Should I use a shock collar for dog training? Expert opinion.

I personally recommend against them. Most bark collars work by delivering a shock to your dog, in an attempt to "stop" them from whatever behavior they are doing. However, this often either causes pain to your dog, or starts an association of the shock with other things, such as you, or a nearby child or person, which may cause redirected aggression instead. Instead of shocking your dog when they bark or do something they shouldn't redirection through positive reinforcement is a better option. it can help build a bond with your dog without resorting to pain or fear, and while still stopping the problem. If your dog likes to bark, say, when someone walks past the house, you can instead get your dog's attention with a favorite treat or chew toy, moving them to a different room and refocusing their behavior on that, instead of the person causing them to bark. If they are distracted or upset, refocusing them into a sit or down (far enough away that the stimulus causing them to bark isn't as distracting) can help change the behavior from "bad" (barking) to "good" (sitting), which you can then start to reward if they present that behavior instead of the bark in the future. It does take longer to work with positive reinforcement and redirection training, but the overall result is a change in your dog's underlying behavior, rather than just a band aid that can lead to fear, redirected aggression, and at worse severe injury. If you're curious to work on more positive reinforcement behaviors, speaking with a local dog trainer or animal behaviorist (specialists in behavior training specifically) is best as they can work with you in person on any specific problems you're having.

I'm so glad that you found a good training method for Timber. The problem with shock collars is that often people do not use them correctly. If you are shocking your dog inappropriately, they will get confused about what is going on and everyone will be frustrated with training. When used appropriately, shock collars can be a very effective training method. I'm so glad that it is working well for Timber, so you must be doing it right. Congrats! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

No. This is not acceptable. If your dog's behavior is so severe that you are considering this type of punishment then I suggest you seek the help of a professional dog trainer or re-home the dog to someone that can potentially get the dog trained. This time of punishment will only make things worse and is cruel.

This is a lot of questions, and talking with one of our experts in a consultation may be useful for figuring out the basics of puppy training. Another good option is to enroll in a puppy training class together where you can learn to train with positive reinforcement, better communicate, and both get on the same page about house rules and basic obedience. I do NOT recommend shock collars at all as these are likely to just frustrated or even scare your dog. They work to stop problem behaviors by causing pain or fear, instead of figuring out how to turn a "bad" behavior into a positive one through redirecting or stopping the behavior before it starts. As for potty training, without knowing your puppy's age or what you've tried already, it is hard to give a good answer. Making sure to take your puppy outside frequently (every hour if needed for very young dogs) and especially after waking, playing, eating or drinking can help provide opportunity to go outside successfully. Inside, when you are not at home, looking into crate training or blocking off your puppy's access in the house to only an easy to clean kitchen or laundry room with potty pads can help prevent accidents and encourage good behaviors.

Yes, unfortunately a shock collar is cruel and should not be used on a dog. Some humane alternatives are boundary training or teaching Piper to come, without fail, every time you call her so that she remains in your yard. Another possibility is to explain your situation to your neighbors and ask that they not throw food into their yard. If they are doing it to feed squirrels, possums, etc., that is their right and there's not much you can do about it. If it's any other reason, you might try asking them to load the food up with sriracha, tabasco or other unpleasant flavor to deter Piper from going after it. If you have some friends in the subdivision who are not near your neighbor, how about asking if you can use their yard? Good luck with this. If you need further info, you can click on the prompt to initiate a consult.

I suggest you try a citronella bark collar as the first option. They work well in most cases and are not harmful. This is not a shock collar. This video should explain more about them and how they work. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXwstVpzALY&t=102s )

Shock collars such as the SportDog work well when used properly. The key is you have to train them on a leash to know what the response is before letting them off leash to use it. This brand come with several shock settings and a beep. Some people use the beep as a praise and reward when they are far off and do well, other use it as a warning beep to listen or the shock is next. When you have them on leash, tell them a command. If they do not do it, you shock them and make them do it. This teaches them the consequences. When they do right, you praise them. AS they get better you can start with longer distances until they fully understand--which doesn't take long. Once they get it, some just need the collar on to keep paying attention without using any buttons