Never use a shock collar, which is always aversive.

If so, use a different method to get his attention. Some dogs may be sensitive to the vibrations and become stressed. This can be used to get your dog’s attention. Before doing this, you need to condition him that this is a positive action so that you don’t startle him. Gently touch his shoulder or on his back above his tail.Caution using light sources though: Some dogs may develop OCD and compulsively chase the lights, especially lasers. You can even use a porch light turned on and off to get attention at night. You want him to understand that’s the desired behavior. Do the light flashes inside near him first, so that you can give him a treat immediately after he looks at you. Turning a flashlight on and off a few times should get your dog’s attention inside any time or outside at night. If not, you may stomp your foot or hand on the floor to get his attention. As you approach your dog, he may feel the floor vibrating and turn to look at you. Just remember to reward him when he looks at you. If your dog looks away too much, don’t worry. You can train a “pay attention to me” cue, like pointing to your face, but if simply you treat each time he looks at you – consistently! – he will happily and frequently look at you, hoping it pays off with a yummy treat.

After he gets the idea that looking at you is the desired behavior, just give the attention cue and reward him when he looks at you.

Do this a half-dozen to a dozen times, and then end the session. This will take patience, but your dog will look at you.

Hand signals for dog training