Shock Collar?

Question

My son and daughter in law are moving to a new home and don't have a fence for their small dog. Can anyone tell us how well a shock collar works and if it is truly effective for keeping a dog in the yard?

Answer 1

Try this...put the collar around your neck and push the button. This is a cruel way to keep your dog in the yard. Better to just buy a leash.

Answer 2

The shock collar works fairly well.
- The dog must first be trained, and that involves receiving a shock.
- The fenced in area is first ringed with visible markers (such as small flags) so the dog can see where the fence runs. The flags are removed incrementally (every other flag every few days) over a period of time - the dog will remember where the fence is.
- The collars first emit an audible signal a certain distance from the fence. For most dogs, that is sufficient to warn them they are too close and they will stop. The collar will only shock once they are ontop of the fence. Note that after the initial shock they must receive during training, the dog will do its best to avoid getting shocked, and will turn away upon hearing the audible signal. So, in day to day usage, the "shock" collar works by audible signal, not shocking.
- The collars will not shock for more than a second or two, after which they shut off - this is in case the dog gets stuck/caught over the fence.
- Note that if the dog gets excited enough (sees another dog, a squirrel or something else that gets the dog really going), they may go straight through the fence before they realize it. If that happens, you will find that the dog will no come back into the yard on their own.

Answer 3

Wow, people are fast to judge and I bet they have never even tried the method on themselves before making a judgment.

The best idea is of course to fence the property. If this is not possible the 'invisible fence' is an option. The fence is effective for most dogs and there are lots of models with varying settings, ranges and options. Depending on how large the property is, how busy the neighborhood is you will want to select the right model.

And shock collar isn't really an accurate term. E-Collar is what most people call them now because some of the simply 'page' the dog when they go off. Think about wearing a pager or having your cell on vibrate - that's the sensation of some of them. Others provide a stimulus to the animal that contracts the muscles - it causes no pain, and I can say this because I have actually worn one before! It reminded me of the physical therapy treatments people (like my mom) get that send gentle electric currents through the muscle. It forces a contraction and in an animal - gets its attention. No pain, it's the same as being there with a leash and giving the leash a sharp tug.

BUT - an invisible fence will not keep other animals from coming into your yard. A small dog is a tasty treat for a lot predators. Where I live we have a lot of coyotes and I've heard plenty of stories about them snatching dogs right out of yards with the people standing just a few yards away. Raccoons are also known to go after a smaller animal and of course there are larger animals to worry about as well. An actual fence would provide protection for not only the dog getting out but from anything else getting in.

Personally, E-Collars should be reserved for correcting unnatural behaviors and roaming isn't an unnatural behavior. A dog living on unfenced lot has a lot more concerns then getting out - but what else can get in that may not mean well to the dog.

Answer 4

Nothing works better than a fence. The problem with an invisible fence is that many dogs will quickly figure out that if they hit the fence at full speed it wont go off, and then they will spend more time outside the wire than they do inside for no other reason than "they can".
A normal e-collar is absolutely nothing other than a one mile long leash, and is used just like any other leash. So it would be of no value for confining a dog.

Here is a little quote that I like to use when people condemn a training device when they know absolutely nothing about it.

"there is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance --- that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
Herbert Spencer

Answer 5

It depends on the will of the dog. I got a shock collar to stop my dog from barking and he didn't care and would bark the same amount and yipe from the shock. It was awful. A shock collar won't keep other dogs out of your yard. My sister-in-law has invisible fence and it works for her two dogs. The local deer seem to know enough to graze just outside the dogs reach!

Answer 6

I don't like shock collars much myself. But we have a fenced yard and for about a year our lab would jump the fence but would always be home and back in the fence before we got home. The county sheriff watched her for do this day after day, at a community meeting he mentioned it to my husband. We invested in an invisible fence to save us the $75 dollar fine every time she was out running around. You can set it to 7 different levels. It took her one day to figure out hey that isn't fun even on the lowest level (to be honest we speed trained her but boy did it work). Now we have it set just to beep and not give a shock and she won't go past the boundary.

Answer 7

It can be a good tool but the potential for abuse is so great. If the dog is small, just have them fence in a tiny area. It may cost less than a shock collar.

Answer 8

shock collars are not very effective at keeping a dog in the yard, because you have to be in the yard with them the whole time, we use our shock collars when we are hunting with our dogs, it keeps them close and makes sure the dog does not get on another scent like deer. you r best bet would be an invisible fence or using a tie out or leash.

Answer 9

If you get the Invisible Fence they do work, you just need to remember that if the dog gets across the fence, they are not going to cross over to get back, they don't like getting shocked!!!I would build a kennel with cyclone fencing, or find a different method if they are really concerned and the dog is a runner.

Answer 10

Some people like them and think they work but I've heard of them shorting and sometimes even going crazy for no reason. The dog doesn't always react to it either so you may not know if it's gotten screwed up. I think a fence is a much better and kinder idea. Being a small dog, your family could get an x-pen or two and use those.

Answer 11

You need to have an "invisible fence" for that to work. For training a dog not to bark you can get automatic collars, but to keep in in the yard the yard needs to be wired