like really aggressive, like biting people
Roxy
Two dogs from one house, two very different pictures: Roxy's level swings widely with what she is thinking about, Ramsey's stays steady and was turned down as his impulse control improved. The owners are told to read the reaction (does the dog reorient and look for the command?) and, at handover, the owner answers the trainer's own question: the dog decides how high it goes.
On film
For them, it depends on context, so don't get stuck on a number. More what matters is their reaction.
since he's learned everything and he has better impulse control which means like he's feeling a little like the e-collar to him is now stronger than the impulse
Zeus
The trainer refuses to give a number three times in a row and gives the owner the feedback loop instead: jumps and freaks out, too high for that context; ignores it, too low. Out on a walk the novelty wears off and a level that worked stops meaning anything.
On film
So if they go, oh, if Zeus jumps and freaks out, like really freaks out, then it was too high.
starting to not the novelty of the e-collar is worn off so he's not caring much
Louie
The research argument for not creeping up: raise stimulation little by little and the level you finally need ends up much higher.
On film
It's such that it shows that if you little by little raise the amount of stimulation, the end level that you end up having to use when you need to use negative reinforcement is much higher.
Dutchess
A sensitive Rottweiler, used by her trainer as proof that breed does not set the level. The rule is a ceiling: any response, usually just the ears or a shake, is enough, and a dog rolling around is being tormented. A level that produced nothing on another day may mean she was too distracted to feel it.
On film
any kind of response that's all i want so like most of the time i just want to see the ears
Probably she was so distracted she didn't feel it.
Stormie
Her handler climbs the level fast, saying the dog reads the trend and gives in before she is hurt, and turns it up for bully breeds because they are strong; then a low ceiling is set because she is a puppy who shuts down, collar is traded for hands, and that version goes to the family. The same handover adds that the 'nope' and the reinforcing collar follow opposite rules on the same dial.
On film
the way you do it is when it cranks up really fast the dog's like oh it's getting like stronger really fast
using less e-collar with her and just more physical pressure
Bandit
The owner is given the conclusion in the trainer's words.
On film
context matters not the number the number is not an absolute thing
Lucy
The one file where starting high is argued outright, and limited: on a known behaviour the dog has been ignoring at lower levels, a single clear correction can change how she sees the situation.
On film
sometimes people underestimate how effective a single clear punishment event can be
Madam
A small, sensitive puppy, the counter-example to 'crank it': the trainer says you do not need to turn it up and that a higher level would make her scream out of fear.
On film
like you do not need need to crank that thing up she'll probably scream out sheer fear if you crank that thing
Peque (PK)
Kelton's instruction to the family: never get stuck on numbers; the dog's response decides, and a sit and breaking fixation on another dog need very different levels.
On film
never get stuck on numbers right so like the number does not matter
Rocky
Fit first, then tap up until the ears perk, and expect the level to move with the setting: ordinary work, a new dog, a heel, a sprint. The trainer calls it an illustration of how context changes what works.
On film
because I saw his ears perk up for that one let me just make sure the collar is on
down a little bit okay right um but that's a good illustration of how context changes what works and what doesn't work
Stormi
Found high on the first night, then barely used. The trainer's two rules sit a week apart: a fixated dog feels less, so bump it; and he wants 'as chill of a reaction' as still works.
On film
sometimes you have to bump the collar a little bit because their tolerance becomes a lot higher
i want as chill of a reaction as
Thumper
Read as sensitive by his first handler and run very low; he was not, and his working range turned out much wider. The owner is told to stick to the situation, not a number, and the same session turns him down again to re-sensitise him.
On film
yeah because he had me fooled I thought he was sensitive he was on …
and not sticking to a specific number but sticking to to the to the situation
Angus
An unchanged setting landed much harder when a barking dog had his attention, and the trainer names the variable as context, not the level being wrong.
On film
changed the context change was that he was fixated on the dog barking
Apollo (the Sharkie)
His working level rose with his arousal, and on one day a collar that had flipped over explained corrections he never felt.
On film
brown collar had flipped over just a little bit no wonder he wasn't feeling those pops like you
Astro
Too dramatic on the down, turn it down; weaker near dogs, turn it up; check contact first; and the collar gives no direction, the leash does.
On film
the only thing about the e-collar that can um be tough is that the e-collar does not give any
Bane
The rattlesnake rule: very high stimulation is justified only where the behaviour is life or death, never for a sit or a heel. And a correction that only pauses the dog has failed.
