i know a lot of people do not approve of dog shock collars. I have been taking my puppy to a training class and has not gotten too much better. maybe just time would work. How old SHOULD a dog/puppy be when deciding to use a training shock collar? Thanks!
Much older than a puppy.
In my opinion, shock collars shouldn’t be used to *teach* anything – they should be used to *proof* what has already been taught by positive training, rewards (not just treats) and corrections.
Shock collars really should be a method of last resort for adult dogs and young puppies should never be exposed to shock collars. When they are young, training needs to be a positive experience and patience is part of the requirement.
If you are in a puppy training class, your dog is way too young. I would not consider it until the dog has been through a significant amount of obedience training with a professional trainer to deal with specific serious behavioral issues (not normal puppy misbehavior) and only with the assistance of a professional trainer who is very experienced with their use.
Training takes time: has the trainer tried a bunch of different OTHER methods for training your dog? What behavior are you not liking in your dog? If you want to use a training collar of ANY kind then your trainer should be able to tell you when it is appropriate to do so and how to use them.
Usually i say dogs under a year old are too young for training collars. E-collars especially can make behaviors WORSE instead of better if they are not used properly OR if they are used on a dog with the wrong temperament.
Add – Can’t resist…
“When I was a child, would I rather have a cookie and a hug or a slap on my bottom? That is how a puppy feels as well. ” You wouldn’t hug a child OR give it a cookie if the child, say, pushed another child over or ran out into the road when you specifically said not to. There are moments when positive re-enforcement are better and there are moments when negative re-enforcement is better…. and you cannot compare a child to a dog – dogs do not think like humans…..
Shock collars are not recommended for training. If you say that you are taking the pup to a training class, you need to do your homework with the dog after every lesson. It is up to you to help the puppy learn the lessons by repeating and reinforcing with treats and praise.
A shock collar simply teaches a dog pain.
Ask yourself this question. When I was a child, would I rather have a cookie and a hug or a slap on my bottom? That is how a puppy feels as well.
Patience is most important when teaching a pup.
A collar fits like a necklace, and is generally made of cloth, nylon, or leather. Nylon or cloth provide the best value and color range; leather softens with age and is the most durable. Collars usually have buckle-release or quick-release closures.http://dogtime.com/collars-harnesses.htm…
There is NO need for such crutches as a shock collar. I’m guessing that you probably only train at class, and then not at home.