WHat You should know before you use The following electronic Collars
updated february 22 2023*
-- Antibark collars that operate automatically in response to the dog barking: the vibrations produced by the larynx are detected by a sensor on the collar and the dog is shocked.
-- Electronic boundary fences that are activated by a radio signal transmitted from a remote wire, buried underground on the perimeter of an owner’s property.
-- Remote-controlled collars that can be activated manually via a remote-controlled transmitter.
challenge #1
Show me one welfare study that supports the use of electronic collars! ( one study only comparing choke, prong VS shock collar is not really suggesting it’s use but which is less harmful)
You could not find one, right? See 26 studies below that suggest NOT to use one.
Challenge #2
Use it on your spouse. Explain to them what you're up to,
and instead of asking them to do something, use the "tool.”
At the end of the day, ask them how "free" they felt, how much trust they had in their decisions, and what they felt during the stimulus control.
I assure you that everything you read here is scientifically based. You can click on the links ( bolt blue) and read up.
First, I want to thank you for reading this blog. I put a lot off effort, research and experience into this; not to blame you or pro-aversive tool people, but to educate and help you learn the truth, and bust some myths that manufacturers promote to sell their products.
Who should you trust?
The scientific community:
Study Shows No Credible Scientific Evidence Justifying Electronic Shock Collars
The study considers 3 types of electronic collars: anti-bark collars that give a shock when the dog barks, electronic boundary fences that give a shock when the dog crosses the boundary, and remote-controlled collars that give a shock at the will of the pet owner.
“Studies show that using shock may result in increased fear, aggression, or learned helplessness. People who use shock collars may end up paying even more money on a dog trainer or behaviorist if using the collar affects the human-animal relationship or the welfare of the dog.” Journal of Veterinary Behavior
If you don't like my association and comparison between humans and dogs, it's ok.
Just a heads up that all mammals are emotionally intelligent.
What history has tough us
Dogs were greatly esteemed in Mesopotamia as protectors, healers, and companions of the gods.
Before I get to the technical stuff I wanted to emphasize the uniqueness of the canine species.
"This relationship is well established in Mesopotamia from as early as 3300 BCE in the southern area known as Sumer"-www.ancient.eu
see plate to the right
According to scientific research, dogs learned more from humans during their synergistic relationship over 35,000 years, than humans did from dogs. Humans would communicate with dogs in a natural way, with body language and emotional expressiveness. Humans bury dogs the last 16,000 years. We’ve gone back 100 years into a dark age of dog training when we rely on positive punishment or negative punishment reinforcement tools to communicate with our animals.
B. F. Skinner was one of the most influential of American psychologists, and he was the person who developed the theory of operant conditioning—what we know as clicker training for dogs.
GUIDE FOR POLICE & GUARD DOG TRAINING BY KONRAD MOST 1910 1ST ED
But the problem started earlier when the war needed dogs to do the job quickly and accurate at any cost.
"Konrad Most began training dogs for police work in Germany, and was appointed principal of the State Breeding and Training Establishment for police dogs in Berlin, where he carried out original research into training dogs for a broad range of service tasks. At the outbreak of war in 1914 he was charged with organizing and directing the use of dogs to further the war effort." -Wikipedia
If you don't believe in science, you should not use the e-collar. It's made of hundreds of components designed by electronic scientists who have no scientific background of dog behavior modification. They only understand the economic value of using aversive tools to send a message to the dog.
Today the majority of policy makers and professional dog training scientists who analyzed data over decades came to the conclusion that there has been more damage done than good.
A Review of Recent Evidence (2015) in Relation to the Welfare Implications for Cats and Dogs Arising From the Use of Electronic Collars, from the Welsh Assembly states, use of e-collars is unnecessary, and that this is a fair conclusion of our work as a whole, where policy makers seek to make evidence based policy decisions. It has been on that basis that The Welsh Assembly has upheld its 2010 ban on use of e-collars
Scientists confirm shock-collars are not working for dogs the way the industry tries to lobby them.
Ok, I get the point that some dogs need to be reached remotely.
And I also understand that you might work with the toughest dogs in the world.
Bottom line is that I hear the same arguments about e-collars that I hear about guns.
They both come from a fear point of view, and a lack of emotional power and confidence.
So we use tools.
Who I am to talk about collars?
