Should dogs have shock collars?

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   FactAndFictionposted 14 years ago

   I don't think shock collars are fair. Would you like to be shocked whenever you did something wrong? And as for electric fences, why not put up a normal fence, like a picket fence, so your view is not blocked? Or just don't get a dog!

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      psycheskinnerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      i don't think anyone says dogs "should" have shock collars like it is a good thing.  But if someone has, for some reason like keeping their job, to move to any area without fences or with things that make the dog bark, I can imagine any short-term training tool might in some cases be better than euthanising the dog.

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         Home Girlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Cruelty to animals (same as to people) never brings good results. Never. Dogs by nature are very devoted to a man creatures. They can be trained and become wonderful human helpers. Or they can be stupid, obnoxious and dangerous, same as the stupid human being who handles them. In that case he needs the shock collar, not the dogs. Though certain breeds should not be around small children, and if the dog is kept to scare people away - he should be behind a fence.

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      Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I think it is unfair to compare humans to dogs.

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         Arthur Fontesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         
         
         True, I definitely like dogs more then most of the people I meet. 

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            Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            

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         Deborah Sextonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         _____________________
         Why? How is a Human better?
         I think an innocent dog deserves it a lot less than humans

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      Deborah Sextonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      _____________
      Absolutely Not

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      Stevennix2001posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

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   Aiden Robertsposted 14 years ago

   Agree with dogs are generally more reliable and likeable than people
   
   Should shock collars be used, in a word "no".
   
   I can't think of any circumstance were it would be neccassary, a well trained dog would have no need for it and a badly behaved dog would only learn that ignoring you hurts, this is hardly a sound basis for a beneficial mutual relationship.
   
   There was a time when shock treatment was routinely used to stop people with mental health issues being "mental" and to stop gay people being "gay".
   
   I have yet to read any empirical evidence that proved it worked, I guess dogs are no different.

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      Home Girlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Some politics might benefit from shock treatment, but who am I to judge?..

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      psycheskinnerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The empirical evidence that it works does existed in peer-reviewed journals, although the same journals generally show positive training is more effective or less aversive to the dog.  There is a different between 'effective' and 'desirable'.  Undesirable techniques that are unpleasant for the dog can be effective and have the advantage of being more rapid.
      
      I have dealt with a case where a dog needed to be inhibited from barking with a few days to avoid eviction of the family or surrender of the dog to a shelter where euthanasia was almost certain.  We used a citronella collar which is about as aversive as a shock collar for half a day to save the dog, it discharged three times and barking ceased.  So I can see that in some cases it might be the lesser evil.
      
      For the record this is the only time I used aversive training.  But it is the reason I would never say never.

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   ralwusposted 14 years ago

   I have one around my garage door. Yes, it made them howl and cry a lot at first (3 of them) but it would be worse for them to get hit by a car. Plus, they scare the hell out of strangers. Oh, I tried it on me first. Smarts real good too. I don't usually even need to put the collar on them now.
   Some places are just not good for fences and I do not want my dogs out front terrorizing the pedestrians. they have a backyard fenced in and have access to  my garage.

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      Beth100posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      It's the same concept with horses/cattle and electrical fences.  Once zapped, they learn to stay away.  I turned the fencing off after one week and they never ventured near it again.
      
      I see your point, CC.  But for me, I don't believe in it for the dogs.

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      Deborah Sextonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      ______________________
      Training a dog is very easy.
      This is the lazy person's way of controlling (not training) a dog.
      
      Why own a dog if you are going to be cruel?!

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         allbreedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Controlling a dog.Training a dog.Same thing
         .Dont you want to be in CONTROL of your dog?
         Who said it was cruel?
         Are prong collars cruel? Haltis cruel?
         Is having your dog run out the open gate onto the road cruel?
         Training a dog can consist of many training aids to get the job done.What works for one dog doesnt neccesarilly work for another so each to their own

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   Whitney05posted 14 years ago

   They're a quick tool that does not teach the dog anything other than he cannot do something WHILE the collar is on. As soon as you think the dog has learned not to do something and you remove the collar, the dog will do it again because he's learned not to do the behavior with the collar.
   
   Basically, it's a way to train them to do something when they know they won't get in trouble.
   
