If you want to start a verbal brawl, ask that question in a room full of dog trainers. Many trainers are passionately opposed to shock collars. Others believe that used judiciously by an experienced trainer they are a useful tool. Rather than bandy opinions about, let’s explore how they work, the risks, and the position statements of behavioral experts.
A shock collar is a device for remotely delivering an electric shock, using pain to stop a behavior. They can be manually controlled by the trainer or activated by a boundary (electronic fences) or barking. At the lowest level the pain is a tingle. At the highest level the pain is excruciating, causing dogs to yelp, struggle, bite, freeze, cower, tremble, defecate, and urinate.
To be effective at stopping an undesired behavior, the pain from a shock collar must:
- Be delivered at exactly the moment the undesired behavior occurs (if more than a second or two after, the dog is unlikely to associate the punishment with the behavior).
- Be clearly associated with the undesired behavior and no other event – for example if a dog is shocked for chasing a car and sees a man in a big hat at the instant the shock is delivered, the dog may associate men in big hats with the shock, and not car chasing.
- Be delivered every time the undesired behavior occurs. If a dog is shocked for chasing cars only four out of five times, the shock may not stop car chasing.
- Be strong enough to stop a behavior but not so strong as to cause fear or aggression. For example, if someone says, “Tsk, tsk,” for grabbing something, you might ignore him. If they slap you on the wrist you might stop. If they punch you in the face, you might punch back.
If you think using a shock collar correctly sounds tricky, you’re right. Timing, consistency, and strength of the shock are critical. Incorrect use of a shock collar can cause:
- Fears, phobias, anxiety, and immediate and long term aggression towards you and other dogs and people
- Long term increases in stress levels
- Lesions, irritation, and tissue necrosis
- An increase in the behavior you are trying to stop (dogs that are shocked to teach them to avoid something may actually begin attacking that thing)
What do the experts say? I define experts as the most highly educated, scientifically accomplished and respected people in the field of companion animal behavior, such as veterinary and applied animal behaviorists, who base their positions on the results of controlled, peer-reviewed, published, scientific studies. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, and the Norwegian Council on Animal Ethics have issued official position statements recommending against the use of shock collars. Dr. Karen Overall, a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist and Applied Animal Behaviorist, and the editor of the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, issued a statement adamantly opposing the use of shock collars. Based on these and other position statements, Wales, the largest county in England, has banned shock collars, with a 2000 Pound ($3,172 USD) fine for violations.
As for my own opinion, I believe there are many proven rewards based methods for training your dog. I would only consider electric shock as a last resort when all other methods and professional help have failed and the consequence of not stopping a behavior is euthanasia. Dogs have the cognitive and emotional capacity of a two-year-old human. Would you train your toddler with a shock collar?
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