How Does a Dog Collar Shocker Work?

A dog collar shocker is a training tool that can administer a slight electrical current to a dog's neck. Trainers and owners primarily use these collars while teaching a dog to stay within an invisible fenced off area or to stop undesirable behavior, such as excessive barking. The use of these collars is controversial and many trainers and owners consider them cruel. Other people defend their use, pointing out that they may correct a behavior that might otherwise result in a dog running off and getting hit by a car or being put to sleep.

  1. The Collar

    • A typical dog collar shocker consists of an adjustable collar and a receiver with two contact points or probes that can administer an electrical shock to the dog. Some collars are designed to work by a remote control or by a radio signal, while others are activated by sensors that can, for instance, detect when a dog barks. The level of the shock administered by the receiver can be adjusted to fit the size and pain tolerance of a particular canine. The dog should show some signs of discomfort when the electric shock occurs, but it should not cry out in pain.

    Invisible Fences

    • Invisible fences use a wire, dog collar shocker and a transmitter to keep a dog from wandering off its owner's property. First, the wire is buried to create the invisible fence's perimeter, and then flags are placed above the wire perimeter to give the dog a visible clue as to where he can and cannot go. The owner or trainer then walks the dog on a leash along the fence line. If the dog walks too close to the flag, the transmitter will send a radio signal to its receiver, which will, in turn, send a shock into its neck.

    Bark Prevention Collars

    • A bark prevention collar administers shocks to a dog when it barks too much. These types of collars are usually triggered by sensors that can detect the vibrations made when the dog barks. Various types of bark prevention collars are available, including one that will allow a dog to bark a few times before penalizing it with a shock. Another type of collar will shock the dog with increasing intensity if it fails to stop barking.

    Remote Control Collars

    • Remote control dog shocker collars are used by trainers or owners to teach dogs either to stop a particular behavior, such as jumping on a couch or on a person, or to punish it for not listening to a command, such as stay or come. With these types of collars, a human pushes a button on a remote control that will then administer a shock to the dog as punishment for not listening or for doing an undesirable behavior. Some dog shocker collars that are designed for hunting have built-in GPS units so that a dog can be located if it should get lost while in the fields or woods.