Electric Shock Pet Collars To Be Banned, Here Is Why

By Sughra Hafeez in News On 21st March 2018
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"Cruel and unnecessary"

Animal rights campaigners calling for the devices to be made illegal. Campaigners called the shock collars "cruel and unnecessary".

Animal welfare's discouraged the use of shock collars

Green Acres discourages the use of shock collars on pets for containment, training via positive punishment or negative reinforcement, or management of barking because;

1) it causes pain and stress,

2) they can cause aggression and

3) because there are alternative humane methods to training and containment.

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Behavioral distress

The uses of e-collars have found a clear risk the use of dog shock collars presents. A study conducted by Cooper et al. on the welfare of dogs observed that dogs trained with e-collars had more signs of behavioral distress. The similar problems were observed when shock collars were used in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines, meaning that even dog owners who know how to use shock collars properly cannot avoid the disadvantages of these devices. This was proven by measuring stress hormone cortisol levels in dogs, which is the most effective way to understand distress in canines.

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Michael Gove, environment secretary said:

"We are a nation of animal lovers, and the use of these punitive devices can cause harm and suffering, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to our pets."

"Organisations and MPs have campaigned against the use of shock collars passionately and we are listening to their concerns."

"We are now proposing to ban the use of electric shock collars to improve the welfare of animals."

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Fear in dogs can be dangerous

With shock training, some dogs may learn to fear people, objects, or situations they associate with the collar. One pet owner we know said their dog refused to go outside after training with the invisible fence they installed and started urinating in the house instead of going to the back door.

Neurotic behavior

Claire Guest, the CEO of Medical Detection Dogs, told Metro.co.uk:

"I have seen highly traumatized dogs where the shock has affected them so badly they think it was the tree they were looking at. I’ve seen dogs that developed neurotic behavior, and dogs that have behaved aggressively because they think they might be about to get a shock."

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Negative impact

Dogs Trust’s Director of Canine Behaviour and Research, Rachel Casey said:

"It is both unnecessary and cruel to resort to the use of these collars on dogs. This type of device is not only painful for a dog, it can have a serious negative impact on their mental and physical wellbeing.

A dog can’t understand when or why it’s being shocked and this can cause it immense distress, with many dogs exhibiting signs of anxiety and worsened behavior as a result."

Control behavior

Lead author Jonathan Cooper, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Lincoln's School of Life Sciences, said:

"E-collar training did not result in a substantially superior response to training in comparison to similarly experienced trainers who do not use e-collars to improve recall and control chasing behavior."

Shock collar causes physical and psychological harm

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said:

"Training a dog with an electric shock collar causes physical and psychological harm and is never acceptable, especially given the vast array of positive training methods available. We are delighted that the government has listened to the Kennel Club’s long-standing campaign to ban electric shock collars and hope that a ban on their use is imposed swiftly.

"Shock collars are often marketed as a harmless quick-fix solution. The truth is that far from providing a solution, they can easily cause more problems than they seek to fix."

"We applaud Defra for issuing a consultation on banning shock collars, and for taking such a strong stance on the importance of welfare in dog training."

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The animal charity Dogs Trust said:

"Torturous devices [which] can send between 100 to 6000 Volts to a dog’s neck."

As of March 24, 2010, the Welsh Assembly voted to ban the use of shock collars in Wales. The use of shock collars is banned Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Germany, and in some territories of Australia, including New South Wales and Southern Australia.

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