The Truth About E-Collars

The e-collar is one of the most controversial tools in dog training. While self-styled force-free trainers like Zak George and Victoria Stilwell have called for the universal banning of the collars, others, like Jamie Penrith and Tom Davis, passionately advocate that these collars can make a huge difference in the lives of dogs.

Tom Davis is a proud advocate of e-collars

E-collars (also called remote collars) are a two-part system consisting of a hand-held transmitter and a receiver that sits on the dog’s neck. When the transmitter is pressed, a signal goes to the collar, sending a mild electric stimulus to the muscles in the dog’s neck. This is the same technology as TENS machines, which are used to relieve pain in humans. The strength of the stimulus can be controlled from the transmitter.

Some people view e-collars as a dog torture device whose only purpose is to inflict pain. The original e-collars were indeed designed to be aversive and administer quite powerful shocks, even on the lowest settings. Modern collars, from specialist brands, typically have over 100 stimulus levels, and the lowest ones are imperceptible to humans. This allows a higher degree of control over the stimulus and can be used in less and even non-aversive ways. However, these collars CAN still be used to inflict pain on dogs if they are used heavy-handedly or incorrectly.

Another fake belief about the e-collar is that they can magically turn your dog into a remote-controlled robot, perfect at everything. This is particularly insidious because it often leads to frustrated owners, overuse of the collar and the mistreatment of dogs. Like any training equipment, the dog must be conditioned to the e-collar and taught what it means. Typically, this is done by pairing the stimulation with an existing command. Many people turn to e-collars for a specific reason, e.g. to discourage predatory behaviour or to enhance recall, and it shouldn’t become a general all-purpose tool for ensuring obedience.

The simple fact is that most dogs don’t need e-collars. Most owners either won’t regularly find themselves in a situation where the e-collar would be useful or aren't prepared to put in the time and effort needed for the training.  The e-collar is not the solution to poorly behaved dogs nor is it a shortcut in your training process. In the right hands it is a powerful tool, a solid safety net for when things go wrong and a way to communicate with your dog over large distances. The challenge is that, like any other tool, the problems arise when they are in the wrong hands.