People use all types of devices to train and control their dogs. But none are as misunderstood and misused as the electronic shock collar. Not to be confused with the bark collar or area containment collars, the electronic shock collar is a hand-held remote-controlled devise used to control a dog’s behavior by emitting an electric shock to the dog’s neck when the trainer pushes a button. In inexperienced hands, this device is torturous.
Many years ago I was at a park with one of my dogs. A dog trainer I didn’t recognize was there with a Rottweiler. The dog was supposedly learning to come-when-called. The trainer was using a shock collar to train the dog but what she was actually doing was terrorizing him. This trainer didn’t understand a very basic concept. That pain, when used as a motivator, is best used to stop behavior, not to initiate behavior. The trainer was trying to teach the dog to come to her when she called him. However, when he would start to move in the wrong direction, she would give him a shock. This caused the dog to react by bolting in order to get away from the pain. Unfortunately, he bolted in the wrong direction which brought him more shocks.
The poor dog had no idea what was going on or why he was suddenly being attacked. It was very hard for me to watch. Finally, unable to avoid the shocks as he never inadvertently went in the “right” direction, the dog lay on the grass, panting and shaking. The trainer walked up to him, snapped on a leash and called the dog to her. The dog was too afraid to move. Not knowing which direction was safe for him, he had decided that no movement was the best alternative. She called him again and gave a tug on the leash. Tentatively, the dog took a few shaky steps forward. She praised him but he was far too upset to appreciate the praise. I asked what the dog had learned. Very defensive, she told me that the dog had learned to not bolt when commanded to come. I shook my head as I walked away. I knew that what the dog had actually learned was that when you are told to come, mysterious, unseen creatures attack you from out of nowhere. That it is best to not move at all when commanded to come because the creatures will attack if you move. And, that large, grassy, areas are to be avoided at all costs because that appears to be where the mysterious creatures reside. Poor dog.
Training a dog is time consuming. This trainer was cutting corners by depending on an electronic devise to do the work for her. Shock collars are not training devises, they are punishment devices. Shock collars do not train, they punish. It is the trainer’s job to train the dog. If done correctly, there is no need for punishment.