   Kind of like how dogs destroy the trash can when you're not home because if you're not home, there's no one there to stop them. Shock collars just train dogs to think smart.
   
   There's no long term training with these collars and negative punishment training.

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   Beth100posted 14 years ago

   I suggest the owner try it on first and have the dog press the button a few hundred times.  Then, the owner can decide.  I bet the answer will be a NO. 

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      Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      *slaps hand to head and shakes head back and forth*

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      alternate poetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This is actually the best idea here yet - dogs do what they are trained to do, and they learn from the owner and family.  If the dog is misbehaving it is lack of proper training or some picked up trait from its owners - if the owner also wore a reciprocal collar they would share the training experience and would think carefuly before using the button.  Both would learn far more quickly then and the whole torturing your pet thing would be resolved.

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   ralwusposted 14 years ago

   Beth and Whitney dint read mine. It does work if properly done.

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      Whitney05posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Nope... But it's not effective for long term goals. Punishment training and adversive training is not ideal, unless you use it 100% to the tee.

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      habeeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I kinda agree with Charlie here. I have one, and yes, hubby DID try it out on himself first. He adjusted it so that it just gave a "tingle" instead of a "shock." Our dogs quickly learned where their boundaries are. Now we don't have to worry about their running into the street. In fact, we don't even have to use the collar on one of them anymore - and he still NEVER leaves the yard. I can now let them out together to run and play, and they stay within their boundaries. We never have to use the "tingle" anymore, either. For the more stubborn dog, the "beep" is sufficient, and we rarely even have to use it. I now use positive reinforcement.
      
      We thought about fencing in the yard, but we'd have to have an eight-feet-tall fence with concertina wire at the top to keep in Great Danes. lol

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   Lecieposted 14 years ago

   you don't need a shock collar. just have that lady from animal planet, it's me or the dog, come teach you how to handle situations with your dog. she always trains the human first because dogs do usually follow our example.

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   paradigmsearchposted 14 years ago

   “Should dogs have shock collars?”
   
   I can’t speak as to dogs, but there are a few bipeds I can think of…

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   mrfluffyposted 14 years ago

   Dogs not sure, some politicians yes if I can set the level. lol *G*

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    libby101aposted 14 years ago

    I think inflicting pain on anything or anyone for them to do as you think they should is cruel! Believe it or not animals do feel pain!

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    jessicabposted 14 years ago

    I think thats more like abuse.

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    shibashakeposted 14 years ago

    I did consider using a shock collar when I got my first dog. He is a very stubborn and independent dog, so it was difficult to train him initially. However, I decided against the use of shock collars after I read some of the studies that have been performed on their use.
    
    In particular, shock collars *can* cause increased aggression in dogs and reduce quality of life by increasing stress. Often, the dog does not know where the shock comes from and how to stop the shocks from happening. This causes high stress levels, and may even cause the dog to respond with aggression.
    
    For example, Polsky's study on electric fences showed dogs becoming aggressive with people "over and beyond their normal behavior". Every time someone walks by, the dog goes to investigate and gets shocked for his trouble. In this way he starts to associate the shock with the person - which does not bring good results. Automatic timing often does not equate to correct timing.
    
    This is not to say that shock collars will never work - but it is a risky proposition and especially so when used in an unsupervised automatic setting.

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    libby101aposted 14 years ago

    I think using a shock collar is abuse! Why don't we just go ahead and put shock collars on all our children too??? I find it sad to see that people have used this on their animals! I think the owners should have to put the collars on and use the full "shock" on themselves when they step out of line! This is why animals attack people... because we inflict pain on them! I've owned many, many dogs... stubborns as well. I've never used any form of "pain" to enforce my dogs! I trained them with treats and love! And in the end it's the human's response to the animal's behavior that either corrected or enfluinced future behaviors!  It's up to the owners to be take the time to train an animal... inflicting pain is torture and the lazy way out!

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    Vanmilposted 14 years ago

    My ex in-laws used shock collars to keep the two dogs on their property, although i dont like the idea of such, in this case, it was needed as a lesser evil. Living on acreage subject to "farmers law" there were threats towards the dogs that they would be shot if they came near the neighbours sheep. I also remember trying to catch one of the dogs down the street and was terrified when he was almost run over as he thought i was playing a game with him whilst i was following him down the main road!!

