Electric collars: Fear Is Not an Effective Tool for Dog Training

In response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on electronic dog training aids, which closed on January 29, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) are calling for a total ban on the public sale and use of electric shock training collars. According to British veterinarians, these stressful devices, which rely on punishment and submission, are ineffective and cannot serve as a useful alternative to positive and natural training methods.   Electric shock collars are often used in dog training as a more or less punitive tool—for example, to prevent a dog from repeating inappropriate behavior (barking, etc.) or to help it obey commands (recall, etc.). However, without questioning the need for training for the dog’s well-being, numerous studies show that electric collars are no more effective than positive reinforcement methods*—far from it. Even when limited and adjustable, the electrical shocks emitted by the collar are painful and perceived as an attack by the dog, which may then react by redirecting its aggression toward those around it. Furthermore, electric collars address the consequence of inappropriate behavior without identifying or addressing the cause. Most of the time, the dog does not understand the punitive response, which is experienced as an additional source of stress or even emotional distress. The call by British veterinarians to ban these collars is based on the results of an extensive consultation with behaviorists, on their own experience and expertise, and on an analysis of extensive data demonstrating that these artificial training aids raise animal welfarerelated, for example, to the difficulty of precisely gauging the level of electrical impulse to apply to a dog without causing unnecessary suffering, or of taking into account variables such as wet fur in how the dog perceives the shock. Furthermore, because they are too readily available, electronic training devices can—without proper supervision or adherence to safety precautions—be misused or fall into the wrong hands. Their painful and counterproductive effects can then leave lasting scars on the dog, leading to new behavioral problems such as aggression, fear, depression, etc. Pending the conclusions of further research on the impact of other training collars, such as those that spray citronella, the BVA and the Bsava are also calling for stricter regulation of the sale of these devices and clearer manufacturer instructions to ensure that the potential harmful effects of their use are fully understood by animal owners and consumers. The use of electric collars is already banned in England, Wales, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. It is to be hoped that they will soon be banned in Scotland, as well as in France and all member states of the European Union.   * Positive reinforcement methods: The owner’s enjoyment is the foundation of positive training, which is based on rewarding the dog (with petting, praise, treats, etc.) for acquiring a desired behavior.