How old should a pup be before using a shock collar?

Question

Someone I work with has put a collar on a 19 week old puppy because he doesn't come when called. I believe this is TOO young. I also suspect improper training on how to use this device . I am in a position to take the puppy from them. They "purchased" this AKC puppy from our litter but have not yet paid the $. I will reclaim the pup if I can determine the proper age to begin use of one of these collars. This is the final issue I have with this individual regarding this puppy. I have had other reasons to question the treatment of this pup. We thought he'd be given a good home, but now we aren't so sure. I hate to bring discord at work, but the puppy's welfare is of more importance. If you know the proper age (6 months at earliest??) or can give guidance, it would very much be appreciated

Answer 1

from my experience and use of various forms of containment and teaching/training, I personally would not advise using an E-collar at such a young age. Especially not for something as simple as comming when called. I've noticed that for this task, a long 33 foot lead or leash work much better. They are made out of cotton or nylon and are pretty durable. E-collars in my opinion are only used for specific and advanced training and obedience. Sit, down, stay, come, heal, and eat are considered BASIC commands and should never be taught with an ecollar. For more advanced obedience such as "run out" or "release" or special tricks it is acceptable and sometimes ideal. Also, I personall do not use e collars on any dog that is under 10-12 months old. Up to this time, the dog is still learning what it means to be welcomed and what it means to do right and wrong. An e-collar is too quick of an enforcement for such a young age unless you are controlling barking, at which point, YOU GET A COLLAR SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR CONTROLLING BARKING. Remote collars are NOT for controlling barking they are for advanced training. That being said, about your situation, if you still have say in what can and can't be done to the pup, I personally suggest you do something. Either take the dog back, since you haven't been paid you yet or try to show them the right way of doing things. However, you said that you have other proof of them doing things wrong...soo.... i'll leave it up to your judgement. I know others say 5-6 months should be the youngest age but from experience, i think it should be no less than 10-12 months and ONLY AFTER a lead/leash and if needs be a clicker has failed. I'm not a big fan of clickers either but a lead/leash of various lengths are great for training. They sell them from 6 inches up to 50 feet. I personally use and 8 inch, a 4 foot, a 6 foot, a 7 foot and a 33 foot. You can get all the leashes I have for less than $50 if you go to the right places.

Answer 2

I personally don't recommend putting shock collars on any type of dog all your gonna do is make the dog angry, if your a true breeder and know how to train your pups or dogs then you don't need a shock collar , Dog breeder & trainer of Labs for the blind for 14 years and never once used a shock collar..

Answer 3

There is no ideal age to use a shock collar THEY ARE CRUEL AT ANY AGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know where you are from but in England the Kennel Club are trying to get them banned. There is no proof that they produce better results than old fashioned training methods. It is just a sign of a bad/ lazy owner.

It is riduculous to expect a 19 week old puppy to be fully trained. Use of the collar will do more harm than good. Some people that live near me used one on their Spaniel puppy. It changed its temprement and became a vicious dog and eventually had to be put down as it kept having fits - the vets couldn't prove that it was caused by the shock collar but it was a fit and healthy dog before they used it.

I think that you need to be responsible and reclaim the puppy

Answer 4

I have bred, owned and trained dogs of various breeds for over 30 years and have never, ever even considered using a shock collar. It's merely a rather inhumane convenience for a person unwilling, unable or just plain too lazy to put any time and thought into training a puppy. Unless you're dealing with an exceptionally aggressive, unruly dog, there's never a proper age.

Answer 5

Okay....let me get this correct: ~1) You have a 5 month old 65 pound German Shepherd ~2) The dog jumps, bites and barks at your 8 year old daughter ~3) He chases your 6 pound Yorkie and the cat ~4) And on some days he is constantly attacking them ~5) You are 9 months pregnant & about to give birth ~6) You are afraid the dog is going to hurt the baby ~7) Your daughter stays in her room all day with the other dog and cat ~8) The puppy gets LOTS of exercise ~10) You take the dog out to tennis courts a couple of times a day and throw the ball ~11) You take him for walks 2 or 3 times a day ~12) You are constantly correcting & rewarding I think it is absolutely amazing that at 9 months pregnant you can go out 4 to 6 times a day with this puppy. And walking a 65 pound dog as pregnant as you are is incredible! If ANY of this is true, you do NOT need a shock collar. You need to re-home this pup to someone who knows the breed and how to handle it. You are risking your daughter's safety and your unborn child. Not to mention the poor Yorkie and the cat. Get rid of the puppy.

Answer 6

I'm personally opposed to shock collars unless there is a very serious behavior problem, but in any case 19 weeks is probably too young. If you truly suspect the puppy isn't being treated appropriately, then get it out of that home. It can't fend for itself.

Answer 7

well, 1st of all.... i just went through this with my dog... he need to learn obedience before you use the shock collar... they have no clue what the are being shocked for... we did obedience first.. once they learn all of the commands... which took us about 8 weeks... then we started the shock collar... which took another 4 weeks... it has to be tought in steps... you can not just start to shock the dog w/o it understanding what it need to do.... i would tell her that is she continues to do this w/o properly training the dog you will take it off of her....i went to a lady on the Dallas area that helped me train me dog and i swear by her....except she now moved to St. Kitts to go to vet school.. so she is no longer around here.... she knows her stuff and i would not do anything any other way..... by the way... my dog did not get e-collar training until he was a year old... i think you can start it earlier but not too much earlier.... hope this helps

Answer 8

To Begin with here is a little quote for those that would condemn a piece of training equipment that they know nothing about just because of what someone calls it.

Quote:
"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

The reality is that an E-collar is absolutlly nothing but a one mile long leash, and is used exactlly like any other leash, and when properly adjusted feels exactlly like any other leash. (I have put one on myself in every training class I teach,,,, probablly 750-1000 times)


19 weeks is in round numbers is 5 months (doesn't sound quite as young when stated in months instead of weeks, does it)
If a person is using the training program "Smartworks for Retrievers" by Evan Grahm this person is about right on schedule, and "recall" is the command that the dog is first collar conditioned to using Smartworks.
If a person is using "Ten Minute Retriever" by Amy Dahl, the puppy is still about one month to young, and Ten Minute Retriever still uses the old form of collar conditioning as outlined in "try-tronics Retriever Training" By Jim & Phyllis Dobbs.

Source
http://www.sweetbreezbeagles.com
http://www.seventhsonbeagles.com
"Whisper" can next be seen at the Eucanuba National Invitational
Bred By Exhibitor Competition

Answer 9

I would say 6 months at the earliest....and I would only use them for the most extreme cases.....for example...my hunting dogs...one of them I could not get her to stop chasing rabbits when we were hunting....no matter what I did...got a shock collar...one time...no more problem....they are not tools to use all the time and as I said only in the most extreme cases....and if you have other dought as well...then you should get the dog...They also don't work for things like come and sit....when you are that close to the dog and that happens....they will fear the owner...and they will soon learn that the collar it what does it so when it is off they won't listen....have seen dogs that way...really makes me mad....only in extreme cases like running after rabbits....

Answer 10

never because shock collars are mean and don't teach a dog a thing