Trainers that use shock collars exist??

[Jess041]

I absolutely love my trainer. In fact, Missy and I made friends with another girl and her 5 month old sheltie (I'll have to post pics of them playing, it's hilarious!). I started talking about the trainer we went to and she said she found the exact same one and was planning on taking her dog there. I was like YES! GO! So I'm really excited that they're going to go to her.. she's awesome. And yes, I say she's my trainer because I think she trained me more than anything .

But yes.. I was and still am completely surprised by the whole shock collar thing. My trainer does clicker training and positive reinforcement only. She doesn't allow choke chains or prong collars in class, but does recomend martingales at home. One of these days I'm going to have a hard time not saying something... and I hate confrontation.

 

[Toffee's Mom]

I absolutely love my trainer. In fact, Missy and I made friends with another girl and her 5 month old sheltie (I'll have to post pics of them playing, it's hilarious!). I started talking about the trainer we went to and she said she found the exact same one and was planning on taking her dog there. I was like YES! GO! So I'm really excited that they're going to go to her.. she's awesome. And yes, I say she's my trainer because I think she trained me more than anything .

But yes.. I was and still am completely surprised by the whole shock collar thing. My trainer does clicker training and positive reinforcement only. She doesn't allow choke chains or prong collars in class, but does recomend martingales at home. One of these days I'm going to have a hard time not saying something... and I hate confrontation.

Well, I am known to speak my mind.. but in all reality we are 'fighting' against stream line media and so called dog whisperers and old style common compulsion methods that worked if done right, even if it didn't make one feel good... SO, all one can try is to give alternative methods of training, instead of blame ( I AM learning, I swear), and some people just aren't open to hear anything, and those are the lost causes that make me terribly sad

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

Yes as Choke Collars in my opinon!!! There is no need to yank on a dogs neck.

Then all collars are equal. Because all collars yank on dogs necks. Chokes, flat, martingale, whatever, they all yank equally.

 

[Toffee's Mom]

Then all collars are equal. Because all collars yank on dogs necks. Chokes, flat, martingale, whatever, they all yank equally.

I disagree
They do not yank equally.
Choke and prong collars are made as 'training tools' to 'correct' the dog for doing something wrong, to inflict pain and create an aversive reaction.
Martingales and regular collars were not designed with this in mind, but to 'control' the dog where it could go. I am starting to not be a fan of regular collars either, mind you and think easy harnesses are the way to go for that reason...!
But hey... call a spade a spade choke and prong collars are there to inflict pain

 

[HopeShelties]

If you're not careful, you can unintentionally cause quite a bit of damage to the dog with the head collars. I've known of a few dogs injured by owners not paying attention or through ignorance of the tool.
Any type of collar can be damaging in the wrong hands. It's like bits for horses. A fat smooth eggbutt snaffle is supposed to be the kindest bit out there, yet there are riders with such harsh hands that can bloody a horses mouth with one. A mule bit, or bicycle bit are supposed to be some of the harshest english bits, yet in the hands of a skilled rider, they can communicate information to the horse with a very light touch from the rider.
I'm not advocating any one collar over the other... just saying any can be bad in the wrong hands, and the kindness of the collar is largely dependent on the skill of the hands it in. The only one I can flat out find dislike for is the shock collar.

 

[Toffee's Mom]

But that's just IT, imo
back to the ole 'it's just a tool, if not used correctly' is a step in the wrong direction, just because it potentially causes less pain than others!
It all inflicts pain, period.
There are other and more modern ways to give information and train which are more species appropriate and not pain inducing physical manipulations, but problem solving solutions on figuring out what motivates and works for that individual

 

[Sharon]

Shock Collars

Then all collars are equal. Because all collars yank on dogs necks. Chokes, flat, martingale, whatever, they all yank equally.

I disagree my collars do not yank on their necks and they wear the regular collar.You're gonna tell me the trainer that was yanking on this labs neck was the dogs doing.The dog cowered by this trainer yanking and popping his neck.

 

[rose]

with Tessa, it's easy, no collar, that girl is a hodini. so have to use harness, a good fool proof one. i think if she tried, she could get out of a straight jacket.

 

[corbinam]

This weekend I went to our local Oktoberfest. There was a tent there with some really nice marketing and a beautiful pitbull sitting there. I noticed that there were some agility jumps, so my husband and I headed that way. The first thing my husband saw was a giant sign that said "guaranteed off leash control"--and we were immediately suspicious.

Upon further inspection the pitbull was wearing a shock collar and was absolutely petrified. He would walk up and sniff people when instructed to do so, but he was slinking around, tail tucked the whole time. He had absolutely zero spark in his eyes. It was heartbreaking.

I wanted to throw up.

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

I disagree my collars do not yank on their necks and they wear the regular collar.You're gonna tell me the trainer that was yanking on this labs neck was the dogs doing.The dog cowered by this trainer yanking and popping his neck.

You are talking about methods. I am separating the action of the collar against the throat from how that action originated. My comment that all solid (non prong) collars apply the same pressure across the front of the throat when pulled is still true. I am not looking at how or why the collar gets yanked or what the training methods are. It's not relevant.

My dogs don't pull. So I can put whatever collar I wish on them, and they don't know the difference. I use martingales, and metal and nylon chokes. I have a pretty serious bias against head collars and harnesses.