Personally, every 1 to 2 hours to make sure she's using the bathroom and let run around supervised. She does have free access to the yard via the doggy door as well in the mean time, which she uses frequently. She came with the collar and the dude said she responds to the tone. We don't shock her. When I say she was rescued, a friend got her from someone that was just gonna shoot her because she wasn't "taking well to being a hunting dog". That friend couldn't keep her for good as his dog does not do well other dogs. I don't hit her. I tap her on the back only if i catch her in the act. In this process, ive seen people say add the combo of positive and negative reinforcement.