On film
stimulation is that for the dog it's life or death right
i want to avoid it because i think this is like enough for him to be like oh yeah i'll stop for a second
Beo
A soft dog: fit checked first, then set below the level he was jumpy at, and used to clarify rather than compel. His September sessions show the level moving within one dog. After a yelp the trainer says that level was too much - but that does not mean it will not take the same or more when Beo is excited, because penalties vary with context, mood and temperament 'from dog to dog and within one dog'. On a later walk he turns it up before another dog arrives, and uses less than half that for heel; and the day after the yelp it is 'way turned down' because he is a little sensitive.
On film
but I can still get my fingers underneath the box.
that particular amount of e-collar stimulation was too much, right? But that doesn't mean that if he sees something that he wants to hunt or he sees people and he gets really excited that it won't take that same level or higher, right?
So negative reinforcement and penalties both vary depending on context, depending on mood, depending on temperament, depending on all kinds kinds of different things from dog to dog and within one dog
i'm changing my level that the e-collar is set on depending on what i see happening right so like if a dog's coming i'm turning the e-collar up before the dog gets there just in case i need to use it
if i need negative reinforce the heel or something like that it's far less it's less than half
i have it even turned down further than it was earlier way turned down so he's just a little sensitive now to it i guess
Bo
Taught to the owner at the second handover as a rule: the dog determines the level, and it changes from day to day. In the same visit a level is turned down on the spot because his reaction was too big.
On film
Right. And then he's going to determine what level it needs to be at.
perfect all right so that was a little bit too much of a reaction from him
Bun
The starting point follows the stakes: low in the house, higher off leash near dogs and roads, and after that his response decides.
On film
by a car he could get in a dog fight he could anything could happen right so the higher the stakes are
Callie
A setting she had taken many times made her yelp in a new place, so it came down. At go-home an apparent refusal turned out to be a collar that was never switched on, and the family is told that her coat and neck mean the contact has to be checked.
On film
a yelp and sometimes it's like they barely felt it so it's very context dependent
don't want it to be loose loose to where it just slides because if it does you she's either never
Fiona
Her level went down because of how she responded, and at go-home the trainer adds a second dial: a mild correction held longer is more severe without touching the setting. In the same June session another dog's handler is told to err on the high side.
On film
a long time right yeah um to be yelling at somebody so the duration even if i was yelling
strange um I would prefer that you err on the side of accidentally doing it too high than
Kalypso
Every trainer who touched her collar reports a different reading, and the follow-up gives the reason: her response jumps from nothing to screaming over a tiny change. The rule becomes to read her demeanour, not the yelp and not a number.
On film
and it'll go from to like deafening everybody in the room
it down even lower than before where you weren't feeling it. See, it's very context-specific.
Levi
What makes it fair: just high enough to get attention and no higher; above that it becomes punishment and 'a little unfair to the dog'. His higher setting is put down to his coat, not his toughness.
On film
territory of like there's like hey you need to listen here's like a kind of a punishment thing
Lunna
Excitement raises her working level: arousal can stop her feeling it, so the same setting is too low one day and too much another. On film the fit check comes first: suspect a loose collar before raising the level. At a September session the trainer is surprised she did not feel the stimulation at 25 and reads her as a dog who can take more; nothing is said about where to start.
On film
actually think that the e-collar is on too loose for luna
i'm surprised she didn't feel it at 25 i don't know maybe she's just that type of dog that just can oh take it
Penny
A sensitive dog whose settings ranged widely; every time one was too high it was cut on the spot, with an apology, and the owners were told numbers mean nothing.
On film
too much I'm sorry baby come on come on I forgot how sensitive you are
starting to proof the commands when you're proofing the commands you change and this don't get stuck on numbers never so numbers mean nothing
Shadow (German Shepherd puppy)
Levels run higher during training because the impulse is stronger than it will be once managed; the same dog should need less later.
On film
impulses but like right now she's still in training so maybe I actually have to
Simba
Found live against his reaction and the day's distraction, lowered after a jump and raised when a cue got nothing, with the trainer saying out loud when a call was wrong.
On film
The e-collar's too low right now.
Titan
A strong adult dog with no single working level: one for correcting him at rest, a higher one when he is avoiding, and a shift between room and outdoors. At his own go-home the collar turned out to be too loose.