I worked with them for several years when I began my career as a dog trainer because I was told it's ethical. My first one I made myself ( I'm a retired industrial engineer and reverse prototype specialist- I've worked on many items that you use in your life every day.)
I work with aggressive dogs that were on euthanasia lists and dogs returned to rescue. I work with deaf and blind dogs. I specialize in giant guardian and guarding breeds and so called bully breeds. I have international and local clients. I coach trainers, rescues, and the nation's biggest non-kill shelters.
“The strengthening of behavior which results from reinforcement is appropriately called ‘conditioning’. In operant conditioning, we ‘strengthen’ an operant in the sense of making a response more probable or, in actual fact, more frequent.”
Not convinced yet?
Myth-buster:
Test the collar on your skin to feel what the dog feels: FALSE
The epidermis of a dog is 3-5 cells thick however in humans it is at least 10-15 cells thick. Testing the e/collar on your skin is not a valid comparison, this can cause the shock to feel much more intense to a dog.
Study describes: Force sensing is fundamental to development and survival of multicellular organisms. Cells are barraged by an array of forces, including pressure, stretch, flow, and sound waves. To cope with this diversity, specialized mechanosensory cells have evolved to be extraordinarily sensitive, selective, and fast (Chalfie, 2009). Forces that impinge upon the skin are encoded by touch receptors.
Touch is essential for myriad behaviors that range from avoiding bodily harm to social exchange. From Caenorhabditis elegans to mammals, species propagation relies on touch-dependent mating behaviors (Barr and Sternberg, 1999; Selden, 2004).
If properly used, dog loves his collar. FALSE
Studies show that using shock may result in increased fear, aggression, or learned helplessness.
People who use shock collars may end up paying even more money on a dog trainer or behaviorist if using the collar. It also affects the human-animal relationship or the welfare of the dog.
E-fence keeps your dog from escaping. FALSE: One study showed a higher risk of escape associated with electronic fences compared to physical fences.
My dog loves his e-collar: FALSE: Shocked dogs exhibited more stress than dogs trained by other methods, even outside of training sessions. Schilder, Matthijs BH, and Joanne AM Van der Borg. “Training dogs with help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioural effects.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 85, no. 3-4 (2004): 319-334.
Aggressive dogs need to be punished! FALSE: Confrontational dog training methods can elicit aggressive responses: Herron, Meghan E., Frances S. Shofer, and Ilana R. Reisner. “Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 117, no. 1-2 (2009): 47-54
Dogs learn faster when corrected! FALSE: High levels of punishment may have adverse effects upon a dog’s behaviour. Reward-based training may improve a dog’s ability to learn.Rooney, Nicola Jane, and Sarah Cowan. “Training methods and owner–dog interactions: Links with dog behaviour and learning ability.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 132, no. 3-4 (2011): 169-177.
Dogs learn faster obedience with shock collars!
FALSE: Latest peer reviewed study with shock collar industry recommended trainers and reward based trainers And 63 dogs confirmed: The reward-based Control Group 2, however, had a higher proportion of obeys after first command to both “Come” and “Sit” commands and required fewer multiple commands to initiate a recall or complete a sit response. This suggests that the reward-based training was the most effective approach not only for recall which was the target behavior in training, but also for other commands, even though the reward based trainers did not spend as much of their time training on sit command as the other two training groups.”
Efficacy of Dog Training With and Without Remote Electronic Collars vs. a Focus on Positive Reinforcement in Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00508
The emotional pain is deep
As an abuse victim, canine trauma behavior specialist and intuitive (empath) healer,
I feel and communicate with animals in a non-verbal language and I realized that an e-collar is a tool that has no use in my toolbox. I feel it's unethical as a healer to put the dog into an emotional state that creates a fear of failure.
I tested several collars on myself.
How dogs learn to give up through shock collars training or Invisible fence - Introduction to Stockholm Syndrom
An experiment was applied to dogs in 1965 on the topic of learned helplessness by Martin Seligman. Dogs in one group were electrocuted through the floor of their cages and were not given a way out of the cages. These dogs refused to leave the cage even after it was opened. The dogs were so scared and terrified they literally could not see a way of escape even after the dog was free to go and would continue to stay and get shocked. Dogs in the second group were shocked with a way out of the cages and ran out to escape the stimulus. Concluding if you are trapped in a horrible situation long enough you learn that there is no hope even when hope is presented to you. This can also explain why it's so hard to for victims of domestic violence to leave. Also, these traumatized dogs only became better when they were physically removed from the cages. They literally had to be dragged out of the cages to physically experience that there was a way of escape. Suggesting that there is something in the brain that needs to experience what to do when put into a perceived hopeless situation to relieve the trauma of it.
