Electric dog collars are primarily used in dog obedience training. How does it work? It comes with a remote transmitter that you, the dog owner, can control. Whenever your dog is disobeying your command or doing something “bad”, you can then activate the transmitter and the collar sends a small shock to your dog, thereby letting him or her know of your displeasure. Not surprisingly, there has been a lot of debate surrounding the use of electric dog collars. Some pet owners advocate their use, while others are against it. Here we give you the pros and cons and our two cents’ worth on the subject.

PROS
-    Electric dog collars are a quick, convenient way of training your dog. Once he or she does something wrong, you can immediately let him or her know about the mistake, so they can learn to easily distinguish between right and wrong.
-    Some dogs have behavioral problems that no amount of training can solve. Some jump over the fence when they see anything that sparks their interest or tug at the leash so hard that you end up letting go and frantically running after them. There are dogs who won’t outgrow chewing the furniture or frantically digging through your lawn. If, after you feel you have tried your best training them and they still haven’t learned to listen, then maybe the electric collar is the way to go.
-    The electric collar is also a cheaper training alternative than hiring a professional trainer, which not everyone will be able to afford.
-    Contrary to some misconception, there have been no proven physical or neurological damage associated with electronic dog collars.

CONS
-    Some pet owners see it as a quick fix. They don’t bother teaching their dogs the more conventional way (such as reward training) because they have an option that entails less effort and less time on their part.
-    Many opponents of electric dog collars also say that some dog owners may abuse it, so they press on the transmitter and shock their dogs at the smallest hint of misbehavior. Dogs, like the rest of us, are not perfect and are bound to commit mistakes. The problem with using electric dog collars is that we become less patient and less forgiving with even the smallest transgressions and punish our pets unnecessarily.
-    Others also question whether intentionally hurting your pet (no matter how minor the pains is) is humane or not.
-    Another argument against the use of the electric collar is that it could potentially worsen behavior problems since some dogs may only end up being more aggressive when subjected to a little pain and discomfort.

In conclusion, as long as you properly educate yourself on how and when to use the electric dog collar, then it might not be such a bad idea. Our one advice though is to make sure that, when training your pet, you use other avenues first. Once those other methods don’t work, then consider the electric dog collar option. If reward training works though, then it might be best to continue doing that instead. After all, there’s no use in trying to fix something that’s not broken!

Where to get an electric dog collar? Click here!