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       libby101aposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I used fences to keep my outside dogs inside my property... it worked well! My neighbors had cows and horses and my larger dog always chased them! I was told the same thing... if my dog came back on their property he would be shot... so I fenced and ensured the dog couldn't get back out. And it worked! I wouldn't even consider shocking him. Sure a shock treatment will work... but is it moral? A fence works the same and it is not going to cause pain!
       
       BTW: I had a horse myself and kept him on the backside of the property fenced!

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    Tirzah Laughsposted 14 years ago

    Some neighborhoods forbid above ground fencing so underground is your only choice.   
    
    And a proper underground fence with a 'shock collar' will beep to warn the dog, some even vibrate.  Your yard should have flags up for the dog to have a visual reminder as well.
    
    These collars have settings.  Most go up to five.  Most dogs stay on a 1 or a two.
    
    My friends have a dog that is an escape artist.  He escaped from a six foot fence, an 8th foot fence.  The even replaced the wooden fence with chain fencing 8 feet  high.  They put in no dig screens under ground.
    
    You know what?  Every time they let him out to pee, he'd escape.  They'd get a 120 dollar fine if the dog warden picked him up and he was out in a heavily traffic'd neighborhood.
    
    This dog was intense, energetic and middle aged.   People were not going to line up to adopt him.
    
    So they finally put in an underground fence and you know what?  It actually worked.  He stopped escaping.
    
    The neighbors stopped writing complaints and the money they spent on fencing and the 2 grand they spent on trainers and escape proofing their yard was wasted.
    
    This dog was going to end up put down or with an shock collar. 
    
    Sometimes the hard choice is your only choice. Never say never.

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       libby101aposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I get your point...but still.. If he was an inside dog why not take him out on a leash??? My inside dogs, before I fenced, I took them out on leashes.

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          Tirzah Laughsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Because he's a thirty pound JRT mix with large amounts of energy. He gets worked up in the house and his owners are aging.    They've done everything to keep him in and he's just impossible.  The reason they have him is that his first owners couldn't keep him in the yard either and decided to rehome him.   This was his second and last chance.

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    b. Malinposted 14 years ago

    Well I guess if it's really necessary....My two dogs (many years ago) Burt & Brandy were great animals.  Brandy was a Belgium Shepard and Burt wa such a mut....but so loving.  Neither needed a Shock collar...They had each other's backs, and most the time well behaved...except if we were walking and a neighbor stopped to talk...Then they knew how to carry on...until I moved on with them. They had me well trained!
    
    Now on the other hand, there are a lot of PEOPLE out there who could certainly benefit from wearing a SHOCK COLLAR.... don't you think?

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       Tirzah Laughsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Most dog problems are due to the owners, not the dogs.  But occasionally you get a dog that comes with problems.
       
       )))

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       allbreedsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Yes sometimes they are necessary.And they work.

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    animallover247posted 14 years ago

    of course not animals should have rights!!!! and if u think so to u should vist my blog  its all about  stoping animal cruelty

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    animallover247posted 14 years ago

    should'nt animals have rights that is what i think i hope u do too  GO ANIMALS!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    patdmaniaposted 14 years ago

    Shock collars are a great invention.  Sure they might get shocked once or twice before they learn.  It only lasts a second or two and can save your dogs life.  I am not allowed to have fences at my house.  The only way to keep them in the yard is with a shock collar.  They are great with it.  They don't go anywhere they are not supposed to go, including the street where they can get hit by a car.

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    Andrea Hanlyposted 14 years ago

    Responsibility comes with being a pet owner. If people are not willing to take the time to properly train their pet, they should not get a pet in the first place. How about parents put shock collars on their infants to potty train them? crazy right? Well pet lovers think of pets as part of the family and even if they are not on a par with humans, shocking them into submission is not the answer.

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    psycheskinnerposted 14 years ago

    That assumes that even the mildest shock is more abussive than a verbal scolding or time out--which I would dispute.  Between a person who used an invisible fence while they are home and one who crates their dog while they are at work all day, I know which I think is worse.

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