The Sad Truth About The Electronic Collar

Electronic collars........or "shock" collars, as they are more commonly referred to, are misused by most facilities and trainers these days. That's because they use them as an aversive for the dog - in other words, it is used to deter a dog from doing something that you find undesirable. The sad truth is that in most of these cases, the dog learns nothing and gets traumatised. If in fact you are an advocate of an electronic collar - which I am not (in fact i use no collaring for the most part and use NO restrictive collaring at all) - then you should know that the setting should never be high enough to cause the dog ANY pain. An electronic collar is used to create a break in the action - so that the trainer or handler can then step in and correct the problem humanely and properly. This is rarely performed in this manner, and more often it is used as punishment for poor behavior (i.e. barking)......the dog never is able to connect the issue to the correction, because there is no one there to guide them - just a jolting shock to one of the more sensitive areas of a dogs body. The same goes for a "no bark" collar......same principle. A trainer or facility should be willing to disclose all operating procedures with the dogs - and I would never leave my dog with someone who uses escalating collar techniques to control behavioral issues. I only say this because that tends to signal that the handler is less concerned about the education and progress of the dog as a living being, and is more concerned with immediate results - whether that be silence, or obeying obedience commands. Pinch collars, choke chains, and electronic collars all present an aversive to the dog, behaviorally speaking. The way I look at it, if I wouldn't want to wear it, why would they? I have been shocked with a typical no bark collar - it does not feel good, and I am a 6 foot 185 pound guy.....and I only administer it to my arm - just so clients can see that my entire arm will seize up on only the milder settings. Imagine that on your neck. Its time for owner education to turn a corner, and I am glad we can do it together.