On film
one stable level for the e-collar that's always really nice however a dog like titan the e-collar
e collar will be a little too loose and I actually think it was a little loose
Wrigley
The level found live at the start of a walk by tapping low and raising until she noticed, then set slightly above that for the recall she was known to blow off.
On film
so I'm just gonna tap it super low here see if I can figure out my working level
Boog
A start-where-it-registers instinct, held back by the unknown collar.
On film
i feel like i'm gonna have to start out pretty high but we'll start at 50 just to be fair
Hattie
At Hattie's follow-up the trainer states the start-high side in full. Creeping up from low lets the dog get used to each level until 'it has to be a 90', and then you are stuck using a crazy level forever; starting out a little high a few times instead sensitises the dog to the feeling, and then you can back it way down - and most of the time use the verbal alone. Her case file links it to the stakes of the cat introduction, where the collar advice runs higher than in her training.
On film
all of a sudden if you use it at all it has to be a 90 and you're like what the fudge so then you're like always using this crazy level of shock forever because that's the only thing the dog responds to now right
whereas if you start out a little high and they're like whoa and it works really well then if you do that for even just like a few times then you can back it way down and it's effective
i'd rather sensitize them and they're like they get like a big like whoa a few times and then but then like i can back it way down
Kali
At Kali and Kane's in-program lesson the trainer gives the family the levels he has been using and then tells them not to think about the number: think about whether it worked, whether it was effective, and the emotional state it produced. With Kali in particular, if she seems apprehensive and unsure, change the approach and encourage her rather than becoming more authoritative.
On film
so i mean your mileage may vary so don't think about the number strictly think about like did it work right
did it work did it not work was it effective was ineffective what was the emotional state that it made in the dog
Kane
Not a map member; read because the same lesson's second part reads Kane's level against context. At home a 35 did not register at all - 'He just didn't care about the 35' - so the number means nothing on its own: for a known command in a quiet house a 15 or 20 might be plenty, and more when he is wound up. For a new command no level is the answer; the leash shows him first.
On film
He just didn't care about the 35.
where i was like don't worry about the number worry about what effect it has
maybe sitting in the house and there's nothing going on and you say come maybe if he doesn't come right away like a 15 would be plenty to reinforce it or 20 or something
Mazi
At Mazi's second owner lesson his trainer calls the level 'dynamic': a dog new to training might sit on 20 for the first minutes of a walk and on 40 once he fixates, because he has not learned impulse control - the same way a person's pain threshold changes with adrenaline.
On film
the level is dynamic dynamic when you're training a dog. So when I first get a dog for two minutes of the walk, they might sit on 20 and then they get fixated and they sit on 40, right? Because they haven't learned the impulse control.
Reaper
Not a map member; read because Reaper's level is turned down mid-session: 'He's gotten very sensitive to the e-collar', so it goes down even further than before - the level follows the dog as he is now.
On film
He's gotten very sensitive to the e-collar, so I'm going to turn it down even more than I already did.
Whiskey
At her first in-program owner lesson the trainer gives Whiskey's level as a range rather than a number: lower at home, about 30 to 35 in public, because the higher the stress and the fixation, the higher the correction needs to be - a level that works in a calm environment may not even be felt with someone staring at her two feet away.
On film
so the higher the stress level and the higher the fixation typically the higher this correction
it's not always gonna be the same setting every time but there's typically a range
Ace (Chihuahua-terrier mix)
Correcting Ace's sit, the trainer admits the level is 'a little too high' for the sit though right for a recall, and defends erring that way: too low and Ace 'isn't going to get it', which he calls the worst thing for a dog whose owner cannot chase him down.
On film
better to go high than low for the dog. Only because if you go too low the dog, you know, like Ace isn't going to get it.
Baxter
Baxter's trainer prefers to go slightly too high by accident rather than too low: too low is ineffective and nothing is learned, while a little too high can be backed down. At a later lesson he gives the reason, which he says he learned from a paper: a level that starts a little high sensitises the dog so less is needed later, whereas starting super low and creeping up desensitises him until every walk needs an 80.
On film
prefer to lean I would I would prefer that I accidentally go slightly too high then accidentally go slightly too low
is they do the opposite they start super low and they use it a bunch and then they have to go up and more and more and more and more because they desensitize the dog instead of sensitizing
Bernie
The start-low side, told at go-home. The trainer started Bernie's collar at 5 and climbed in fives, checking the contact each time, before finding a response somewhere around 50 or 60: Bernie simply 'sits higher' on that collar, out of 100.
