Shock collars for dogs are used for a variety of reasons. This can include many different reasons, such as helping a dog to behave better, or to keep a dog from escaping. This all sounds good, but shock collars for dogs can be controversial as well. This is because some people claim it can hurt a dog, since the shock collar causes a shock to the dog. But some people claim it does help with behavioral issues and many other aspects in training your dog.
This can obviously lead people to be confused and wonder if they are hurting their dog by making them wear a shock collar. Because of this, there are many questions people ask about shock collars, especially if they are safe and humane for a dog to wear. Here we will talk about what a shock collar is and if it is exactly safe and humane to use one on your dog. With that said, let us look at some of the common questions people ask regarding shock collars for dogs.
Are Dog Shock Collars Safe and Humane?
Shock collars are a common go-to for humans looking to correct a dog’s behavior. If you ask many associations whether or not these shock collars are inhumane or cruel, many would agree that it is inhumane. Both the RSPCA (Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), and the Kennel Club, have both agreed that this is an inhumane and unsafe way to punish a dog for its behavior.
This is because when you shock a dog when another incident is happening, the dog will then associate the incident with the electric shock. Dogs cannot reason like us humans do, and therefore, they don’t understand that the shock is for them to stop one particular aspect of unwanted bad behavior.
These collars are placed on the neck of the dog and give them a mild or painful shock that is supposed to stop their unwanted behavior. Often the shock collars are considered counterproductive in this regard. The dog will just associate the shock with people, and begin to have fear around humans they see as inflicting pain.
Do Shock Collars Hurt the Dog?
We talked about how shock collars can be inhumane and cruel. This goes for any animal and not just a dog. But to answer the question, yes, shock collars do hurt the dog because if they didn’t hurt the dog, they wouldn’t work.
But this does not mean just because these shock collars work, that we should be putting them on all dogs. As we mentioned before, the collar releases a shock that can be anywhere from mild to painful. This can obviously be very painful to a dog. Not only that, shock collars can cause seizures in dogs, especially if the dog is prone to having seizures (is epileptic).
Also, we also talked about how this can harm the dog’s mental health. The dog will associate the shock with humans and be afraid of humans, which is often considered counterproductive.
So yes, shock collars can hurt a dog. Not only physically, but will hurt the dog mentally, too.
What Do Vets Say About Shock Collars?
Of course, as we discussed, there are varying opinions about whether or not shock collars should be used for dogs. This makes it a very controversial subject, and veterinarians have an opinion on this also.
The answer is no, most vets never recommend using shock collars on dogs for training. This is because they don’t want the owner to take the risk of them affecting their pet’s health. And on top of that, almost all vets have seen at least one incident where there has been misuse of the shock collar.
Not only do vets agree that it is inhumane and cruel for dogs, but they also use guidelines and rules set by animal rights organizations. And most of these animal rights organizations disagree with the use of a shock collar. Not only that, but many clinical trials and experiments have shown proof that these shock collars are harmful to a dog’s health and overall well-being. There are also many studies that have been done, that indicate that these experiments are correct in their findings, too.
See Also: Can Small Dogs Can Live in the Yard?
And: Is Dog Daycare Good For Your Dog?
What Can I Use Instead of a Shock Collar?
Of course, like all things, there are alternatives to use. This is also the case for shock collars as well. There are many alternatives to shock collars that have the same benefits as shock collars but don’t cause any damage or harm to your dog. Here are a few examples.
Vibration collars use the same idea as shock collars do, but without the pain caused to your dog. These collars do exactly what you would think they do. They vibrate on your dog’s neck, just like it would be giving them a shock.
Citronella Bark Collars are another alternative to shock collars. You’ll have to make sure to train your dog properly when using this collar, though. Citronella collars are the same as a shock collar or vibration collar. But instead of giving your dog a shock, it will release citronella oil. While citronella oil isn’t harmful to dogs, they still don’t like the smell of citronella oil. Therefore, they will associate the bad scent with their bad behavior and should stop doing that behavior after a while.
The vibration collars and the citronella bark collars are the best alternatives to using a shock collar while also not causing any harm to your dog.
Conclusion
We talked about how shock collars are inhumane and dangerous to a dog. Not only does a shock collar cause physical pain, but it also causes mental pain as well, which can make a dog fear humans, and have anxiety around people. We answered some of the more common questions to do with shock collars, like veterinarians’ opinions on shock collars. We also discussed the best alternatives to using a shock collar too. We hope we answered your questions and cleared up any confusion about using shock collars on dogs.
Featured image: Electric Shock Collar for a Dog
