shock collars...are they cruel & inhumane??

[PJ]

I would like to know everyone's opinion on the use of shock collars. I have not seen anything on this subject posted. This includes bark collars (which I am strictly against), training collars and underground fence collars.

[Stephanie of PinkPuppyDesigns.com]

I have never been on board with the whole shock collar industry. I frankly see most users of them as "lazy owners" wanting some electrical device to do their work for them. It is much more effective to correct any of your dog's misbehavings with a combination of gentle corrections and positive reinforcement training. However, there are times, especially with a dog that barks excessively that it may be necessary to try a bark collar. In those cases I recommend the citronella bark collars. Before trying this, though, you need to make sure to cover all the bases first... making sure your dog has something to do while your gone is key as for most barking dogs the key is simply curing their boredom.

The underground fence thing is big no no. I have known too many people whose dogs have been "trained" on them, but even still have bolted through it and taken the electrical shocks because whatever they were running after was simply too exciting for them to resist. Once a dog is outside the "fence" they would have to endure another electrical shock just to come back in the yard which dogs simply aren't going to do. The other thing is that while if it does do an okay job keeping your dog in, it does nothing to keep other animals out of your yard making them very easy prey for coyotes and other wild animals or even stray or loose dogs that may wander in. In my neighborhood there was a Golden Retriever on his electric fence that was attacked by a coyote... size doesn't always matter.

That is not to mention the human factor. Dogs are very protective of their domain (some more than others) and many dog bites occur when humans step across the invisible "fence" without knowing and the dog tries to protect his yard. Another "human factor" is the fact that people steal dogs for a wide variety of reasons including taking them as bait dogs for dog fighting. Even people in the best or most "safe" neighborhoods are victims of this and an underground fence is as good as inviting them to take your dog. Underground fences simply aren't safe.

[PJ]

I agree wholeheartedly. I would like to see how a person would feel getting "zapped"everytime they leave the house. You can get 50 feet of ünderground fencing for a few hundred bucks. I have 300 square feet of vinyl fencing for HALF that price and I know my dogs are safe in the backyard. It doesn't mean they don't get walks beyond that yard.

[Ashlar521]

Outstanding answer ! I like that "lazy owners" answer , truthful and to the point .

I don't like them myself and have never used them . As for the underground fence , you can go in the backyard of my in-laws and stand by the grave of their dog , who bolted through their underground fence , to see how well they work . Once he learned that it was just a quick jolt when he went through it , you couldn't keep him out of the road .

[Cynthia Swarthout]

I couldn't agree more. I wonder how they would feel if instead of clocking out from work, they had a collar to zap them every time they tried to take an unauthorized break. My biggest belief is that when you get a pet, it is the same as adoption and like adopting a child, you are now his/her parent. Also like a child if you do not have the time or the patience to give your pet the attention they need, you should not have gotten one. I will admit that I have 2 dogs and a cat and have never 'trained' any of them. I parented them. I have people come up to me and ask what breed they are believing that it's their breeding that makes them so well behaved. They laugh when I say "Boys, are you ready for a walk?" and the dogs and the cat jump up and walk right beside me (with no leashes). I have only had Lucky for about 2 months and he falls right in line with Buddy and Magick. Yet I have never used a crate or zap collar, or even raised a hand (or anything else) to them. Instead of an invisible fence, I say get off your tush and go out with them. You would throw your 2 year old in the back yard unsupervised. Your dog is no different. They don't need to be zapped, they need love and attention.

[PJ]

I would very much like to see the owner's wear the collar. I don't care how big the dog is, he is being electrocuted no matter how you look at it. Not to mention underground fences do not keep your dog in. These collars are not cheap and I can't see anyone paying that price to cause their dog pain.

[DawnDawn]