On film
i tried it on a five because i start all the way at the bottom and like work it up um so started at five and then 10 and 15
you're just like that all right all right cool um so apparently he's just kind of like sits higher on the e-collar in terms of levels yeah and that's out of 100
Bullet
At the park the level goes down, not up: a 12 draws 'a crazy reaction', which the trainer reads as psychological rather than the sensation, so he turns it to 8 to get less of a reaction.
On film
a 12. That is a crazy reaction for a 12. So I think that that's a psychological thing for him now.
King
King's thick coat sets the number: the trainer says he knew he would have to crank the collar up to find where it registered, and it was good around 75, where King twitches a little.
On film
So because of his fur I knew like I had to crank up the e-collar to find where it was good. It was good around 75
Max
Christian gives Max's family a rule for distraction: if he ignores his baseline of about 25, go up by about ten, and when he reacts, drop straight back to the baseline - 'base it off like how he's responding' (partly uncertain audio).
On film
And so, like, but if it's, like, a really distracting area and he decides to challenge you a little bit and say you have it on 25 and you press it and he doesn't even, like, twitch or look at you or anything,
back down to like 25 because that's like roughly his baseline and but don't be afraid to turn it up turn it down just base it off like how he's responding
Max (Goldendoodle)
Two ends of one dog. On day one Max feels a 10 out of 100 at once, which the trainer notes many dogs do not. At go-home he tells the family that for commands Max already knows they should use a level he avoids, perhaps 30 to 50, not one he merely escapes, and that the number means little: 'it's only the reaction'.
On film
good boy good boy so that was on an uber low level um and he felt it right away so that was
way you know the number doesn't mean much of anything right it's only the reaction
Oscar
During implied-stay recalls the trainer reads the level off Oscar's response to a couple of taps and judges it 'right on the right level' at about 12.
On film
e-collar to reinforce the come. It looks like it's right on the right level. It's on about a 12 now.
Phoebe
Teaching students with Phoebe, a skittish dog, the instructor searches for the lowest level she recognises: at 10 he did not see enough recognition, at 15 'a little bit more of a jumpy jump', so he settles on 13 (the 10-and-15 line is uncertain audio).
On film
because the 10 i didn't see enough recognition 15 it wasn't terrible it was like a little bit
more of a jumpy jump and so i think 13 is fine for this so this is the lowest in condition
Rocky (the Rottweiler)
The start-low side, explained to Rocky the Rottweiler's owner: every dog's level is different, from dogs that sit on a 5 to dogs that sit on a 99. The trainer starts around 10 and goes up until the dog goes 'oh' and stops, then keeps checking because the right level can be situational.
On film
And then but every dog's level is different. Right. Like I have some dogs that sit on like a five.
What I do is I usually start on like 10 because that's fairly like a good low line area.
Thor
On day one Thor shows no response at 5, 10 or 20 and answers at 35. At go-home Kelton explains to the family why a 10 was not working when Thor got hyped, and states his view: better a little too high than too low, provided the rest is fun and you reconcile right afterwards, because what traumatises a dog is a lack of clarity.
On film
The first couple were on a 20, he didn't respond.
say is it's better to accidentally do it a little bit too high okay than it is to accidentally do it too low
Right. What's traumatizing is a lack of clarity.
Wiley
With Wiley the level follows the distraction. A squirrel is 'about as distracted as he could be', so the trainer dials up before giving him another shot; when a dog appears on a later walk he turns it up in advance because Wiley is 'clearly interested'.
On film
you need to dial things up depending on distraction level and that is about as distracted as he could be so I'm going to dial this up a little bit on the e-collar
we go this is this is what we're working with i got a dog over here probably turn this up a little
Why it works
Said on film: the level has to outweigh whatever is competing for the dog at that moment ('it has to be something that's going to more than the distraction', watch 04:43), so it rises with distraction (Luna watch 06:11), fixation (Angus watch 11:41; Stormi watch 01:33), arousal (Apollo; Lunna) and the strength of an impulse still in training (Shadow watch 19:08), and falls as impulse control improves (Ramsey watch 18:27). No level beats a large enough motivation (Kodak watch 26:40). A level below the threshold is not the cautious choice: it is discomfort with no information (Deuce watch 07:13), and on a tough dog creeping up from below desensitises him so the level finally needed is higher (Finn watch 32:53; Louie watch 11:41). The counter-technique accepts the same premise from the other side: climb quickly so the dog reads the trend and answers early (Stormie watch 10:46). Against both sits the stopping rule: the smallest visible response is enough (Dutchess watch 04:13). Severity has a second dial, duration (Fiona watch 15:51). And a reading is only as good as the contact: fit, coat and collar model all change what a setting delivers (Sage watch 06:29; Callie watch 08:04; Titan watch 33:09; Lola watch 10:15). Inferred, not stated: the starting rules differ mostly in how long they let a dog sit under a level that is doing nothing.