Learned helplessness is a phenomenon observed in both humans and other animals when they have been conditioned to expect pain, suffering, or discomfort without a way to escape it (Cherry, 2017).
I'm not calling anyone unethical, I’m just explaining my personal ethical standpoint.
It's time for us professionals to raise our vibration and confidence, and be preventive and authoritative in our interaction with dogs.
Understanding emotional energy, trauma, stress, and disabilities will allow us to help dogs better and with long term stability.
Roman Gottfried is an internationally renowned Holistic Dog Training, Intuitive Healer and Dog/Human Relationship Coach. He works with dog parents worldwide to help their dogs reach their full potential, by teaching them the holistic philosophy of creating a healthy relationship with their dog. He sees clients both online and in-person in Phoenix, Arizona. Visit www.romansk9training.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.
Resource:
*) HERE 27 More SCIENTIFIC REASONS
. This is the first large scale study of companion dogs in a real training setting, using the types of training methods typically applied in dog training schools and data collected by the research team. The results suggest that the use of aversive training methods, especially in high proportions, should be avoided because of their negative impact on dog welfare."
"Training methods based on punishment compromise dog welfare, study finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 December 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201217095536.htm>.
Learned helplessness: Seligman, M. E. P. (1972). "Learned helplessness". Annual Review of Medicine. 23 (1): 407–412. doi:10.1146/annurev.me.23.020172.002203
Owner Attachment and Problem Behaviors Related to Relinquishment and Training Techniques of Dogs Jennifer Y. Kwan & Melissa J. Bain
Pages 168-183 | Published online: 01 Apr 2013
China L, Mills DS and Cooper JJ (2020)
Efficacy of Dog Training With and Without Remote Electronic Collars vs. a Focus on Positive Reinforcement
Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00508
Arhant, C., Bubna-Littitz, H., Bartels, A., Futschik, A., & Troxler, J. (2010). Behaviour of smaller and larger dogs: Effects of training methods, inconsistency of owner behaviour and level of engagement in activities with the dog Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 123 (3-4), 131-142 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2010.01.003
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Positive Reinforcement in Dog Training: Little Dogs vs Big Dogs
Also included in the summary of the series on positive reinforcement and dog training
Blackwell, E., Bolster, C., Richards, G., Loftus, B., & Casey, R. (2012). The use of electronic collars for training domestic dogs: estimated prevalence, reasons and risk factors for use, and owner perceived success as compared to other training methods BMC Veterinary Research, 8 (1) DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-8-93
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: How Many People Use Electronic Shock Collars?
Blackwell, E., Twells, C., Seawright, A., & Casey, R. (2008). The relationship between training methods and the occurrence of behavior problems, as reported by owners, in a population of domestic dogs Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 3 (5), 207-217 DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2007.10.008
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Positive Reinforcement and Dog Training
Also included in the summary of the series on positive reinforcement and dog training
Casey, R., Loftus, B., Bolster, C., Richards, G., & Blackwell, E. (2014). Human directed aggression in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris): Occurrence in different contexts and risk factors Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 152, 52-63 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2013.12.003
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Dangerous Dogs: Time for a Rethink?
and on Dr. Rachel Casey's blog
and by Stanley Coren, PhD
Cooper, J. J., Cracknell, N., Hardiman, J., Wright, H., & Mills, D. (2014). The welfare consequences and efficacy of training pet dogs with remote electronic training collars in comparison to reward-based training. PloS one, 9(9), e102722. Defra AW1402 (2013) Studies to assess the effect of pet training aids, specifically remote static pulse systems, on the welfare of domestic dogs. University of Lincoln / University of Bristol / Food and Environment Research Agency. Final report prepared by Prof. Jonathan Cooper, Dr. Hannah Wright, Prof. Daniel Mills (University of Lincoln); Dr. Rachel Casey, Dr. Emily Blackwell (University of Bristol); Katja van Driel (Food and Environment Research Agency); Dr. Jeff Lines (Silsoe Livestock System). Defra AW1402a (2013) Studies to assess the effect of pet training aids, specifically remote static pulse systems, on the welfare of domestic dogs; field study of dogs in training. Final report prepared by Prof. Jonathan Cooper, Dr. Nina Cracknell, Jessica Hardiman and Prof. Daniel Mills (University of Lincoln).
