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How We Came To Be
In spring of 2006, a group of dog trainers and behavior consultants became increasingly alarmed at the proliferation of shock collar use among companion dog owners, inexperienced trainers and 'behaviorists', as well as the way the use of these devices was being promoted by their manufacturers. From that concern, the No Shock Collar Coalition came about. The NSCC began merely as a silent protest against the inhumane use of pain-delivering devices used in the name of 'dog training', and I created a single web page where principalled people could come and mark their name in a public place to protest the inhumane use of shock on companion canines in the name of training.
These devices are appearing with ever-increasing frequency in commercially available and inexpensive training "tools" sold freely over the counter to people who are completely ignorant about their capacity for harm. They are available as "bark collars", "remote collars" and invisible containment systems for both indoor and outdoor use.
We know that these devices are designed to work by the application of an aversive (pain, discomfort, fear, startle) which ultimately has a detrimental impact on the dog's learning, and many of their proponents are attempting to sell this training to the unknowing public by characterizing the electric shock as a "stimulation", "stim", "nick" or "tap"; these are all euphemisms for an electric shock.
Every day, we receive 5-10 more requests to join this list, and as we move into 2010, we anticipate having over 1000 names displayed here. As a cohesive force, we'll be moving forward with plans to speak out more vocally against the use of these devices, and make our positions known to their manufacturers, distributors and retailers, and any individual or business who sells these units or advertises them. We'll also be amassing and presenting a library of information about shock collars and the harm done by these devices, as a reference to dog trainers, behavior consultants and dog owners.
If you'd like to add your name to the growing list of professional dog trainers, behavior consultants, pet parents and others who want to take a stand against the use of electric shock collars for training dogs and controlling their behavior, please sign up here.
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