5 fluffy white terrier mix puppies looking up at camera, sitting on sandy trail

Can You Use A Shock Collar On A Puppy? The Shocking Truth

BySusan Nilson

Are you a new puppy owner seeking guidance on the best training methods? 

Before you consider using a shock collar as a quick fix, let me share with you the critical reasons why it’s a path you should avoid at all costs.

In this eye-opening article, you’ll discover:

  • The Profound Impact: How shock collars can negatively affect your puppy’s physical and emotional well-being.
  • Long-Term Behavioral Fallout: Uncovering the potential risks and consequences that may haunt your puppy’s future.
  • Trust and Bond Damage: Understanding the devastating impact on your relationship and mutual trust.
  • Professional Veterinary Advice: Insights from veterinary and animal welfare associations worldwide advising against shock collar usage.
  • Science Speaks: Unveiling the growing body of scientific research highlighting the potential harm inflicted.
  • Positive Alternatives: Discovering a more effective and fun approach to training without pain or fear.
  • The No-Brainer Choice: Why embracing positive reinforcement methods is the clear and compassionate path forward.

Your puppy’s well-being and your cherished bond are at stake. 

So join me as I delve into the compelling reasons to steer clear of using a shock collar on your puppy and explore a kinder, more effective way to train your furry companion. 

Key Takeaways

  • Shock collars can be harmful to a puppy’s physical and emotional well-being.
  • Positive reinforcement training is a humane and effective way to train puppies.
  • Puppies can easily be trained without resorting to fear, pain, or punishment.

How Do Shock Collars Work?

A shock collar, also known as an electronic collar, remote training collar, e-stim, vibrating, or e-collar, is a device that delivers an electrical stimulus to a puppy (or dog) through a set of (usually two) prongs or electrodes.

These prongs are usually about an inch long and dig into the puppy’s neck or throat. 

Not only that, but to ensure that the metal pins “are in close contact with the skin of the neck, an e-collar must be fitted tightly,” explains veterinarian Dr. Sylvia Masson and colleagues.

The electric shock is usually administered via a remote control or an automatic trigger (e.g. when the dog barks).

Once triggered, the collar emits an electric shock, ranging from mild to more intense levels.

The idea is to use the pain and fear to deter, interrupt, or stop unwanted behaviors, such as excessive barking, inappropriate chewing, inappropriate toileting, excessive digging, or jumping up.

But here’s the thing: If you rely on the use of pain and fear alone, you miss out on the opportunity to teach your puppy what you would like him to do instead.

Nor do you address the underlying reason for his unwanted behavior. Of which there could be many.

It’s pretty unfair when you think about it. 

Every puppy deserves a compassionate and comprehensive approach from his most trusted human(s), an approach that considers his emotional well-being and nurtures a positive learning environment.

The New Zealand Veterinary Association puts it like this: “The use of pain to train dogs is no more acceptable or humane when it is administered by remote control, than if it was delivered as a physical blow such as a punch or kick.”

Tan and white terrier mix puppy standing on table
If you train your pup by using a shock collar, you miss out on the opportunity to teach your puppy what you would like him to do instead – not to mention all the fun © The Cat and Dog House

What Are The Risks Of Using A Shock Collar On Your Puppy?

Using a shock collar on a puppy (or, in fact, any dog) can have serious long-term physical and psychological effects. 

The Psychological Impact Of Using Electric Shock

Using electric shock as a training device can make puppies feel scared, anxious, confused, and stressed.

You risk having a puppy who is constantly on edge, wondering when the next shock is coming, how long it will last, and how much it will hurt.

Unsurprisingly, this causes an extremely negative and depressed overall mood state, and an increasingly fearful, anxious dog. 

In some cases, a puppy may reach the point where he becomes completely shut down, too scared to offer any behavior at all for fear of getting shocked (a state known as “learned helplessness”).

Another problem with electric shock is that it “controls” a puppy’s behavior without giving him the chance to think, learn something new, and make his own choices. 

Think about it for a moment. It’s an incredibly stressful place to be.

When a puppy is in a highly aroused state (emotionally speaking), like feeling afraid or stressed, his ability to think and learn new things gets blocked. 

He’s also much more likely to behave emotionally and reactively, and there’s even a risk of aggression.

This is the complete opposite of what training is supposed to achieve, which is helping puppies learn how to safely navigate the world, make good decisions, and be the confident, happy, much-loved family member they deserve to be.

Fear Period In Puppies

Puppies go through a fear period between 8 and 10 weeks of age, which is a critical time for their socialization and learning. 

