Better-Late-Than-Never Department: Why PetCo Was Right to Ban Shock Collars

Recently, I posted a seemingly innocuous bit of news on FaceBook: “I see that PetCo have taken Shock Collars off their shelves.” The reaction was sudden and enormous — hundreds of comments came flooding in, many extremely emotional.

Given the intensity of the response, I thought this would be a good time to state my feelings about shock collars - as a veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and dog trainer of many years standing - and how I evaluate their usage.

But first, what do I mean by a shock collar? I define the term as any electronic collar that may be dialed up to cause pain, as opposed to an electronic collar that causes no pain, no matter what the setting. This is my way of distinguishing between two very different functions of one device (which, of course, would be better off as two completely separate devices). 

Some people use the term “e-collar” as a less inflammatory euphemism for shock collar. But it’s a shame to conflate the two because an affordable collar that only produces low-level stimulation — a vibration or tickle — is actually a brilliant communication device for owners of deaf dogs, or for dogs who work at considerable distances in situations where a human does not want to whistle or shout. Indeed, back in the 1980s, I used to make radio vibration collars for puppy class clients with deaf dogs. But none of these devices were capable of causing pain to a dog, nor were they intended to. 

As a professional dog behaviorist and trainer, I have never used a pain-producing shock collar and I never will. Further, I do not believe such shock collars should be freely available to the general dog-owning public. Why? Because very few people - many trainers included - are capable of using one properly. 

A shock collar requires the highest skill set of any training tool: immense dog savvy, an excellent understanding of dog behavior, a thorough understanding of learning theory, lightning-fast timing, manual thumb dexterity, and that old bugbear, consistency. Should you be lucky enough to possess all those qualities (I certainly don’t), you most probably wouldn’t need a shock collar in the first place. And since I’m sure some of you are wondering about the holes in my skill set, though I have faster than average timing from brain-to-larynx, my brain-to-thumb timing is way down. I also have inept button-pushing skills, as anyone who’s ever seen me play video games or work an iPhone can attest.

In truth, the purchase of a shock collar is probably the best indicator that the buyer lacks sufficient training skills to teach basic canine manners (come, sit, down-stay, heel, shush, eliminate on cue, etc.), let alone operate what is arguably the most complicated and potentially harmful dog training tool available. It’s quite a bit more involved than just pushing the button and presto! — the behavior problem disappears. In fact, the pain, fear, and trauma these devices can inflict may actually worsen a dog’s behavior. They will most certainly worsen your relationship with your dog who looks to you for love and protection. 

Despite all this, shock collars are often advertised as offering a quick fix for problem behaviors. Yet, in my observations of people using shock collars, the process is neither quick nor a fix. Sadly, in the wrong hands, these devices are often simply cruel.

So was PetCo right to finally take shock collars off its shelves? Absolutely. I only wish they’d done so sooner. 

No doubt countless dogs do as well.