On shock collars

[Maralynn]

I would once again like to point out that many, many SAR dogs are trained without ecollars. I know ecollars are used, but it is far from commonplace IME.

 

The difference I see between bark collars and ecollars is the fact the the timing is perfect with a bark collar. Bark = correction, the dog can put two and two together quickly and avoid it. You have to be pretty skilled to get that same perfect timing with an ecollar. And without that timing and proper foundation you create issues really quickly. I see the value they can have in some situations and with the right trainer, but the average dog owner is clueless about them and uses them as a quick fix ending up doing much more harm than good.

 

Just my 2 cents...

[mum24dog]

The difference I see between bark collars and ecollars is the fact the the timing is perfect with a bark collar. Bark = correction, the dog can put two and two together quickly and avoid it. Just my 2 cents...

 

Not always -

 

A nearby dog barking can set some of them off and in the worst case scenario the shocked dog can redirect it's aggression onto that dog.

 

External effects can also activate them, presumably in the same way my car alarm often goes off on its own when I'm parked outside my daughter's house but nowhere else.

 

And they can malfunction and burn the dog.

[mum24dog]

One thing that always crossing my mind in discussions about e collars is, what about electric fences?

 

This is what happens to people who use a shock collar with an electric fence in Wales -

 

http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/shock-collar-ban-enforced-wales-hefty-fine-owner

 

That guy was lucky to escape jail.

 

Note that the dog still got out. Given sufficient motivation many dogs will override the pain but the risk is then that when the adrenaline subsides they could then be too afraid to return over the fence. It has happened and dogs have been killed on the road because they couldn't return to safety for fear of being hurt.

[mum24dog]

I have no doubt that in the hands of a skilled trainer they can work for certain applications, a friends father is a very skilled gun dog trainer who is now doing government work and it is in his tool box, but only as one of many tools.

 

You might be interested in this article from someone in the same line of work who has ditched the shock collar -

 

http://www.shotgunlife.com/wingshooting/wingshooting/expert-dog-trainer-robert-milner-says-heck-no-to-shock-collars.html?fb_action_ids=528655187169194&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22528655187169194%22%3A277424235717383%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22528655187169194%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

[mum24dog]

One more -

 

I know 2 people who have used a shock collar on their dogs to stop them chasing sheep, both under the guidance of "experts".

 

The husky is now dead - shot by a farmer when it went out of sight of its owner and killed a couple of sheep. The owner thought it was cured but clearly not. You can't beat training a good recall.

 

The BC now has epileptic fits that it didn't have before the collar was used. Not sufficient to prove cause and effect but worth thinking about. I don't think it's beyond the bounds of possibility that administering an electric shock might trigger a predisposition to fits that may not have surfaced otherwise.

 

Most people where I live manage to train their dogs not to bother the sheep without using a shock collar. It's particularly important because there is almost nowhere to exercise them where there are no sheep nearby and if they do get amongst them they are likely to die, either by being shot or by being pts as a liability.