It seems the greatest concern with remote collar training is the  fear that it is either harmful or painful to the dog.  Where I'm sure there is
occasional discomfort evoked by the collar, my overall impression is that it is not only less painful than other traditional methods of training, but much safer.

The choke chain can, and has caused a variety of health problems that I have seen repeatedly in my practice.  Tugging or snapping back on a  choke chain can cause injury to the neck and trachea.  This, of course, is exasperated when the chain with prongs are used. If a choke chain is left  on, even for brief amount of time, a dog can get hung-up on it and  suffocate.  Also, I have had to surgically remove more than one chain that  had imbedded into the dog's
flesh to the point that the neck tissue actually  grew around the chain.  This, of course, is only in cases of obvious  neglect.

By using the remote collar, one can redirect or correct their dog and get an immediate response.  I have found that if the dog is confused or  unsure of what he should be doing, he will more likely vocalize when responding  to the collar.  The same dog, however, when not confused, will show no  reaction at all at that same level.

Additionally, I know of no study that shows the collar to be medically
dangerous, including in cases of epilepsy.  In fact, I am  personally aware of am epileptic dog that uses the remote collar with no  problems or side-effects.

To suggest that remote collar training is cruel, is  ridiculous.  In fact, I
believe quite the opposite. A choke chain can be not only physically and
emotionally challenging for the owner to manage, but  is clearly difficult and often confusing for the dog as well. The remote collar is a quick and
stress-free method of getting a dog to quickly learn what  is expected of him.  In my opinion, this is what all dogs ultimately need, and once accomplished, they tend to be much more relaxed and  content.

Kathryn Allen, DVM

Indian Bend Animal Hospital
3923 East Thunderbird Road, Suite 123
Phoenix, Arizona 85032
602-867-2992