by Rae Saeed

Created on: November 16, 2009   Last Updated: November 17, 2009

It breathes like a person, it may walk on four legs but it still walks like a person. It eats, sleeps and feels like a person. So don't treat dogs or any other animals for that matter, like an animal if that makes sense.

From P.E.T.A (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) campaigns to humane societies and a few other adoption centres around the world. Animal lovers have made it their mission to promote the fairness and civility of human beings towards man's best friend, among fellow animal friends.

The topic here for now however, is in relation to dogs and the fact that they deserve love and humane behavioural training methods. Training techniques of any kind should never involve the actual use of a shock collar. Here's why, did you ever stop to think how much pain you're putting him/her in everytime he/she is shocked everytime it does anything wrong? The right and safe thing to do is to simply tell your what it can do, always avoid what it can't do. Ironic coming from someone who's never had a dog but from being around those who have, I've noticed that raising your voice to a certain level proves a point as well.

Notice that not one piece of advice listed above involves a shock collar?
It's a very bad idea and proves nothing but effective abuse, which is never the point you want to get across.

It's quite possible that such collars can have a psychological effect on the dog. Shock collars are useless and abusive. All your dog would learn from that is that it's ok to hurt someone for doing something wrong. For having an accident on their owners living room rug, yes they should be punished, but in a safe, humane way. As long as your pooch knows what they did was wrong, then they should eventually learn to never do it again. See? No shock collar needed.

It's painful to see that any sane human being would want to do that to an innocent creature.

One needs to ask him/herself this question: How would I feel if I had to wear something like that as a child? How would I feel if everytime I caused mischief, instead of being yelled at or spanked with a wooden spoon, I got electrocuted a little?

Yes, you wouldn't like that very much would you? Dare I say there's even quite the possibility that such an abusive childhood can filter on to affect you as an adult? That's right I'm comparing kids to puppies, both have emotions and can physically feel pain. Electric shocks collars are never used on human children and should therefore never be used on dogs either.

However, leash laws must apply to dogs. Also, as much as I don't approve, there are certain mothers that put their children on leashes as well, simply for those extra rambunctious tots. So, point being, don't shock your canine folks, not literally anyways.

See Link: http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/information/poppysopinio ns/shockcollars/

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