Using a shock collar during this period can cause long-term psychological damage and make them fearful and anxious around people and other dogs. 

It can also lead to unwanted aggressive behavior and other undesirable behaviors.

This video, featuring renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, is a prime example of one of many, many cases where a positive trainer has to be called in to try to fix the physiological and emotional damage caused by the use of a shock collar on a puppy.

Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending! Not all dogs are as lucky, however, so please don’t take the risk.

The Psychological Impact Of Using A Shock Collar: What Professional Veterinary Associations Say 

Shock collars are banned in a growing number of countries for good reason, and professional veterinary and animal welfare associations worldwide are united in their stance against using them.

Here are just a few examples:

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior

“The consequences and fallout from aversive training methods have been proven and are well documented. 

“These include increased anxiety and fear-related aggression, avoidance, and learned helplessness. 

“Animals may be less motivated to engage in training and less likely to interact with human members of the household.”

American Animal Hospital Association

“Aversive training techniques can harm or even destroy an animal’s trust in his or her owner, negatively impact the pet’s problem-solving ability, and cause increased anxiety.” 

Canadian Veterinary Medical Association 

“Aversive methods are strongly discouraged as they may cause fear, distress, anxiety, pain or physical injury to the dog.” 

British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 

“Aversive, punishment-based techniques may alter behaviour, but the methods fail to address the underlying cause and, in the case of unwanted behaviour, can lead to undue anxiety, fear, distress, pain or injury.”  

British Small Animal Veterinary Association

Shocks and other aversive stimuli received during training may not only be acutely stressful, painful and frightening for the animals, but may also produce long-term adverse effects on behavioural and emotional responses.” 

European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology 

“E-collar training is associated with numerous well-documented risks concerning dog health, behavior and welfare. Any existing behaviour problem is likely to deteriorate or an additional problem is likely to emerge, when such a collar is used. 

There are plenty more where these came from, but you get the idea.

The Physical Impact Of Using Electric Shock

Similar to humans, individual puppies have their own unique threshold for experiencing and responding to pain, which is influenced by various factors. 

While the sensitivity to pain varies, the level of pain felt from an electric shock has nothing to do with the thickness of the fur around the puppy’s neck. 

And while some humans have tested electric shock collars on themselves and said it does not hurt, humans don’t typically test out a shock collar on their throat.

On top of that, but humans can control the timing, duration, and intensity of the shock. 

Your puppy has none of those options. 

It’s really not a fair comparison.

Here’s Victoria Stilwell again, this time testing out a shock collar on herself. 

She certainly finds it painful, even on a low setting!

It’s also important to be aware that a dog’s skin is significantly thinner than a human’s skin (3-5 cells for dogs vs. 10-15 cells for humans).

So who are we to say whether it hurts or not? Or how much?

Because shock collars deliver an electric shock to a dog’s neck, “there is also the risk of skin damage and even burns,” according to Dr. Masson and her colleagues.

As I’ve already mentioned, to work properly, an e-collar must be fitted tightly. 

“Aside from being uncomfortable, the points where the metal pins make contact with the skin can become irritated, and this can result in the development of pressure necrosis or wounds,” says Dr. Masson and co.

When puppies get used to feeling scared or anxious, many people tend to increase the level of shock and end up using punishments that are mistimed, too strong, or last for too long. 

To put it bluntly, this can seriously mess with a puppy’s head.

Physically, his little body can go into overdrive, producing a stress hormone called cortisol that can increase heart rate. 

In the long-term, this can have a negative impact on his immune system, as well as his overall health and well-being. 

The Puppy Learns Nothing New

Using electric shock to control a puppy’s behavior is going to make him emotionally aroused (think fear, anxiety, stress).

This prevents him from using his rational brain to think, focus, make decisions, and solve problems. 

So when the puppy gets a shock for doing something “wrong” (according to the person giving it), no teaching is done and no alternative behavior is learned. 

This means that next time it happens and you’re not around, there’s no guarantee your puppy will not do the undesirable behavior again – because he hasn’t been taught what to do instead.

There is no learning opportunity whatsoever.

This goes against the very purpose of training, which is meant to help dogs learn and grow. 

Instead of enabling puppies to think. learn, and make choices, electric shock inhibits their ability to learn and hinders their progress. 

Use Of Shock Risks Damaging The Human-Canine Bond

Animals usually learn pretty quickly to do whatever they can to avoid situations that are scary or potentially painful.

When a punishment such as an electric shock is used, there is a very real risk that your puppy may start associating his negative feelings with your presence. 

This can have a detrimental effect on your bond, leading to damaged trust and a strained relationship where your little pup starts trying to avoid you at all costs. 

it can also make your puppy scared of the specific trigger that causes the punishment.

