Cedar City police have arrested a man they said used an electric dog collar to shock two of his children when they acted out.

The 45-year-old man admitted to officers that he used the remote-controlled shock collar to discipline two 6-year-old boys in his home, said Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack.

"He just felt that was an option for discipline," he said Friday. "We disagree vehemently."

The Utah Division of Child and Family Services began investigating the allegations of abuse on Wednesday and notified Cedar City police. Officers said they took the boys and their father in for questioning on Thursday.

Police said the man would use the electric shock collar on the boys' arms and legs, touching them with the probes. The children would not say if he put the collar around their necks, Womack said, adding there was no physical evidence to suggest that.

"It sounds bad, but it actually administers a mild shock," Womack said of the collar. The children were in the custody of other family members, said Utah Department of Human Services spokeswoman Carol Sisco.

"The kids are OK," she said, adding that parents need to think before they discipline. "Try to always remember that this child needs guidance, protection and someone to show them the way. To us, discipline means guidance, working with children on their strengths or showing them that some things could be done differently."

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