Remote/Shock Collar Not Working On Husky/Troubleshooting

When it comes to dog training, shock collars can do miracles. However, a shock collar’s effectiveness will also vary depending on the breed’s physical and behavioral traits. 

Huskies are very well known for their intelligence and high energy levels, 

They are known for their independent nature and strong-willed personalities, they often challenge any training methods meant to mold their behavior. 

However, there could be many reasons why a shock collar isn’t working on your Husky. Today I will discuss all of them plus give you a brief troubleshooting guideline.

Reasons for Shock/Remote Collar Not Working On Husky And How To Troubleshoot

There are 5 major reasons why a certain shock collar is not working on your Husky:

1. Collar Is Not Charged

This simple problem is surprisingly one of the most common issues for the apparent malfunctioning of a shock collar. 

Many people who have their first experiences with shock collars often forget to charge them and then think that there is something wrong with the remote or the collar. 

You should know that the remote and the collar have separate batteries so they would need to be charged individually.

Whenever a collar is not working, your first troubleshooting step should be to adequately charge the collar and the remote and see if it starts working. You should do this before moving on to the next steps.

2. Unfit Collar

Oftentimes it happens that there is no inherent problem with the device or its battery but still, it is not working because of a loose fitting.

For the stimulation to reach the dog’s body, the prongs need to be long enough to penetrate through the Husky’s hair and the metal contact points should touch the dog’s skin. 

Check if the prongs are long enough and if the contact points are actually in contact with the dog’s skin. If not, then you would need to opt for longer prongs so that they can reach through the thick hair layer.

Also, some people choose to trim the dog’s hair where the collar would be fitted. I’d suggest using longer prongs first and then still if it doesn’t work then go for trimming. 

3. Low Stimulation Level

The level of stimulation required for a dog’s effective behavior training varies across the species. Different breeds have different levels of stubbornness and many like the Huskies don’t budge on lower stimulation levels.

If you believe that a shock collar is working but your pooch is not responding to it then try to increase the stimulation level. Most likely at some level your Husky will feel the stimulation and respond promptly.

Word of caution, before trying any higher stimulation level, it is advised to try it on yourself. Wrap the collar around your arm and turn the level on. If you cannot tolerate a certain stimulation level then most likely it is also too much for your dog as well. 

4. Defective Collar

Finally, if you have gone through the step-by-step approach of charging the device, fitting it snugly, and choosing the correct stimulation level and it still doesn’t work then it means the collar might be defective.

In such cases, you would need to contact your supplier and lodge a formal complaint regarding the malfunctioning of the device to the company. 

Most well-known brands offer a replacement warranty and would change your collar with a new one. 

Can A Shock Collar Not Work Because Of Interference?

Electrical interference, or electromagnetic interference (EMI), happens when electrical signals from another nearby source disrupt the functioning of an electronic device. This can lead to a device malfunctioning.

This electrical interference can sometimes affect shock collars when they’re near a source of electromagnetic radiation like power lines or other electronic devices.

To reduce electrical interference in dog shock collars, manufacturers often employ measures but you as a dog trainer must be aware of such sources of interference and avoid them when possible so that your device doesn’t malfunction.

Why Is It Difficult To Train A Husky With a Training Collar?

Huskies are very intelligent and tend to be independent thinkers. They usually avoid any attempt aimed at changing their behaviors. This stubbornness often hampers their training and leads to their owner’s frustration. So my recommendations would be first try to train your dog naturally without a collar and if that doesn’t work, go for the training collars.

Also, they have a knack for sensing their owner’s experience and if any owner shows a lack of leadership qualities, they are least likely to obey his/her commands.

Moreover, they have a moderate prey drive that forces them to follow their basic instincts rather than obeying their owner’s commands, thus making it difficult to tame them.

You can read more about Huskies and their characteristics here.

In order to overcome this training obstacle there is a simple method that you can apply. Let’s discuss it now:

Positive Reinforcement

In this technique, a dog is rewarded for obeying your commands. In this way, both consciously and subconsciously a dog starts associating the desired behavior with a reward and tries to do it more often. 

After a certain time period when the dog repeatedly does the required task, it gets ingrained into its behavior and even if you do not reward the dog it would still do it.

This is called positive reinforcement and is a time-tested technique for a dog’s behavior modification and works equally fine for Huskies too.

Frequently Asked Questions about Remote Collar Not Working On Huskies

Shock Collar Not Working On Husky/Troubleshooting

There are a lot of ways that a shock collar would be malfunctioning on a Husky. Major issues include having a low battery, loose fit, inadequate stimulation, electrical interference, and a defective collar.