Let’s say, for example, your shock your puppy every time he rushes to the fence to bark at passing dogs.

This just teaches him that passing dogs are bad news and that he gets hurt whenever he sees them.

As a result, the next time he sees a dog walking by, most likely his reaction will be even more pronounced – and potentially aggressive.

Now you have a real problem on your hands, yet one that could have easily been avoided.

You can see how easily it happens.

So it’s crucial to consider the potential consequences from the use of shock collars as a training method, and instead prioritize building a strong, positive connection with your furry companion based on trust, respect, and understanding.

White terrier mix puppy standing on table
Using punishment, such as an electric shock, as a training method runs the very real risk that your puppy may start associating the fear and pain he feels with your presence © The Cat and Dog House

The Risk Of Creating An Unpredictable Dog

The effects of punishment can vary among individual dogs.

While some puppies may show visible signs of fear and go to great efforts to avoid an electric shock, others may not display any apparent fear at all. 

How can you be sure to get it “exactly right” for your puppy? You really can’t.

Not only that, but some dogs may learn to suppress certain behaviors.

Let’s say you shock your dog for growling at you if you approach him while he’s eating.

Instead of taking it for the useful communication that it is, you risk teaching your puppy that his warning signals are punished.

So next time he may not give you any warning at all. 

Instead, he may just escalate directly to snarling, lunging, and even biting if you keep approaching after he has politely asked you not to.

Now you have a potentially dangerous dog on your hands. 

Again, it was completely avoidable.

“I see many dogs who have been previously corrected with shock collars,” says board certified veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Lynn Honeckman. 

“Each and every one of these patients has become behaviorally worse than they were prior to the shock collars (more fearful, more aggressive). 

“The emotional damage caused by shock collars is often beyond repair and requires a lifetime of treatment.” 

So please, don’t take the risk. Do yourself and your sweet little puppy a favor and ditch the shock collar.

The same goes for choke chains, pinch collars, prong collars, vibration collars, electric fences, and spray collars (aka the anti-bark collar) that use a burst of citronella in an effort to stop a dog from barking.

In just a moment, I’ll tell you what you can do instead.

How To Train Your Puppy Without Using A Shock Collar

Educated, modern-day, certified dog trainers are pretty much universal in their recommendation of positive reinforcement training methods. 

This type of training is backed by science and is far more effective in the long term. 

It is also the only humane option that sets puppies up for success in a positive training environment where they can use their rational brains to learn new things, instead of being scared and stressed.

This graphic from the Dunbar Academy (named after pioneering dog training professional, Dr. Ian Dunbar) clearly explains the difference between positive (rewards) vs. negative training methods (punishment).

Reward vs. Punishment in dog training graphic by the Dunbar Academy
© The Dunbar Academy

What Is Positive Reinforcement Training?

Positive reinforcement training is a method of dog training that involves rewarding desirable behavior with treats, toys, play, petting, praise – or anything else that is highly valued by the dog and he considers it worth working for.

When your puppy is rewarded for appropriate behavior (like toileting outdoors, chewing his chew toy instead of your shoe, mouthing at his toy instead of your hand), he quickly learns to associate that behavior with a positive outcome.

So he is much more likely to repeat that same desired behavior in the future. 

For example, if your puppy sits on cue, he receives a treat.

This reinforces the behavior and means he is almost certain to try it again and again so he can get another reward.

With repetition, it will become a learned behavior and you will no longer need to use your treats, or whatever other reinforcement your puppy likes best.

The Science of Positive Reinforcement Training

Studies show that dogs trained with reward-based training techniques are more likely to exhibit desirable behaviors and less likely to exhibit aggressive or unwanted behaviors. 

This is because positive reinforcement training focuses on rewarding desirable behaviors, rather than punishing undesirable behaviors.

“Although training a dog is important for their well-being, research shows that electric pulse collars are no more effective than positive reinforcement methods,” says the British Veterinary Association. 

The American Animal Hospital Association agrees: “The only acceptable training techniques are non-aversive, positive techniques that rely on the identification of, and reward for, desirable behaviors,” they say.

And the New Zealand Veterinary Association confirms that “positive reinforcement training methods are an effective and humane alternative to e-collars for dog training.”

Here’s another excellent graphic, this time by author and artist Lili Chin, showing how positive reinforcement training works and why it is so effective.

© Lili Chin

The Benefits Of Using Rewards And Positive Associations In Training

Positive Training Environment: Using rewards and positive associations in training creates a positive training environment, where your puppy is encouraged to learn and explore. 

