Is a dog training shock collar a humane tool for using on your dog? Dog owners and animal rights advocate groups are sharply divided on the subject. A shock collar is basically an electronic collar that shocks your dog when he does the wrong thing. You can choose from different levels of shocks, depending on how severe you want the shock to be. However, the shock should never be set for more than the dog can handle, which is usually determined by his size. A bigger dog can take a much larger shock than a smaller dog. You hold a transmitter that you use to send the shock, and you do so whenever your dog does something you don't like. Because your dog won't associate the shock with you, only the behavior, you can train your dog without your dog coming to fear you, which is what you need to establish and maintain a good relationship with him.
If your dog does not respond to the shock, you can set it for a slightly higher setting. You can use the collar to teach your dog to not jump up on people, for example, or to not chew on the furniture. The dog will start to associate doing certain behaviors with getting shocked, if you are consistent with its use, so you want to be sure you always have the transmitter on hand if you are using this method.
Of course, there are people and groups who believe shock collars are inhumane, because they cause the dog pain. They liken the use of these collars to abuse. When it comes to dog training shock collar use, it is really all a matter of personal preference and beliefs. If you believe shocking your dog to be abusive, then find another way of training him. If it doesn't bother you, then go ahead. As long as you don't set the shock level high enough to actually do damage to your dog, it will cause him no lasting harm, and he will not become fearful of you because he won't know you are delivering the shocks (but he WOULD know if you were hitting him, for example). If you think this training method might be right for you, try it and see how it works. If it doesn't feel right, you can always choose another method.
