NO BAN | Electric Shock Collars Ban | Have Your Say

Please use this thread to have your say if you DON'T want to see a ban of any sort whatsoever on Electric Shock Collars.

An E-collar is in no way comparable to the shockes you get from touching a bare electric wire or a fence around a field. In fact it is even less than some theraputic devises used to heal muscles (had such a therapy last year) Those who are opposed generaly don't know what they are talking about and don't work (if in thier cases you can even use this word) with highdrive dogs in an environment that needs total controle at a distance. The use off this devise is such that the dog is reminded, when necessery, that he has to listen at all times without regards to the distance there is between him and the handler. The argument that it is cruel is a fals argument. A: With the current TT's there is no way that you can hurt a dog in such a way that he is permanently injurred. With your foot you can kick a dog in such a way that he dies. So let us ban foots before we talk about banning other tools. Bans should be on behaviour and not tools especialy if these tools tend to be percieved wrong by the large public.

Greetings

Johan

I have been mulling over this for several years, I have not used an e-collar but we did consider it at one point, however events occured that deemed it not necessary. I shall expand upon that shortly.

My thoughts are a total ban on these, but with one exception. When all else fails in certain circumstances and only with the supervision of a licenced trainer, then they could be used.

I feel these collars have no place in the hands of just anyone as a training aid, they are cruel but there are occasions when it could mean your dogs very life is at stake and this could mean a last resort, the e-collar.

Our Doberman bitch was a real pain when she was younger as she loved to chase and pull down sheep. Simple answer, don't go where there are sheep! Erm yeah...problem is we have a farm...with sheep. The other problem is we like to go walking on Dartmoor, again full of sheep!

So options were keep the dog tethered and on a lead permanently, or try other training methods. Neither seemed to work despite our best efforts, it was crucial that this behaviour was stopped as there are several other farms adjacent and the owners would have had no hesitation in shooting the dog, such is the way in these parts.

Fortunately luck was on our side, there being an electric fence run from a mains tranformer on the farm which I can confirm from experience gives a very heathy jolt. She twice got zapped from this chasing sheep under the fence, the sheep being protected by their fleece and her being vunerable, the second occasion was enough to floor her as she caught it on the head.

The association now is that sheep = big electric shocks and she is cured from this and we never have had a problem since.

In conclusion, there is a place for these but not for general use. A last ditch resort when all else fails. If your dogs very life was at stake you would have to consider all options.

No ban. You can as well ban forks, thin lines, boots and bicycle wheels. All of these I've seen used wrong. I'd go for giving some sense in peoples heads and less competition in minds, that would cause more good doghandling.
My back has been massaged with e-collar with the same strenght as it was used for a dog. Both opened up. That's why no ban.

J

Gira just found out what the white ribbons around the horses are. She was quite shocked, but being my dog, it was an unavoidable lesson.
I'm against an e-collar ban, but I would support a mandatory test before being allowed to buy one. You would have to put it around your own neck and get zapped at full power before purchase.

Nav

Shock collars are not used for inflicting pain or fear any more than prong collars/choke chains/rattle bottles etc... They are used to SHOCK your dog out of a state where his instincts have taken over and he is totally focused on doing something that may well put his life in danger (like chasing livestock or the tyres on your tractor).

The shock they emit is surprisingly mild. It's no more shocking than a tens machine, electric exercise pads (the kind they sell in Sunday supplements) or the static shock you might get from touching a metal object. I HAVE USED ONE ON MYSELF!

Once a dog has already experienced the excitement of chasing livestock (or any other exciting but dangerous behaviour), it can be extremely difficult to snap them out of it. Using an e-collar can enable your dog to learn to listen to you when his instincts would otherwise take over.

Dogs develop conditioned behaviour VERY quickly and if this behaviour could result in them being shot, it's essential to train it out of them. A pack leader's natural response is to DISCIPLINE the dog for dangerous behaviour - not to bribe him away from it.

I have had a training session with an e-collar with my dog, who chases livestock. We are surrounded by sheep where I live and if he doesn't learn to leave them alone he is reduced to never being allowed off-lead; I think that is REALLY cruel! Not once during the training session did he show any signs of being in pain. It was the shock of the collar that snapped him out of his impending frenzy, as if a very loud noise had happened. We only had to use the shock button 4 or 5 times before he learned to continue listening to us rather than go off chasing the sheep and within 20 minutes he was walking off-lead HAPPILY just a couple of yards away from the sheep. RESULT!! It's MUCH, MUCH better than him getting shot!!!

I don't have an e-collar simply because I can't afford one, but if I could I would buy one tomorrow - unless I can find another way to enable my dog to walk off-lead where there is livestock about.

Totally agree, I also have never used one of these collars, but if it was a choice between my dog being shot by a farmer for chasing sheep, or the only way to control my dogs instincts, then i wouldnt think twice, happily, there are only cows and horses around me and my dogs are terrified of the cows.

it depends on what occasion they are used ,if they are used to get the attention of a dog chasing something and going near the road then no i dont think they should you can get them that just vibrate or whistle so that is ok too imo ,in the back garden no to stop barking no ,they were i think initially designed for hunting dogs that can be difficult to get their attention.