Where the trainers differ
Where the search starts: at a level that registers, or low and climbing?
One view
Start where it registers and come down; creeping up from below desensitises the dog (Kelton on Finn; the same study cited on Louie). On a known behaviour the dog has been ignoring, a single clear correction can do more than many small ones (Lucy). Err high rather than low (Fiona's session; Thor's go-home; Ace; Baxter, where the trainer cites a paper).
On film
better to not start really low because if you do it really low and he doesn't get the point
It's such that it shows that if you little by little raise the amount of stimulation,
sometimes people underestimate how effective a single clear punishment event can be
strange um I would prefer that you err on the side of accidentally doing it too high than
all of a sudden if you use it at all it has to be a 90 and you're like what the fudge so then you're like always using this crazy level of shock forever because that's the only thing the dog responds to now right
whereas if you start out a little high and they're like whoa and it works really well then if you do that for even just like a few times then you can back it way down and it's effective
say is it's better to accidentally do it a little bit too high okay than it is to accidentally do it too low
is they do the opposite they start super low and they use it a bunch and then they have to go up and more and more and more and more because they desensitize the dog instead of sensitizing
better to go high than low for the dog. Only because if you go too low the dog, you know, like Ace isn't going to get it.
Another view
Start low and climb until the dog responds, then stop (Connor on Deuce; Luna's trainer; Stormie's handover; Wrigley's walk; Bernie's go-home; Rocky the Rottweiler's private lesson).
On film
to make the dog uncomfortable i turn it up until the dog responds i don't like start high
the radius you start low and default and you keep like if they don't respond you keep hitting turn it up until they're like fine
because she's a puppy the way she takes pressure is that it can shut her down quicker
so I'm just gonna tap it super low here see if I can figure out my working level
i tried it on a five because i start all the way at the bottom and like work it up um so started at five and then 10 and 15
What I do is I usually start on like 10 because that's fairly like a good low line area.
How to read it
18 September 2026: context-dependent, both presented.
Kelton ruled on 18 September 2026 that both are context-dependent techniques with their own rationales and both are presented; the page does not call either wrong. Kelton's own statement carries two qualifiers: the dog was 'not feather light', and it applied to how that dog presented. Luna's trainer adds that he rarely has to climb (watch 18:16).
Same dog, three days: climb fast for a strong bully, or set a low ceiling for a puppy?
One view
Climb the level fast; with bully breeds turn it up because they are strong.
On film
the way you do it is when it cranks up really fast the dog's like oh it's getting like stronger really fast
So, what I did there, it's a thing that I do with the like the bully breeds. You just crank it up cuz they're just really strong cuz she was trying to fight me on heel.
Another view
She is a puppy who shuts down; less pressure, less collar and more hands, set before the session starts.
On film
making sure that because she's younger we gotta make sure that there's less pressure on her
using less e-collar with her and just more physical pressure
How to read it
The low-ceiling version is the one handed to the family. The fast climb is described by its author as a technique he is still developing.
What decides the ceiling: the smallest response, or the stakes?
One view
Any response is enough; more than that is torment or unfair.
On film
any kind of response that's all i want so like most of the time i just want to see the ears
territory of like there's like hey you need to listen here's like a kind of a punishment thing
Another view
The stakes set it: higher where failure could kill the dog or someone else, and a level that merely pauses a dangerous behaviour has failed.
On film
by a car he could get in a dog fight he could anything could happen right so the higher the stakes are
stimulation is that for the dog it's life or death right
unless it was like a really like justified reason like as an example if if she was running into the road
How to read it
Probably two regimes (teaching versus emergency) rather than a disagreement, but no trainer draws the line between them on film.
The two markers follow opposite rules on the same dial (single source).
One view
The 'nope' is building an aversion and can hardly be too high; the reinforcing collar can be too high and then poisons the command.
On film
I would, I would say like when you're doing the reinforcement marker, you have to be more careful.
