As a nation of dog lovers, we must ban electronic shock collars – Doherty

Electronic shock collars are a harmful and cruel method of attempting to train dogs and must be banned, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Regina Doherty said: “Electric shock collars are designed to give electronic shocks to dogs by way of metal conductors which contact the neck, with up to 6,000 volts emitted for up to 11 seconds at a time.

“Some people use electronic shock collars as a training device, the idea being that a dog comes to associate a certain behaviour with the pain caused by the collar. In other words, they administer an electric shock to a dog if it misbehaves. It’s an incredibly cruel method of training.

“You do not have to be cruel to an animal to teach them a certain behaviour. It’s just not right.

“As the owner of a Goldendoodle myself, I appreciate that training a new dog takes time and plenty of patience. Harming an animal to teach them good behaviour, however, should never be acceptable. I couldn’t imagine doing that to a dog.

“The question of whether the use of electronic shock collars ought to be banned in Ireland is currently under consideration by the Advisory Council for Companion Animal Welfare. I’m pleased that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has opened up a public consultation on this matter and invited interested parties to make submissions.

“I would encourage anyone who feels strongly about the welfare of our dogs to make a submission by email to animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie before 26th January 2024.

“As a nation, we are animal lovers. We love our dogs but a small number of people continue to rely on barbaric methods and practices.

“It’s high time for electronic shock collars to be banned in Ireland”, concluded Senator Doherty.