No, they aren't cruel. Calling them "shock collars" makes them sound way more horrible than they actually are. As a former police K-9 trainer, I have worked extensively with these collars, and can tell you they are not in any way cruel unless USED in such a manner. You should definitely find a trainer to work on it with you first. Just strapping an e-collar on a dog and going at it isn't the best way to do things.

Don't listen to anyone who says that your dog is too old to train now. Not so. Also, the citronella collars are crap.