E Collars

Why do we choose to add a dog to our family? In almost all cases we are looking for a companion, perhaps with a little protection capability added in. We, as a nation, love our pets. In the United States of America, we will spend approximately $60 BILLION dollars on our pets this year alone. We call them furbabies, many share our beds with them at night, they live in our homes and we love them unconditionally. We form a bond with them, and consider them part of our family. So where on earth did we come to the belief that blasting them with electrical shocks is a "humane" way to teach them?

There are different kinds of E- collars marketed for dogs. Some work with an underground containment system or "invisible fence". Some are remote devices controlled by an owner or trainer. Others are intended to curb excessive barking. They contain a battery and electrodes that penetrate the fur to contact the sensitive skin on a dog's neck and release a charge of varying intensity when activated. There is a potential when activated for anywhere from 1500-4500 volts to be released when the collar is discharged. Have you ever been zapped by an outlet in your house? For some perspective, your household outlet releases about 120 volts. So there is no doubt as to the significance of what is happening to the dog. Proponents of these devices will refer to it as "stimulation". That's an understatement to say the least. An electrical shock of any sort causes undue pain and stress, this is no different when it happens to your dog. Sadly, I personally know of cases where beloved family pets have resorted to biting family members or in one case, a dog that was sent to a professional "trainer" and had a stroke as a result of this "stimulation" and had to be rehabilitated to be able to walk again. Do we want to create these issues in a member of our family?

Multiple studies show that these types of devices create far more problems than they solve. Let's take the case of the invisible fence as an example. Imagine that you are out in your yard on a nice day,having a stroll. You see something that looks out of place to you (such as the small boundary flags that are recommended when introducing this system). You go to investigate and hear a beep. Odd, you think, and proceed, when you are suddenly hit with a strong, painful electrical shock that travels through your carotid artery and jugular vein, causing a heart palpitation, and great pain. What did you learn from this experience? If you think like your dog, you probably aren't too excited about the prospect of setting foot out in your yard anytime soon.

As a training facility, we get calls about dogs with behavioral concerns. Fearful behaviors, erratic reactions to objects and stimuli, occasionally aggression problems. I have learned now that the first question I ask is if the dog has been exposed to any of these electronic training devices. 99% of the time, the answer is yes. The companies that manufacture these are not regulated and fail to let the public know that malfunctions are extremely common. I have frequently witnessed electronic collars activating when they are not intended to- they can pick up frequencies from the neighbor's garage door opener, your TV remote, even appliances in your home or if they happen to get wet. So Fifi is having a nice nap on the couch next to Grandma and ZAP! Does Fifi know that Grandma just changed the channel? No. Fifi knows that she just got painfully startled out of a sound sleep for no good reason and may very well react accordingly. Then Fifi will be accused of "erratic" behavior and lashing out "without warning". But if we look at the factors involved is this truly the case? Is this something we would want to do to a family member? Be it Fifi or Grandma?

Many European countries, including Germany, have banned the use of these devices outright, and having one in your possesion is considered a crime. But here in America they are completely unregulated, promoted as "safe" and "humane", and can be purchased relatively inexpensively at the local Wal-Mart by anyone with no experience whatsoever. This is a recipe for disaster.
Our dogs are living, thinking, feeling beings- that's why we love them. They are capable of learning just about anything that we are willing to take the time to teach them in a patient, humane, and loving manner. Are we that lazy that we are willing to risk their mental and physical health in our quest for a "quick fix"? They are family, there is no reason to treat them as anything else.