Yes

by Carolyn Teasley

Created on: August 23, 2011   Last Updated: August 24, 2011

Should the Use of Electrical Shock Collars in Dogs be Banned?

There are two schools of thought on whether electrical shock collars should be banned from being used to train dogs. The first group are the ones who believe use of the electrical shock collar as a training tool is okay under certain circumstances:

*The person using the electrical shock collar is well trained in the correct use of the collar

*You have consulted with a professional dog trainer or your vet.

*All other means of training a dog have been exhausted

*The electrical shock collar helps keep the dog under better control

The second group find use of the electrical shock collar as inhumane because it intentionally inflicts pain and discomfort on the dog.

There are newer electrical shock collars out on the market now that are adjustable to work on any size dog. Some styles of the ESC come with remotes for working with dogs from a distance. It is essential that you read and fully understand the user instructions before trying the ESC on your dog. Otherwise, you could hurt you dog with too much voltage.

There are pros and cons to using a ESC. One of the pros is using the ESC will teach your dog boundaries. This will help keep your dog from running out in traffic and possibly being hurt or killed. A con is with some dogs is once they get shocked after you call them to you, they begin to associate pain from the ESC afterwards and become less likely to come to you when called. They begin to expect the shock. Then they are more apt to run in the opposite direction.

A poll on the website "Dogsey, The Site for Dog Lovers" (www.dogey.com) came up with the following results:

Out of 260 voters the Persons who wanted the ESC ban were 186 voters = 71.54%

                               Persons who wanted the ESC partially ban were 51 voters = 19.62%

                               Persons who were not bothered by the ESC were 5 voters = 1.92%

                              Persons who wanted no ban of the ESC were 18 voters = 6.92%

This poll clearly shows more negative feelings toward the use of the Electrical Shock Collar.

One last example that proves the ESC is rather painful was an entry on America's Funniest Videos. A young man had agreed to try the ESC on his own neck. As his friend slowly up the voltage, he became more uncomfortable. He became stressed and worked to quickly remove the collar. This act in itself proves how painful the Electrical Shock Collar is.

References

http://wwwaquafind.com/articles/dog8.php

http://www.dogey.com/showthread.php?t=42616

http://www.k9ring.com.blog/post/Are-Electric-Shock-Collars-Cruel-and-Inhumane.aspx

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