There are humane ways to use a "shock collar" and it can save your dogs life in some situations.
If your dog does get out of your possession and you need to avoid him or her being hit by a car a shock will drop them. Yes it may be a bit cruel but consider the alternative. There are times that my very obedient and well behaved dogs are in the front yard see another dog outside chasing a squirrel and they can't control themselves to "chase". Our collars don't shock with the exception of a RED button which will drop them to their knees for reasons described above. Our collars are vibration collars, We control them, not a bark, They have many settings from a soft vibration to a harsh vibration depending on what your dog responds too.
YES I HAVE PUT THEM ON MYSELF so has my husband, to test and make sure that my dogs were not being "SHOCKED".
Vibrations do get their attention. I don't believe in ZAPPING dogs with a Shock collar. We have pushed that red button once on my younger Mastiff because her safety was compromised. She went down to the ground but did not get hit by that pick-up truck. I ask which was the lesser of the 2 evils.
I think I made the right choice and she was fine within seconds. SHE HAS NEVER DONE THAT AGAIN!
I wholeheartedly agree with you on Shock Fences.
The collars I use are not off the shelf Petsmart collar. They are professional collars purchased by professionally registered trainers
I am far from a lazy dog owner. I like to make sure I take every precaution to keep my dogs safe.
My dogs don't roam the neighborhood. They have been very well trained and by all means they are not bored or excessive barkers, but they would chase another loose dog in the area if that dog is chasing something. For the most part they stay on the patio and they don't move from there. That's how they were trained (without a collar).
Our collars are for their safety NOT PUNISHMENT, NOT TRAINING.
We go camping alot, hiking and such and we need to know our dogs are safe from all dangers and their collars help us to keep control of them while chasing that raccoon they have under a log, or that possum they have tracked down, or that chipmunk they don't want to leave, or that rattlesnake they are most interested in.
Don't generalize all dogs who have collars or all owners.
Some of us are responsible.
My 2 cents.

[Stephanie of PinkPuppyDesigns.com]

I commend you for using the vibration as opposed to the electrical shock. I did say "most users", but should have specified my comments. I was directing them towards owners who use electric shocks to punish their dogs when they bark, misbehave or venture to near their property line. A vibration is similar to the citronella collar in that there is no pain, just a stimulus whether a vibration or puff of citronella which gets the dog's attention.

I personally always prefer to have my dog's leashed or in an secure fenced area for their safety (and my sanity). However, for off-leash purposes, being able to get your dog's attention at a distance is an important safety feature.

[DawnDawn]

Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for your support.
For the most part my dogs are leashed in my neighborhood but occasionally we let them out on the front porch where we completely watch them but occasionally they test us.
My dogs do not wear their collars all day every day. Only when we need to keep them safe.
If I am working off the porch, sweeping or picking up leaves I let them stay on the porch. We have a baby gate at the opening but the fence around the porch is only 4 ft off the ground. My Mastiffs can clear that in the blink of an eye if something catches their attention. I do try and catch them before they make the decision but sometime I am a second to late. It does not happen often but I know that with their collar I can get their attention and refocus them on ME!
We found these collars useful when camping with our dogs. We just don't want them to be tied up all the time. We want them to enjoy freedom and experiences just like us. With these collars we are able to readjust their focus.
I was the same way when someone suggested a collar. I said No Way am I going to shock my dog.....wouldn't that make em mean & aggressive/ but ahhhhhh I learned that not all collars are created equal.
They are expensive. Petsmart and other retailers do not carry them. They have the standard old SHOCK Collar. They really don't give you many options and alot of people don't know about vibration collars. What a shame because if more people had the correct tools they might use them.

[Dawn]

My cousin gave me a shock collar when my dog was a puppy. She loved it for training her dog but I found that her dog was afraid of her now and there wasnt a bond between them at all (not sure if the collar had a hand in that or if it was just my cousin). I did put the collar on my dog but never shocked him. The collar had a warning beep and I found that to work just fine. One day though, a neighbor kid did try the shock collar out on himself just to see how powerful it was. Maybe the batteries were dead but he wasnt phased by it at all. The collar didnt last long for us. I refused to actually use the shock part of it and we had to replace the batteries every week. I found the old fashion way of discipline to work just fine.

[Stephanie Durecko]

Cruel.......no doubt about it. It is like using a electronic shock on humans, cruel....
If someone can not train there dog the humane way, seek advice from a professional or have the patience to teach the thing you love the right way to behave, you shouldnt own a dog. I dont see parents putting shock collars on their babies when they cry...same thing, you wouldnt do that why think it okay to do this. I have been on the side of banning these collars for a long time, but I guess there are bigger fish to fry, animal abuse in general. But these collars are barbaric and cruel.

[PJ]

I totally agree with you Stephanie. People use barking collars and barking is a natural thing for dogs. Should we put them on every time our kids TALK?

[Michael William Shea]

Well, some people can be evicted if there dogs make to much noise. They need to learn to be quiet and yes, bark when there is danger or protecting their territory.