I was pleased to hear that the Welsh Assembly goverment is the 1st to ban those awful electric shock dog collars, a particulary nasty and barbaric way of correcting a dog. Lets hope England and the rest follow suit soon

I wonder if members of "The House" wore them it would stop them telling porkies & make them honest "I doubt it

Sorry to be un-PC but I think these collars do have a time and a place.

I agree Hairybeasty. I wonder if any of those so vociferous about them have actually any experience of them. Have they even seen one? How, for example would they stop their little Fido's whilst actually in the process of worrying stock? Shouting "come here Fido" will not work. The collars do not give the agonising shock that people imagine.

Do a 'google' on Ingrid Grayling. She has saved many a sheep worrying dog from death by judicious use of these collars to train them not to go near stock. She is much respected in the training world.

I do not apologise for being 'non-PC'. BTW - they are not 'barbaric' in the hands of someone trained in their use for certain purposes. To use them for simply house training a dog, for example, IS barbaric and not necessary.

I watched the Dog Whisperer once and he was training a famous persons (cannot remember who) dogs not to go near rattle snakes and they had already lost one the same way. He used the collar, the dog didn't go blue and crispy, but it saved him from certain death from snake bite as the dog was posessed about them. I am sure they aren't as bad as you think or they would never got passed in the first place. A bit like Police and tazers I suppose.

Once upon a time,I had a very happy kennel of 3 Border terriers and a Jack Russel.
I then acquired a Border x Lakeland terrier that proceded to escape out of a 4' high fenced garden and go and kill pheasants on the estate I work on.
After a few weeks all my dogs had been taught how to do the same.
Numerous threats from the gamekeeper followed, of the "if you dont control your dogs I'll shoot them" variety.
End of free garden playtime.
So dogs were exercised in a forestry enclosure with 8' fencing.
This went well until dogs found a fox in the long grass. Out of the enclosure went the dogs not to be seen for 9 days. 9 days of walking and calling over 16000 acres of forestry and farmland. Notices were dropped to farmers in the area,all houses also.
9 days later the phone rang "hello your dogs have killed my sheep,the bill is £800"
Two thin and bloodied dogs were collected from his shed,and duly destroyed.
I am convinced that with a collar,this could have been nipped in the bud.

I think it is about them being used by people who do not know what they are doing. I dont see what is 'un pc' to say what you feel. I respect opinions on here but I personally would not use one of these collars.

The ban is like any other really - it's about who is going to 'police' the ban if at all

These collars are available online or from shops everywhere. You're quite right houndy who will police it? Do the drug laws stop people "getting high"?
Unfortunatly though there is no way of judging who is a good owner and knows what they are doing,and who doesnt. Bit like having children I suppose,a big social experiment with no instructions...

If I am honest, I would rather have seen the WAG doing more to shut down the puppy farming in Wales..

Yeah saw a prog on this last week is it true? Fancy a chat room chat?

see you there

you were there but before I could answer you timed out!

and again.. dammit!

It is also a bit like hunting with animals, those that go out and dig badgers out of their setts still will.

What do you think of the governments proposals for dog owners. I think that the ordinary person would be punished, I mean, I have a chipped dog and an insured dog. I felt they should have bought back the dog licence, where you should carry your licence with you, or produce within 24 hours.

What is all this sneaking off for a cosy chat!

True,but the badger act has stopped badger digging in all but the remotest areas.
No-one wants to risk a 12 month jail term and a £5000 fine if they can help it.
The gov. plan was un-workable to the extreme,those who have bad dogs are proud of it. There is a new sport amongst inner city kids now: hunting urban foxes at night...
As for the sneaky chat..why not

Just been back to the chat room and I find Lurch8252 has sneaked off in there too!!

Maybe as some of you say in the right hands these collars are some use. However in the wrong ones they are an instrument of torture. I know a lady who adopted a beagle who had been rescued from a home where it had been shocked over and over again with one of these collars for the "fun " of seeing it react to being shocked. This was done for long periods at a time. This repeated abuse resulted in a very badly taumatised wee dog who will never get over it.

Perhaps there should be some restrictions on who is able to own them as there is for guns! Professional trainers only?

How do you classify "professional?"

Unfortunatley Wendy, there are people out there that will abuse and torture animals and children alike, all the campaigning and banning won't ever stop it and they will also use some terrible methods to do so. I haven't heard of anyone using an electric collar to abuse a dog, though not doubting your story, that is a very sad case. But considering these collars cost a few quid I am sure not many people own one, and those that do might be dog trainers anyhow.
I might be wrong.
Perhaps the licensing should be owning a dog?

Sorry Hairybeasty, I found out how to get on chat and you all disappeared!

WendyS wrote:



Every tool we use can be an instrument of torture,
from a simple collar to a toy, take the extending leash for eg,
how many dogs, not to mention humans, get hurt by one of them,
ive seen people wack there dog across its back with a chain lead,
every single item we use, can cause some degree of damage,

treat's or food if not used correctly - can cause the dog to get over weight or starve to death, but used corectly - you have a happy health dog,
at the end of the day, you are going to get idiots abusing the tool, if it wasnt the ecollar, it would be something else.