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Using shock collars is still a controversial topic in the dog parent community. Some people think of it as helpful assistance, whereas others curse it, thinking it is dangerous. Hence, the question remains: does a shock collar hurt a dog?
The thing is, if you are considering using a shock collar, you need to take the safety measures related to it into account.
Plus, it’s necessary to learn how to use a shock collar carefully with the static correction levels to avoid hurting your dog.
To help you make an informed decision, we have all the necessary information you seek.
So, without delaying it any longer, let’s quickly look into the article!
Can Shock Collar Hurt A Dog?
The sensation that the shock collar releases feels like flicking on their necks. The sensation can’t be described as painful, but you can call it annoying.
By obeying the order or ceasing the undesirable action, your dog will soon learn how to stop the unpleasant pulse by attending to the order or ending the unwanted activity.
Most dogs we train usually require a few repetitions of static correction before they pick it up and, depending on the model you select, respond to either vibration or tone-only mode after that.
How Do Shock Collars Work?
Nowadays, some shock collars have 127 correction levels, allowing the dog parent to fine-tune the dog collar according to their dog’s behavior and temperament without overwhelming the dog.
These collars have an extra safety mode with momentary and continuous modes that automatically shut off after a few seconds.
E-Collar makers use technologies like COS, aka Control Of Stimulationand Wide pulse stimulation, to the corrections work.
This technology is known to release a much softer and cleaner static correction shock that can’t be felt by a dog’s skin deeply.
Positive reinforcement is an alternative to shock collars. However, this isn’t effective for all dogs since each dog is unique. Correctly applying these electric shock training devices is the key to changing your dog’s behavior.
How Many Volts Are Shock Collars Made With?
A dog shock collar can range in voltage from 400 volts, which feels more like a decent masseuse, to 7000 volts, which is quite unpleasant.
Every dog has a varied level of tolerance. Therefore, you must assess your dog’s sensitivity, strength, etc., before acting appropriately.
How Many Volts Are Safer For Dog Shock Collars?
In electric dog collars, the voltage range produced by the electrode cables from 1000 volts to 3500 volts is typically approved and considered safe.
However, as mentioned before, not every dog responds well to a particular voltage range deemed safe. Additionally, the focus is frequently on a specific dog’s response.
The duration is more important than the voltage. E collars should not be used as full-time collars but rather solely for “structured training.”
It’s also crucial to remember that contemporary shock collars surprise or shock the wearer suddenly rather than inflicting pain.
The most appealing thing about shock collars is that you can operate them remotely. Plus, it helps make a good association between the owner and the dog.
It creates a positive interaction, results in a well-behaved dog, and gives more control over your dog’s health maintenance with additional features that come with a shock collar.
Can You Use A Shock Collar On A Puppy?
The use of shock collars on puppies is a controversial topic. While some people believe that shock collars are safe and effective for puppies, others believe that they can cause harm to puppies.
How shock collars can hurt puppies:
- Shock collars can cause psychological distress for your puppy, including phobias and high stress levels, resulting in unhealthy heart rate increases and painful muscle damage.
- Using aversive training methods based on fear and pain may result in your puppy avoiding you or even becoming aggressive with you.
- Shock collars can modify a puppy’s behavior temporarily, but they are not learning that what they are doing is bad behavior. They are simply learning that they get shocked if they do it. It doesn’t show your puppy what he or she should be doing instead, so when the collar comes off, the behavior is likely to return.
- Puppies have short attention spans and need time to mature enough to understand instructions. It is wise to hold off using a shock collar until your puppy has at least nailed down basic obedience commands.
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Final Verdict! Shock Collar Hurt A Dog
Even though there are many debates about whether a shock collar hurts a dog, the decision is up to you to decide.
Using it with a proper understanding of the correction levels can work wonders for you and your dog to interact better with each other.
That being said, shock collars help make your training sessions easy, but it is still recommended to take safety measures to avoid damaging consequences.
Ultimately, being kind and gentle while training your dog is all that you need to do.
FAQs: Shock Collar Hurt A Dog
Modern Shock Collars do not release painful shocks. Hence it does not cause any pain and doesn’t harm your dog in any way.
Shock collars use static corrections to correct the dog’s action, whereas vibration collars use varying vibration levels.
If there are no more ways to train your dog with simple and soft reinforcements, you can use a shock collar as a second option.
