It’s simple why I am opposed to electronic collars:

  1. Shock collars cause dogs pain. If you don’t believe this, try one on yourself as several people have done and written about. Causing a dog to go through this is cruel and so  training with shock collars is also cruel.
  2. When a dog experiences pain, he may become afraid, confused, angry, or aggressive. I’ve probably forgotten a few other reactions that could occur.
  3. None of these emotions are conducive to learning.

This website is devoted to pain-free methods of dog training that are proven to be effective. Would you rather have fun with your dog, giving treats that signal to the dog that he’s done what you want, or would you rather create a relationship in which the dog is afraid and mistrustful toward you? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

I think that most people using shock collars have not done their homework and don’t know that there are more effective training methods now available. Perhaps they are still caught up in some of the old ideas that you have to be dominant over your dog.

For Further Reading

Dominance Theories are Based on Out-moded Ideas

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/dominance.htm This article is by noted clicker trainer Melissa Alexander and based on an interview she did with Dr. Ian Dunbar.

Shock Collars

Resources from Professional Trainers Against the Use of Shock Collars : http://www.trulydogfriendly.com

http://r-plusdogtraining.info/shock.htm is a webpage of information about shock collars, including (about halfway down the page) Catherine Toft’s shock collar self-test.

An open letter from Dr Karen Overall regarding the use of shock collars:  http://www.joelwalton.com/shockcollars.html

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!