01/10/2025
If you think Prong and E-Collars are not painful, read this post!
When people say prong collars, shock collars or choke cords (slip leads, grot collars) don't cause pain if used correctly.
I can't believe it's 2025 and we're still having to educate about this.
Motivation in its most simplistic terms comes down to two thing - does the dog want the result (consequence of the behaviour) or does the dog not want it.
Examples, does the dog want access to the ball, the food, the squirrel, the interesting smell? Does the dog want to escape or avoid the cold, the heat, the pressure, the hand coming towards them, the unknown dog coming into their space?
If someone you don't know or like stands too close to you, do you want to move away? Probably.
If you find a £10 note on the ground, will you act to pick it up and keep it? Very likely.
This ridiculous notion that shock collars are like TENS machines is nonsense. What's in that for the dog? Where's the motivation? Are they thinking "oh, that's lovely, more please" or "i don't like that, what do i to make you switch it off or not switch it on?".
It's the latter.
When "conditioning" a shock collar, the dog is taught what they need to do to switch it off. (Again, we don't want thinks we like to be removed, so the shock/stim/tap is unpleasant).
When this level doesn't work because the dog is adrenalinised or distracted, guess what happens next? The moron with the remote now increases the shock. Human moron now learns that higher levels work, so will use them in the future (that's how learning works, read a textbook on learning if you don't agree).
When this happens repeatedly, the lower level acts as a warning that the increased level will occur. Dog may or may not comply, so the warning is followed through. Rinse and repeat.
When combined with the vibrate or tone function, dog now learns that vibrate or tone are now the warning. Comply or shock is what happens if you don't.
If the vibrate function works on it's own, puppers wants the vibration to stop. This really isn't difficult to understand.
Calling it a stim, a tap, or likening it to.a TENS machine, ate just ways users try to trick themselves into believing they're not deliberately inflicting pain/discomfort on their dogs. These are euphemisms, as is calling it an e-collar. Whatever helps you sleep at night.
Cognitive dissonance is very real "I'm a good person, it's don't hurt dogs, but I use a shock collar but it doesn't hurt because I'm a good person who doesn't hurt dogs."
"I've tried it, a barely felt it" - this is not standard. It's the dog's experience which is relevant not yours. If you don't believe me, ask yourself of you enjoy rolling in animals faeces. Dogs like that. They like and dislike different things from us.
Being educated and honest with yourself takes time and effort. Not everyone can do it.
The same applies to choke and prong collars - dog doesn't comply, what's next? More. More pulling, more pressure, more perking the leash, more shock, more pain, more discomfort.
Honestly ask yourself what you do when the level you are using isn't working. If you chime in in the comments about nonsense that they don't cause pain "when used properly" my reply will be "what do you do next?"
P.S. posts like this invariably and inevitably attract attention from prong collar and shock collar trainers I used these tools in the past, I know how they work. I have no desire to debate this abd this isn't a discussion forum. Exhibit at least the same amount of self control you shock your dogs for not having. I'll delete, block and hide comments as I see fit. If your comment is hidden, bo one else will see it and you'll not know.
If you want to learn how to train without using these, click the link in the comments.
