The use of electronic training devices has become more and more widespread. In 2006, pet owners around the world purchased more than 500,000 remote training collars, more than 1,000,000 restraint systems, and nearly 900,000 bark collars.

Why the popularity? These training systems have become much more affordable, and pet owners are discovering that they are a safe and effective means of managing the various behaviors that they find unacceptable.

As sales of these products increase, so do the not-so-favorable opinions about them: that they cause dogs to become aggressive, that there is a greater chance of failure than success when using them, that the impact they produce is painful, which will result in significant injury to your pet.

All of these can be classified as “myths” as there is very little hard data available to prove or disprove. However, recent studies are providing results that allow a more reasoned analysis of this technology.

Last year, one of the leading manufacturers of electronic training products hired an independent laboratory to compare the level of correction produced by a pet restraint receiver with the impact produced by other common circumstances and devices. The evaluation showed that the “shock” produced by a containment system is nowhere near the intensity that some people believe.

The “shock” produced by the containment system is almost 40% less than what would be received from walking on a carpet. (Note that static discharge will vary greatly depending on relative humidity – the lower the humidity, the greater the discharge.)

Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the training “shock” is one-fourth the level of a cattle fence and one-twentieth the level of a stun gun, two devices that electronic training equipment is often unfairly compared to.

But even this study tells only half the story. He compared the voltage emitted by these devices … the intensity. You must also consider the duration. Reputable brands of electronic training equipment correct only for a short period of time. The mark that has the UL approval mark on your receiver features a correction that lasts only 1/40 of a second, less time than it takes the average person to snap their fingers.

But what this study does show is that not all “bumps” are the same. And that the correction in question is not “painful”, “powerful” or even “uncomfortable”. “Surprising” maybe, but none of the above.

Still, each animal will react differently to correction. Therefore, you should always approach a training situation with caution when using this type of equipment. As is often the case, education is the answer. When training a pet, you need to have as much information as possible … and a behavior management plan to support it, just as you would with traditional training techniques. When looking to select a product, select one that provides you with instruction manuals and videos.

Choosing a product that provides you with these necessary educational materials will greatly increase your chances of success in trying to improve your dog’s behavior. To help demonstrate this fact, let’s look at a survey that was recently completed by a leading manufacturer of electronic training equipment.

This company surveyed 1,025 dog owners who had been using one of three types of electronic training equipment: invisible dog fences, bark collars, and shock collars for a period of no less than 90 days.

The most significant findings came as a result of asking the pet owner the following question: “Since using the electronic training product, how would you describe your pet’s general behavior?” The owner was asked to respond with one of the following: a) behaved better (and specifically how), b) did not change behavior, or c) behaved worse (and specifically how).

The results are amazing. Just over 2/3 (860 of 1,025 dog owners) responded that their dogs’ general behavior had improved since using electronic equipment.

The reasons these dogs would show an overall improvement in their behavior would include owners using the equipment correctly. Correct use includes spending a significant amount of time working and socializing with your dog. When a dog receives an increase in time and attention, his behavior will generally change for the better.

This survey also helps dispel another myth about the use of electronic dog training equipment: that it causes dogs to act aggressively. None of the dog owners surveyed purchased the equipment in order to eliminate aggressive behavior. However, about 12% stated that another positive side effect of using the equipment was that their dog no longer displayed the occasional aggressive behavior that had been seen in the past. Additionally, of the owners who claimed their dogs’ behavior worsened in any way since using the equipment, none reported that the worsening occurred in the form of aggressive behavior.