Should electric shock dog collars be banned? I say yes. And I don't just say yes in a mild manner, I strongly say yes. The equipment should be banned because it's cruel and unreliable.
Using pain to discourage unwanted behaviour is simply wrong. You could and should be using rewards to encourage good behaviour instead of relying on punishment to train. The bottom line is that you can and absolutely should train your dog without the use of painful shock therapy.
The concept of how this equipment works is simply horrific. It allows the trainer or owner to remotely deliver an electric shock to a dog in order to suppress an undesirable behaviour. Shock collars train a dog to respond out of fear of further pain and even allow increasing the pain level if the dog continues its bad behaviour.
Scientific research confirms that this method is painful and can influence the animal's well being negatively in the long term. There is clear evidence that the use of this devices is unsafe, unnecessary and inhumane.
Experiments showed that shocks can cause responses associated with fear and distress such as yelping, struggling, hiding, biting, freezing, trembling, cowering, defecation and urination, just to name a few. They can make a dog scared of almost anything that they are looking at or smelling when they get shocked.
Shock collars also have a high potential for misuse, especially if they get into the hands of owners who may be inexperienced, impatient, angry, frustrated or even sadistic. Regrettably, they often do.
All experts agree that there is absolutely no need to use this sort of equipment. Positive, reward based training methods are far more effective than punishment or negative reinforcement methods.
I have no doubt that shock collar training can be at least superficially effective, but your dog could end up being afraid of you or even damaged in the long term. The use of reward-based training is far more effective and results in a more positive relationship between the dog and the owner.
Luckily, shock collars has already been subjected to ban or control in a number of countries in Europe, including France and Germany. But they are still widely available and used in the US.
I would never consider using a shock collar on my dogs. I've always used positive reinforcement to train them and had nothing but great results. Remember, dogs need training not punishment.
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