urgent-disarming shock collar?

[Peony]

I tried goggling but didn't get any hits. We are at my parent's cabin for the weekend along with my parents, sister and her hubby. They brought their young german shepard who has no training, they do nothing with it. The dog wants to pace and follow my kids around. Instead of walking the dog or anything, my sister just put a shock collar on her and is shocking her constantly. Everytime the dog whines or starts to move they shock her. After watching my sister sit there and push the button over and over because the dog sat up, I confronted her. In "nice" terms I basically got told to take a hike and shut my mouth. I can't sit here and watch this until Monday, my sister JUST got here less than an hour ago, we've been here since yesterday and it is this bad already and she just started drinking which means it will just get worse. I am already hiding out downstairs because I can't witness this, it is raining so I can't even go outside right now. Is there anything I can do to "break" the collar? My only other option is to leave which would mean my entire family out have to leave because we only have one car and our house is over an hour away.

ETA: exuse typos, typing quickly so I can get abck up to my other children. Yes, ideally this would be between my sister and I, we aren't the best of friends but haven'thad a fight or cross words since we were teens. She is in a foul mood, won't listen to anything I say, and said that she wants to cause the dog so much until she does listen. That right there just crossed her off in my mind of someone that I do not want around my children but I need to get through this weekend first. My children are so looking forward to staying here with the grandparents.

[daisymama12]

What a rotten situation, I'm sorry you have to be witness to it.

That poor dog!!! I am not an expert on dog training, but my understanding is that shock collars are a last resort, and have to be used in very specific, controlled ways. I would be worried about the dog - she is creating an unstable, unpredictable environment and the dog is going to get very very frustrated.

Could you offer to take the dog for a walk? Do some simple obedience training with treats? Show her an alternative method?

I couldn't watch that for a whole weekend. I also don't think it's safe...

[Peony]

We worked with a trainer and behavior person extensively with our last dog due to his various issues but have never used a shock collar so I don't know all about them but I agree, they should only be used very carefully and controlled. I also see this as an accident waiting to happen, they just got this dog a few months ago from the humane society and I haven't been around them and the dog together but one other time. Then she was using the collar very frequently as well, I ended up leaving because I thought if we were gone then her dog would "behave" and she would quit. I forgot about it until now.

They just left to take the dog on a walk, thank goodness. I couldn't offer because I would have to take my 3 children and the dog not possible with as much holiday traffic as there is right now (mountain town). DH should be back soon, he has been on a all day hike with my dad and he should be able to help, he is quite good with equipment, maybe he can figure out something to do with the collar. She has mellowed out on using the collar right now, I stayed downstairs for a while and I think my mom might of set her straight regrading her behavior in my mother's house. I am just hoping she stays like this and then next year I will be passing on staying here with them. We see my sister every few weeks but she usually stops by my house for a couple minutes, on major holidays, or in the winter it is snowboarding, we rarely ever go to her house. I just lost all respect for her though, I am talking to her hubby but trying to stay away from her as much as possible. Just have to get through the weekend.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

sorry can't answer your question, but why would anyone resort to using a shock collar that is just so inhumane, to me dogs are like furry children as like children the get giddy and need time outside to burn off excess energy, no one would put a shock collar on a child why on a dog don't they deserve the same respect.

[lifeguard]

You could try removing the battery on the sly.

Sounds abusive to me - poor pup.

We did use a shock collar for barking with our gsd mix as a last resort & it worked instantly (literally - she got shocked twice) so they are not inherently bad.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

take the battery out of the collar itself. They should be little round obs. Shock collars are bad in every way. They only teach the dog that when the collar is on they get hurt. They do make a collar that just vibrates no shocking and they are acceptable because it causes no pain.

If you have ever shocked yourself with one you know what I mean. It HURTS and it causes damage to the skin tissue.

[LeahBoo]

If you ever get alone with the dog, take the collar off and repeatedly push the button. Should wear out the battery.

I thought of this because my friend's old landlord put in and underground fence and made her dogs wear collars that made a tone first, as a warning, then shocked them if they went further. One dog learned to sit next to the fence, listening until the tone stopped, then go through.

[Momily]

I wouldn't stay somewhere with my child, where there's a large, powerful, untrained dog that's experiencing upredictable pain. There's no way of knowing whether this dog will make an unintentional connection between your kids and the fact that he gets shocked when he sees/follows them, and take it out on them.

So, while I'd be heart broken for the dog, and let my sister know very clearly, we'd leave.