Dog training collars, tips and tricks

This is another device that gets the sensitive crowd in an uproar and that only sometimes comes from a lack of understanding. Remote, or Shock collars are not intended to inflict pain on your dog every time he gets out of line nor is the pain meant to be severe so much as startling. If you can tolerate the idea of an electronic fence to keep your dog from running out in the street and getting killed, then you can tolerate these dog training collars. 

The premise at the heart of shock collars is the same as at the heart of our previous two offerings, prong collars and choke collars. All three should be used for conditioning only, not as your dog’s permanent collar. Once the desired objective is achieved you should return to using a regular buckle collar. 

Shock collars work by…, well it’s right there in the name, folks. When your dog is behaving in a manner you are trying to break, he gets shocked. But not right away. Used as intended, Remote collars first provide a warning by either vibrating or buzzing, emitting an audible tone or providing a mild current which grows in intensity until ultimately, if corrected behavior is not achieved, delivering the conditioning shock. The intended shock should deliver more of a scare than pain. That said, it is enough of a jolt to really get your dog’s attention and might well result in a surprised yelp. 

Advocates of remote collars point out that their benefits are no “real” physical damage and the ability to “reach out” even when your dog is some distance from you. Detractors will never be convinced that shock collars aren’t cruel and will, with good reason, point to their ability to mentally damage a dog which is already frail, shy or prone to low self-esteem. Advocates will counter that this is an issue of misuse, not a flaw in the device.

I’m updating this post to elaborate on a couple concerns I either didn’t point out or emphasize to my satisfaction. The convenience of a remote means correcting your dog has the ugly downside of also potentially confusing and harming your pet emotionally. Think of your own potential for lost confidence and increased fear if, everytime you did something you thought was ok, a bolt of lightening flashed out of the sky and gave you a good zap. Sure, you might learn not to do that thing anymore, but you might also find yourself in a constant state of fear waiting for the next punishing blow to come for something you were doing. Detractors have a very good point when they emphasize the risks associated with shock collars potentially ruining a dogs confidence. Read the rest of this entry »