You read the entire outer package, but you wish you could rip into that plastic to get more information. Ah... sales copy is a wonderful tool. Instead, you buy the collar, not really knowing if you will actually use it. At least you can take it home and mull it over a little while.
At home you find yourself on the internet, reading everything you can about shock collars. You learn that the inspiration behind the shock collar was the ability to train your dog from a distance. This is the dream of all dog owners. To be able to call your dog and have them whip around and come tally ho back to you.
The idea behind a shock collar is a well known training principle. That principle is to provide a distraction to your dog when they are intent on something other than listening to you.
There are entire dog training schools that rely on the use of shock collars as the major training method. There are also dog training schools that condemn the use of any type of "training" collar, shock or choker. How do you know which training method is right?
Here are some things you may not know about shock collars.
A shock collar works on a radio system. The collar and the handheld portion must be on the same frequency in order for the system to work. There are often several frequencies from which to choose. Collars have been know to "cross frequencies" which is similar to "receiving" two radio stations at the same time. The consequence of crossing frequencies is that someone else's handheld portion can control your dogs' collar. When they push the training button on their remote, your dog gets shocked. Unfortunately, the only way you would know this happened was by the reaction of your dog. That also means, the shock level of the other persons' handheld will be the shock level that your dog receives. Simply put, your dog is the radio and the handheld portion is the station. This can only happen when more than one electronic collar occupies the same frequency area. That said, some of the newer shock collars boast a range of 2 miles.
Shock collars have been known to burn a dogs' neck. The collar that attaches to your dog has two prongs. When those prongs connect with your dogs neck you have completed a circuit. When you hit the remote control you send a signal to the collar. When that signal hits the circuit on your dogs neck an electrical current hits your dog. The strength of the wave sent to the collar gives the intensity of the shock. I have had the experience of working at an animal hospital and seeing burns from shock collars. As with anything electrical, the system can fail.
Shock collars weigh more than regular collars. The weight of the collar offers some training drawbacks. The most common drawback is that your dog knows when he is wearing the collar and when he is not. You might think one way to solve this problem would be to leave the shock collar on the neck, while keeping the collar turned off. A shock collar needs to be worn fairly snug so the "prongs" that deliver the electric shock connect with the neck of your dog. Fur is actually an insulator against shock. If you leave the snug shock collar on for long periods of time the prongs can irritate the neck. This is a double negative. Not only does the portion of the collar that delivers the shock irritate your dog, but the irritation is continuous. This blurs the line between distraction due to a shock and irritation due to the collar.
Timing is everything. The most popular argument against using a shock collar is getting the timing wrong. The intention of a shock collar is to distract your dog the instant he ignores your command. Two things work against you in timing a shock. The first is the amount of time it takes your hand to hit the button, and the second is the amount of time it takes the signal to reach the collar. Often, by the time the shock hits the collar, the moment you were trying to capture has passed by. The farther your dog is from you the longer it takes to "receive" the signal. Remember that your dog relates the shock to the thing he was doing the instant he was shocked. Imagine for a moment what happens if your dog starts looking towards you in the same split second the shock takes place. Unfortunately, this scenario happens quite often.
If you have watched any races that use sound as a starting signal, you will also note that a flag is waved. This is because hand eye signals travel faster than sound. Hand to eye coordination can happen almost as fast as a reflex. This is the idea behind "clicker training". Your hand to eye coordination can be fast enough that you are able to reward (click) a behavior at the correct instant. But, if your click timing was wrong, the only damage done to your dog was a rewarded behavior that was not intended. A quick fix would be to not ask for that behavior again.
Are all shock collars bad?
One thing to keep in mind about shock collars is that they are a training tool. A hammer can be a tool, but it can also be a weapon. If you are building a house, you will need a variety of tools. You cannot build a house with just a hammer. Shock collars can be set at very low levels, and when used carefully can help change the behavior of an otherwise incorrigible dog. A well trained dog that enjoys his work is based on a relationship, and not punishment. If you choose a shock collar for your dog, your goal is to get your dog to listen without it.