Campaigners are calling for a ban on the sale of electric shock collars which deliver a painful jolt to dogs to correct their behaviour.

Polling for the Dogs Trust found almost a third of people wrongly thought that the collars, which can continuously shock a dog for 11 seconds, were already banned.

The devices cause dogs to yelp, squeal, crouch and exhibit physiological signs of distress, and, despite being sold to improve the way dogs behave, can worsen the animal’s behaviour, the charity said.

Rachel Casey, director of canine behaviour and research at the Dogs Trust, said the charity was “appalled” that it was still legal to buy and use electric shock collars in England.

She said: “It is both unnecessary and cruel to resort to the use of these collars on dogs.

“This type of device is not only painful for a dog, it can have a serious negative impact on their mental and physical well-being.

“A dog can’t understand when or why it’s being shocked and this can cause it immense distress, with many dogs exhibiting signs of anxiety and worsened behaviour as a result.”

She said positive methods such as using food rewards were the most effective and kindest way of training dogs.

The poll of 2,067 adults by Populus also found that 84 per cent knew they caused pain and 83 per cent of dog owners would not use them.

The Dogs Trust has launched a #Shockinglylegal campaign, calling on the Government to ban their sale and urging people to tweet their MP to demand they support the move.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who has compared the shock collars to caning a child, is among the MPs and peers already pledging support.