Another view
Not contradicted anywhere, and not repeated anywhere; every other file applies one reading rule to both uses.
How to read it
Rests on one handover.
Is the collar the first backup or the last resort?
One view
Last: hands and the marker first, the collar only after.
On film
to me the e-collar is like the last thing you go for though
using less e-collar with her and just more physical pressure
Another view
The collar backs up the word from the start so the word carries meaning at home.
Common owner mistakes
- Copying a number from a video, another dog or another collar model.
On film
don't get hung up on the number on the screen because the number is relative to the dog and the context
Kodak · Watch at 24:25 ↗ - Turning the level up when the collar is loose or not switched on.
On film
yeah she wasn't feeling it yeah well that's also a problem because if you think they're not feeling it you end up turning it up higher
Sage · Watch at 6:29 ↗ don't want it to be loose loose to where it just slides
Callie · Watch at 8:04 ↗ - Choosing the level by the dog's size or breed.
On film
because like I've had dogs that were you know look like Zeus and I'm like you know people normally think like oh like bigger dog more pressure not necessarily
Lola · Watch at 1:08:38 ↗ - Keeping a level that makes the dog panic, roll or scream because 'it worked'.
On film
any kind of response that's all i want so like most of the time i just want to see the ears
Dutchess · Watch at 4:13 ↗
Questions owners ask
What level should I have my dog on?
No trainer on film will give you one, deliberately. The level is whatever gets a small, clear reaction from your dog in the situation you are in, and it changes with distraction, excitement, the day, the collar model and the fit. Kelton's instruction to one family: never get stuck on numbers; the number does not matter.
On film
never get stuck on numbers right so like the number does not matter
The number is determined by the context.
How do I know it's high enough, and how do I know it's too high?
Watch the dog. Ears up, a small shake, or the dog turning back to you for the command: enough. Not fazed, or back to it five seconds later: too low. A yelp, a scramble, rolling around, or a dog who loses his bounce: too high, come down.
On film
how does she respond to this if she isn't fazed by it it needs to be more
If they do feel it and it's effective, they either reorient towards you
Should I start low and work up, or start higher?
Both are on film, and Kelton has ruled that both are context-dependent. Starting where it registers avoids desensitising a tough dog by creeping up; starting low and climbing to the first response avoids overdoing it with a soft one. Either way, stop at the first real response.
On film
better to not start really low because if you do it really low and he doesn't get the point
to make the dog uncomfortable i turn it up until the dog responds i don't like start high
My dog is huge or a tough breed. Doesn't he need a high level?
Not necessarily. A large dog can yelp at a low setting and a sensitive Rottweiler can need very little; what decides it is motivation and distraction. One handler does raise it for strong bully breeds, and that is recorded as a technique he was developing, not a rule.
On film
because like I've had dogs that were you know look like Zeus and I'm like you know people normally think like oh like bigger dog more pressure not necessarily
Will the level keep going up forever?
The record shows it coming down as often as up: as impulse control improves the same stimulation outweighs the impulse (Ramsey), and levels needed in training are expected to fall once the dog is home (Shadow). It can also creep up if the novelty wears off, which is why it is re-read, not remembered.
On film
since he's learned everything and he has better impulse control
starting to not the novelty of the e-collar is worn off
The lesson
The goal
Find a working level from the dog's reaction, re-read it when the context changes, and check the equipment before raising it.
Learn first
- Fit before level: check the tool before you judge the dog
- Command, marker, collar - in that order
- Pressure, release, reward
See it done
- Wrigley: Finding a working level live at the start of a walk. Watch at 3:59 ↗
- Rocky: Reading the ears, then checking the collar. Watch at 2:48 ↗
- Dutchess: Turning it down on the spot because the room is calm. Watch at 10:44 ↗
The drill
As run on Wrigley and Rocky: fit the collar snug (a finger under the contact points, Beo watch 01:20). In a quiet spot, tap low and raise until the ears come up or the dog glances round; stay there. When the context changes (a dog, a deer, a new place), re-read it the same way. If a press gets nothing, check the fit and whether the dog was simply too absorbed to feel it before raising it. If he yelps or scrambles, come down immediately.
Watch out for
- Using a number from someone else's dog or video.
- Raising the level when the collar is loose.
- Setting by size or breed.
- Leaving a level in place after the context changes.
- Treating a big reaction as proof it worked.
Check yourself
What did your dog do the last time you pressed, and what would have told you it was too high?