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: The End for Shock Collars?
de Castro, A. C. V., Barrett, J., de Sousa, L., & Olsson, I. A. S. (2019). Carrots versus sticks: The relationship between training methods and dog-owner attachment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 219, 104831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104831
Covered by Stanley Coren, PhD
Deldalle, S., & Gaunet, F. (2014). Effects of 2 training methods on stress-related behaviors of the dog (Canis familiaris) and on the dog-owner relationship Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 9 (2), 58-65 DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2013.11.004
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Dog Training, Animal Welfare, and the Human-Canine Relationship
and by Stanley Coren, PhD
Dodman, N. H., Brown, D. C., & Serpell, J. A. (2018). Associations between owner personality and psychological status and the prevalence of canine behavior problems. PloS one, 13(2), e0192846.
Covered by Zazie Todd PhD at Psychology Today: Does owner personality affect dog training methods?
Fernandes, J. G., Olsson, I. A. S., & de Castro, A. C. V. (2017). Do aversive-based training methods actually compromise dog welfare?: A literature review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2017.07.001
Haverbeke, A., Laporte, B., Depiereux, E., Giffroy, J., & Diederich, C. (2008). Training methods of military dog handlers and their effects on the team's performances Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 113 (1-3), 110-122 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2007.11.010
Covered by Stanley Coren, PhD
Herron, M., Shofer, F., & Reisner, I. (2009). Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 117 (1-2), 47-54 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.12.011
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Positive Reinforcement and Dog Training: Dogs with Behaviour Problems and in the summary of this series on positive reinforcement
and Science Daily
and Dr. Sophia Yin
and Patricia McConnell, PhD, CAAB
Hiby, E.F., Rooney, N.J., & Bradshaw, J.W.S. (2004). Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare Animal Welfare (13), 63-69
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Positive Reinforcement and Dog Training II
Also included in the summary of the series on positive reinforcement and dog training
Masson, S., de la Vega, S., Gazzano, A., Mariti, C., Pereira, G. D. G., Halsberghe, C., ... & Schoening, B. (2018). Electronic training devices: discussion on the pros and cons of their use in dogs as a basis for the position statement of the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology (ESVCE). Journal of Veterinary Behavior. DOI; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2018.02.006
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Study outlines reasons to ban electronic collars for dogs
Covered by Mark Bekoff, PhD: Is it time to ban shock collars for dogs in all situations?
Masson, S., Nigron, I., & Gaultier, E. (2018). Questionnaire Survey on The Use Of Different E-Collar Types in France in Everyday Life With A View To Providing Recommendations for Possible Future Regulations. Journal of Veterinary Behavior.
Covered by Kerry Lengyel at American Veterinarian: Study shows no credible evidence justifying electronic shock collars.
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Shock collars, regulation and education on alternatives
Overall, K. L. (2018). Beware the misdirection offense: the truth about shock, aversives and punishment. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 25, iv-vi. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2018.04.005
Rooney, N., & Cowan, S. (2011). Training methods and owner–dog interactions: Links with dog behaviour and learning ability Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 132 (3-4), 169-177 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.03.007
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Positive Reinforcement and Dog Training: Learning New Behaviours
Also included in the summary of the series on positive reinforcement and dog training
Schalke, E., Stichnoth, J., Ott, S., & Jones-Baade, R. (2007). Clinical signs caused by the use of electric training collars on dogs in everyday life situations Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105 (4), 369-380 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2006.11.002
Schilder, M., & van der Borg, J. (2004). Training dogs with help of the shock collar: short and long term behavioural effects Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 85 (3-4), 319-334 DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2003.10.004
Covered by Dr. Sophia Yin
Todd, Z. (2018). Barriers to the Adoption of Humane Dog Training Methods. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research. 25C(28-34). Available for free via this link until 9th June.
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: Why don't more people use positive reinforcement to train dogs?
Ziv, G. (2017) The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs – a review. Journal of Veterinary Behaviour, 19:50-60.
Covered by Companion Animal Psychology: New Literature Review Recommends Reward-Based Training
Guest post by Zazie Todd, PhD at the Academy for Dog Trainers: The Double Advantage of Reward-Based Training.
Clare Browne, Nicola Starkey, Mary Foster, James McEwan