Why are the opponents of electronic collars wrong?

To writing this article I was inspired by two events. My friend once told me: I don’t approve but you can persuade me. That didn’t go well that night but I can’t get the conversation out of my head over a month. The second was “Facebook page like” of Miss Fialova, giraffe hunter, where the comments were full of hatred and negation against here but no logical argument about what is wrong with her doing (taking pictures with death giraffe can be really disgusting for someone but that’s not what they doom there). But the positive comments start to prevail and people are standing for her. So I’ve decided that it’s the time to go against deniers.

My dog Bella, 2 years

 

You don’t punish your dog?

Probably every dog owner teaches his dog to obedience. Some more than the others. But most of them use rewards and physical punishments. Till now no one was wondering about if it’s wrong or right. What is wrong with dog getting spanked on his butt when he done something wrong? Nothing. What has changed with the start of electronic collar? After its entry to Czech market dog owners divided into two groups. Some are against them some are into them. It’s the same everywhere in the world and ration is seems to be 50:50.

What reasons the opponents of collars have? I was searching on the internet; I was going through reviews of customers. It is still about misuse and fear from the abuse of the collar.

 

Did someone ever use electronic collar for torture?

No, most of the users first try it on their own hands…

 

Did someone ever kill the dog with electronic collar?

Ne, how could he be harmed with 3V battery…

 

Can mistreatment of collar cause harm on dog’s health?

Probably yes. Just as the other excessive punishments. Simply said, if you punish your dog excessively you put him in stress which can lead to the health downgrade.

 

Bella with GPS and training collars (Sportdog TEK 2.0)

 

Use of electronic collar by immature user can be abusive. People are using it in a wrong way etc.

This statement comes from the idea that electronic collars is in some kind hurting. Yes it hurts but it’s the same for punishment by your hand. If you punish your dog in the wrong time than both ways are like torture for him. But I think electronic collars are preventing from these situations. Only one argument I found online was from one dog psychologist – reflex span (the time when dog realize you want something from him). It is stupid argument because no one give the pulse right after they say their command. Not even the users not using the warnings are fast enough to give pulse under 3 seconds you don’t even know that your dog is listening to you and there is some time to realize even for you.

 

On the contrary I found that this argument can be easily turned for using electronic collars. The reason is simple and everyone who owns the dog  will see this: Dog is not responding – runs away, cant be called back – in some time will come back. And what now? You beat him that he wasn’t listening to you 10 minutes ago? Dog knows that he did not listen to you but when you punish him the moment he came back to you he will connect it with coming back to you. Not with not listening to you. Personally I am not punishing dog in such moments there is no sense in that. Some punishes and then is surprised that dog is hiding under car for half an hour.

If I have transmitter in my hand and dog is wearing collar communication is instant. I say command and if the dog is not responding I can use warning or I can send correction which is unpleasant for him not hurting. I will remind him that he is doing something wrong . After some time when he is not reacting I can send stronger pulse.

For all who are interested we translated instructional videos where its easily shown how to learn all commands. www.youtube.com/elektrobojky.

 

Pulse … I won’t put electric power to my dog..

As I said above, device is powered by batteries from 3V to 9V. I am not electrician and I cant explain what happens when you use such a power as a correction but I have gone through so many of these devices and every one of them I’ve tested on me either voluntarily or compulsorily. Closest feeling what you get when hit by pulse from collar is hit from metal banister. Weaker or stronger it depends how strong intensity level you choose. The weaker ones remind me of pin sting not through the skin.

Use of the collar can change the character of the dog.

This is again up to you. If you treat your dog badly you will raise him as a bad dog and it doesn’t matter if you use collar or not. And electronic collar can help you as a tool to raise him in a good way or also in a bad one.

When you use electronic collar it is more likely to see everything than in other cases.

One of the explanations can be in associative dog memory which is developed more for their hearing and smelling. Collars make sounds – beeping in case of warning, but also buzz in case of use of correction. If you punish your dog excessively without any reason he will respond with fear even when just warned by sound warning.

Argument with which I wouldn’t rather work is that it is unnatural for dog, he is losing contact with you etc. I don’t think so, for dog in our world is unnatural almost everything and yet he has no problem with any of it.

