Would you put one of the new shock collars for dogs on your pet? Maybe you already have one on your dog because he stays outdoors. I think it’s important to address why someone may purchase a shock collar. As we all know, many pets end up getting run over by cars, trucks and rigs. This could be for any random reason. Maybe they simply aren’t paying attention, or maybe they spotted a rabbit and bolted after it. Remember that all of these animals run on instinct. They simply can’t help it.
Therefore if you do decide to own and take care of one, it’s your responsibility to keep them safe. Sometimes that may even involve measures such as shock collars for dogs, indeed they are the only option in some cases. They can be used to reinforce verbal commands and used correctly they provide a quick resolution of your dogs behavioral problems.
Collars can be purchased that administer only mild electrical impulses to your dog thereby minimizing distress. Although they have their uses, shock collars are hardly an ideal solution to your dogs behavioral problems and in my opinion they should be viewed only as a last resort. The very idea of controlling behavior through electrical shocks is an inhumane one but it’s not just ethical considerations that detract from their use. Unless a lot of care is taken over their use, shock collars can easily result in dogs making adverse associations that are unintended and can actually compound the dog’s poor behavior.
A dog experiencing an unpleasant shock will associate that pain with whatever the dog happens to be focusing on at the time. For example, if a dog barks when it sees food and is then given a shock to stop it barking it may start to associate food with pain also it could start to associate the sight of its owner with pain. So the use of shock collars for dogs must take place in highly specific instances, the timing of the shock is also critical to the imprinting of the desired behaviour.
One of the most common dog problems is excessive barking, some shock collars for automatically administer a shock when the dog barks but these devices are addressing merely symptoms rather than the underlying cause. Persistent barking is usually an indication that something is making the dog unhappy and the solution may simply be one of giving the dog more attention or making its life more entertaining.
In conclusion, shock collars for dogs can be useful in well defined, special circumstances and their use should not be seen as a quick fix for behaviour problems. Exhaust all other training possibilities first.
