articles about shock collars/e-collars

articles about shock collars/e-collars

August 20, 2017

Here are some good articles to read when considering whether to use a trainer who uses shock/e-collars as part of their training program:

The #1 website for Canadians who are concerned about shock collars and the site that's been around the longest is "Banshockcollars.ca" - it is an advocacy site that is concerned about the use and proliferation of the devices - if you have concerns about the use of shock collars/e-collars you should go here first - they have a lot of good information - the authors of this website have built a 2nd very interesting website to build awareness around different collars called "petcollarawareness.com" that you should also check out

A lady who has written quite a few articles about shock collars and has a lot of information about them is "Eileenanddogs" - you can find them on one page at http://eileenanddogs.com/shock-collar-info/

One very good page on her blog is an article called "Is it really just a tap? Shock collar training explained"

Another good blogger/trainer is Yvette Van Veen and she wrote a blog entitled "Pinch me AKA Prong me" that talks about when she put these devices around her own neck and what happened. It's very good.

An article called "Don't shock the dog" - "Dog training, canine coaching and any canine consultation is about stepping into the dog’s mind and looking out through their eyes in order to understand why they are behaving a certain way. Then carefully communicating to the dog what we would like them to do instead. Finally making the change worthwhile to the dog, not just to the people around him

A classic - "Shock Collars are not like TENS Machines"

From "Respect your dog - Arguments used by proponents of shock collars

From Companion Animal Psychology - "the end for shock collars?"

From Paws Abilities - the problem with remote collars

From the Pet Professional Guild - the shocking truth

Usually gun dog trainers all train their dogs with shock collars - this one does not - "Expert dog trainer Robert Milner says heck no to shock collars"

From Victoria Stilwell - "Every dog owner should know about this new shock collar study"

Electronic Dog training Collars - a comparison of the best products on the market

Canine aggression issues with Jim Crosby

Shock Collars - what manufacturers don't want you to know

Comments

Quotes from animal behaviourists around the world

“Electric shock has no place in modern dog training and behavior management. It is never necessary, and is inhumane and side effect-laden. I know of no valid argument for the continued sale of these devices.” - Jean Donaldson, founder and principal instructor, The Academy for Dog Trainers and author of The Culture Clash.

“It is my honor to join the PPG in the movement to stop the use of shock collars for training and behavior and participate in the campaign to raise awareness of the devastating effects on canine health and well-being as well as the damage to the relationship between dogs and their people." -Linda Tellington-Jones Ph.D. (Hons), developer of the Tellington TTouch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM®) and Tellington TTouch^TM.

“I’ve witnessed first-hand the destructive power of shock collars in dog training. Shock collar and electric fence companies will tell you they’re not harmful when used ‘correctly,’ but this is false. What they don’t tell you about is the damage these devices can do, both to the human/canine bond and to a dog’s emotional stability. The ineffectiveness of these tools in terms of emotional shutdown is common and research has also effectively shown that using shock to train dogs is ultimately harmful and should be avoided at all costs.” - Victoria Stilwell, dog behavior expert and trainer, host and presenter of Animal Planet’s It’s Me or the Dog.

"Cruelty can't stand the spotlight. And, abuse must be countered head on. Dogs need all the voices they can get. We are their lifeline, their oxygen, and they are totally dependent on our goodwill and for us to work selflessly and tirelessly on their behalf.” - Renowned ethologist Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., University of Colorado, author of The Animals’ Agenda: Freedom, Compassion, and Coexistence in the Human Age (marcbekoff.com)

“It is morally reprehensible to use shock to control the behavior of the sentient, sensitive beings we call our best friends. Shock collars work because they hurt, and it is absolutely possible to train dogs successfully and effectively without using them. If you don’t have to hurt and frighten your dog in the name of training, why on earth would you?” - Pat Miller CBCC-KA CPDT-KA, director, Peaceable Paws Trainer Academies.

“The behaviors for which people wish to use shock in dogs are those that annoy humans. These behaviors are either signals or nonspeciﬁc signs of underlying distress. The question should be, are we doing harm when we use shock to extinguish behaviors, some of which may be normal? If one is considering the mechanism of cellular learning, the answer must be yes.” - Karen L. OverallMA VMD Ph.D. DACVB, editor-in-chief, Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research.

“I’m shocked to learn about shock collars and I support the drive to ban them.” Dr. David SuzukiPh.D., award-winning scientist, environmentalist and recipient of the Order of Canada.

“Anxious dogs freeze or flee when startled. These are natural responses. The more anxious a dog is, the easier it is to scare the dog into immobility. Immobility is not the same as calm or happy or obedient. Immobility can mean being frozen in fear. Aversive corrections and punishment-based training methods startle dogs into immobility. Harsh verbal corrections, choke collars, prong collars and shock collars are all positive punishment strategies – positive in that they add an undesirable consequence in order to get the dog to “stop” – with the shock collar being the most evil villain of all. Good people who care about dogs still fall victim to the lie that this collar does NOT hurt dogs. It does. It hurts both physically and emotionally. If it didn’t hurt enough to scare the dog, then it wouldn’t stop the behavior. The seemingly innocent beep (also called a tone) is threatening – as threatening as pointing a gun at someone, but stopping short of pulling the trigger. The beep may not cause physical pain, but it still causes fear and is not in the best emotional interest of our dogs. Our anxious dogs deserve empathy and compassion, not shock or the threat of being shocked. Please help by taking shock off the table.” - Theresa L. DePorter DVM MRCVS DECAWBM DACVB, veterinary behaviorist.