Much closer is another thing, when dog cannot connect pulse with anything related to it. Its behavior is not changing after putting the collar on, he has fear – and that’s exactly because of the unreasonable punishments. Its needless to say that after such training your dog will be scared from normal stick as from anything else. Only difference is that in case of electronic ollar the dog is not connecting punishment with you.

 

That is why it is not change of dog character but it is fear of something which did dog the pain.                           

I myself am using electronic collar, not every day because Bella doesn’t need such a training anymore but for some problems in her behavior its effective. I have never experienced that she would refuse to take collar on her neck or that her behavior would change when with collar. She is just more obedient when she sees that on the verge with my nerves and I could give her a pulse. And I have to say I am not professional trainer and Bella is my first dog. If you are using electronic collar with the sense you cannot do any mistake. Or its just enough when you love your dog and therefore you cannot torture him.

So when I read comments like “I saw person with electronic collar and he was giving pulses to his dog that he was almost out, I am outraged and sick. Other than condemn the person misusing the collar they are talking about how bad are the collars.

 

Don’t buy a dog when you cant raise him well (electronic collar cant solve every problem in your training)

 

I have never found more “intelligent” reaction online. Of course there are always some irresponsible people but I think they are exceptions. I speak with dozens of people  dealing with some problem on daily basis. Most of the time the conversation starts like this:

I have the dog from shelter – so what If we build and fill few more shelters with these dogs in the cages? Nobody cares about hens and cows. You save the dog because someone gave up before you and in the end you read the ugly comments from smartasses about how you cannot raise your dog properly. If there is a problem sometimes there is no time for classic methods.

Dog is running away to chase game – that’s a basic instinct. Like food, like mating. In some cases stronger and in others weaker.

Dog is running away from the property – most of the time its instinct – some bitch is on the period or some deer went along the property.

 

Dog is barking in the apartment when alone – that’s the in my opinion the saddest case because he does that when he is afraid that the owner is not coming back. Unfortunately you can never predict it and mostly every dog is different and sometimes its not even mistake of the owner. Nevertheless its always better Antibarking collar than shelter for dogs. There he can bark but the owner is not coming back for sure.

Almost everyone asks, is it safe? Can anything happen to my dog? Everyone is worried about his dog-. Every one of you got the dog with a good faith. And that’s why I believe that 99,9% of our customers and electronic collars users is using them with their common sense.

 

I am proponent of electronic collars even in these problematic situations and I am proud that I help with spreading this message and aid for training the dogs. We indirectly help the dog shelters and directly helping the dog owners of stubborn dogs, many of their neighbors  have better night sleep and last but not least we help to keep the dogs safe and we help them to live happy life in their homes.

 

There is another solution

If I pass over  the fact that most of the customers did try everything possible we are still spinning about the topic that just electronic collars are bought only for problematic dogs. Yes in many cases its true. However electronic collars were developed as a training aid for hound dogs  - for example because of the instant communication with the dog. I find these collars for a standard training aid.

Experts says…

There is a big number of professional dog owners whose opinions differ. Some approves the electronic collars some don’t. Now, they are racing in how many years they are training the dogs and what methods they are using.  I haven’t read their studies and I am not skilled dog owner who trains his dog for over 10 years. But I sold over 10 000 electronic collars. We have a great feedback from many of our customers. I have never seen that somebody had some problem with dog health after using electronic collar.

 

By the way most of the experts is promoting their own methods. The books aren’t gonna sell itself. So their judgment is always affected just as is mine. So it is here to say that there is plenty of methods, they are different and its up to you which one you will choose.

 

Summarization - pros and cons of electronic collars.

I have written in a short article what pros can using of electronic collars bring you. I planned to write some cons but it were mainly cases where collar wasn’t properly used.

 

Positive outcomes of using the electronic collar for you and your dog:

Instant communication between you and your dog.

Higher level of safety for the dog – wont runaway, wont be hit by a car…

Higher level of safety for environment – wont attack, wont bite…

Higher level of freedom for dog – you can leave the leash at home, you don’t have to lock your dog anymore…

Less frustration for both sides in problematic moments of training – dog is not afraid to come back..

You save the money for trapping

 

Why and when not to definitely use the collar?

Do you care what few smartasses think about you

You have psychical disease and you want to increase your ego on your dog

 

Resume

If your are thinking about purchase of electronic collar, read the manual carefully, look at the instruction videos. Then you cannot do anything wrong.

I am not stating the sources because everything is on Google and you will find more about the problematic.