When he is rewarded for a wanted behavior, it creates a positive feedback loop that reinforces good behavior.

Builds Confidence: This helps build confidence because your puppy now knows what to do in that situation, instead of being left high and dry after a painful electric shock not knowing what it’s safe to do next.

Goes At Puppy’s Timeline: Positive reinforcement training methods also allow puppies to learn at their own pace. 

This allows them to try out new things without feeling overwhelmed or stressed. 

Builds A Bond: It also helps to build a strong bond between the puppy and his owner, as the pup learns to associate his owner with positive experiences. 

Reduces Stress: Using positive reinforcement techniques can help to reduce stress and anxiety in puppies, as they are not subjected to punishment or fear-based training methods.

This makes them feel safe and more relaxed because they know nothing can go wrong.

The ‘worst’ that can happen is that they won’t get a reward this time around.

All they have to do is try again.

This creates the optimal environment for training and learning, and helps puppies make good decisions about their behavior.

Engages The Thinking Brain: Essentially, your puppy’s rational brain is engaged, instead of their behavior being hijacked by their emotional brain, so they can think and learn effectively.

The Long-Term Effectiveness Of Positive Reinforcement Methods

Positive reinforcement methods, such as clicker training, help to create a strong foundation of good behavior, which can be built upon as your puppy grows and learns. 

By using positive reinforcement techniques, your can help your puppy to develop good habits and manners, which will benefit him (and you!) for the rest of his life.

Practical Tips for Positive Reinforcement Training

Setting puppies up for success means creating a positive training environment. 

  • This includes using a calm and positive tone of voice, avoiding punishment or negative reinforcement, and using rewards to reinforce good behavior. 
  • It also means starting with easy cues and basic manners, then gradually building up to more complex behaviors.
  • When training a puppy, it is important to remember that they are still learning and may make mistakes. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Vets And Professional Dog Trainers Recommend Shock Collars?

No, most veterinarians and any educated, science-based professional dog trainer will not recommend using shock collars as a training tool. Shock collars can cause physical and psychological harm to dogs, and there are more humane and effective training methods available.

At What Age Can You Use A Shock Collar On A Puppy?

It is not recommended to use a shock collar on a puppy. Using a shock collar on still-developing puppies can result in long-term physical and psychological harm.

Can I Put A Shock Collar On A 3-Month-Old Puppy?

No, it is not recommended to use a shock collar on a 3-month-old puppy or any puppy (or dog) at all. Puppies are still developing, and using a shock collar can cause long-term physical and psychological damage.

Is It Okay To Train A Puppy With A Shock Collar?

No, it is not okay to train a puppy with a shock collar. Not even on “the lowest setting.” Not even as a “last resort.” Studies show that positive reinforcement training is a more humane and effective method for training puppies and dogs.

Do Shock Collars Work For Puppy Biting?

While dog owners may try using a shock collar to temporarily stop puppy biting, this does not address the underlying reasons for the behavior or teach the puppy an alternative behavior.

Positive reinforcement training is a more effective and humane method for addressing puppy biting.

When puppies are teething, mouthing is a completely normal behavior.

It is far more humane to redirect the behavior to an appropriate outlet (like a puppy-safe chew toy) than punish it.

Can You Use A Bark Collar On A Puppy?

No, it is not recommended to use a bark collar on a puppy. Puppies bark as a natural form of communication, and using a bark collar can cause fear, anxiety, and stress.

Positive reinforcement training is a more effective and humane method for addressing excessive barking in puppies and dogs.

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NEED A DOG TRAINER OR BEHAVIOR EXPERT?

If you need more help dealing with a training or behavior issue, please find professional help from a force-free dog trainer who can consult with you either in person or remotely.

GOOD PLACES TO START ARE:
- COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers
- Pet Dog Trainers of Europe
- International Companion Animal Network
- Institute of Modern Dog Trainers
- Pet Professional Guild 

All dog owners deserve to have successful relationships with their canine companions!

Accredited Canine and Feline Behavior Professional | Author | Editor

Susan Nilson is a rescue pet advocate, globe-trotter, and not-always-so-accidental collector of animals in need. This certified canine and feline behavior professional has amassed a small menagerie of four dogs and six cats from Dubai, Romania, USA, and Greece during her world travels. When not penning wisdom for pet parents trying to decipher their cats' and dogs' latest shenanigans, she's probably negotiating peace treaties between her four-legged family members or calculating the most efficient way to transport her furry brood across continents. Her life goal? Ensuring more pets stay in their forever homes - because let's face it, she can't adopt them all... or can she?