No. Not at all. People who think it's cruel are the people who put their chihuahuas in sweaters and let their dogs rule their homes. You have to look at it like this: In packs, the alpha dog shoes the lower dogs that he is the alpha, and disciplines them when they step out of line. The way he does this is by nipping at their scruffs, holding their throat in his jaws, forcing him to the ground in a submissive position, etc. What we do to dogs when we use a choke or shock collar is similar to the alpha nipping at another dog's neck. It simply tells them "I am the leader, and I don't want you to do that". Now, don't get me wrong, if you use the tools improperly it definitely can be cruel & dangerous. A choke chain should be positioned properly as to not damage the wind pipe when it is yanked. Also, a quick, sharp yank will suffice; you don't need to drag your dog around with the chain tight around it's neck. -Loving owner of a very well-trained pitbull.

If they were I wouldn't use them. They are teaching aids when used correctly and torture when used out of anger. I do not torture my dog.

My German Shepherds had choke chains but were trained to the highest standard without the use of a shock collar. We trained with love and firm commands . I do not believe in shocking a dog . Sheps are easy to train some other dogs may be more difficult and require tougher methods .I would not have any other dog than A German Shepherd. Bitch.

shock collars aren't cruel if you think about it, let's say you don't have a fence this means they need to know their boundaries give em' a quick shock at the lowest setting and they don't go there anymore because they remember. kinda like gettin too close to the street and i care about my dogs and the way i see it is its better to get a quick shock then get a quick kill by a truck. ill ask you a question do you think non compliant criminals getting hit with a taser is cruel (same concept isn't it except the dog isn't trying to bite you, you're just looking out for their well-being) if u want to rate the answer u can if u don't agree that's cool too but u asked and i answered take care

would it be cruel on a child you are trying to train? If the answer is yes, then the answer is yes.

I've always used "choke chains," but prefer to call them "training collars." They are perfectly acceptable when used properly, but unfortunately some people abuse the collar, and others are clueless of how to use them. (Hint: It's not for letting your dog pull until he can't without cutting off his airway while on your evening walk.) I have never used a shock collar, it doesn't settle 100% kosher with me.

When used properly both can be very effective and non cruel training aids. I personally wouldnt use a shock collar, but I do know some that do..responsibly. :)

I disagree with the use of shock collars. And the noise they make annoys me. But I would use choke chains. My dog doesnt use them though, she doesnt use a leash, just walks beside me.

Anything that causes pain, discomfort and closes the airway of a living thing is cruel, no matter how sparsely it's used.

Choke chains are misnamed and should NEVER be used to choke. In fact, if you use them that way, the dog just pulls harder and harder, rendering the collar totally ineffective. A choke chain is meant to be used the way a chain shank is used on a horse: a quick pop to catch the animal's attention and an immediate release. Used properly, it is less cruel and less likely to choke than a regular collar. It is also harder to slip a choke chain and get loose in traffic than it is with a regular collar. The problem is that too many people don't take the time to learn to use them properly. A shock collar is cruel. The dog has no connection between the transgression and the shock. We have spent the last year trying to reclaim a Beagle who has clearly been shocked. We would miss him and go looking for him and find him shaking in the corner of the back room. We would have done nothing to him, just something had triggered the memory of being shocked so that he would hide in terror. I don't see any way to use the thing that the dog would actually know what had caused the shock and how to prevent it in the future. Maybe someone knows more about it than I do, but I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole.

Personally I think shock collars are cruel and inhumane. Choke collars can be used in a humane way. I've never used either on a dog that I've had though. Never will either. My dogs don't even have collars.

I think shock collars can be cruel. Choke chains or pinch collars if used responsibility on large breed dominant dogs I do not believe is cruel. They can self - correct in training, and help establish pack leader. The pinch collars should NOT be worn 24/ 7 just during training and when walking or working with your dog, instead of a shock collar a vibrating collar can be used and get the best results these are especially popular with training deaf dogs and using hand signals for commands.

Not at all,but it should be used by proffesionals with experience.In a hands of inexperience person the tool wont deliver what it supposed to plus might hurt the animal and push the training back....

I would never use a shock collar and if anybody uses a check chain as a choke chain they are just adding to any existing problems.

For a chihuahua, probably not. For powerful and intelligent dogs like German Shepherds, Rotties and the like they are probably a necessity -- particularly with a dominant animal. I not only needed a choke chain to deal with my male german shepherd until I established dominance, but I needed the kind with prongs. I simply did not have the physical strength to do a correction without it. I've used shock collars too, but rarely. I see no problem with using one as long as the handler is willing to take the shock herself first to see exactly what it entails. What happens is first a tone. If the dog responds to the tone, he does not get shocked. If shocked, he gets a shock....the kind that I used to remember getting occasionally when I plugged in lamps at my home when I was a child. The old fashioned type wiring would often give a shock of very similar intensity. It's quick and doesn't really "hurt" anything like a taser...but it certainly distracts you from whatever you were just doing. I've also used Invisible Fencing which involves a shock collar. It was the only practical way to fence large acreage for a dog.

I believe they are very cruel if the dog does not know better. If the dog is trained and knows what is right then it may be okay. If you had a child, would you shock a child every time they do somthing wrong? If you say yes, don't have children and don't use a shock collar on a dog because dogs are just like children.