Why I Don't Use E-Collars. And Why I Don't Allow My Clients To Either
- By Christina Cambie
- Aug 5
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 6
Many of you saw the recent account from one of our neighbors who shared their upsetting experience at a local boarding facility. They arrived to collect their dog and discovered a shock collar fitted so tightly around his neck that two adults struggled to remove it. They shared photos of the burn marks on their dog’s neck and reported that their dog is skittish and whimpers when touched near the neck.
There's a lot we still don't know. How many times was the collar used on the dog? Over how many days? What we DO know is that by the facility’s own admission, they activated the collar during normal canine play solicitations with other dogs in proximity. He may now associate the sight or presence of other dogs with startle, pain, or discomfort, which could turn a previously social dog reactive or fearful around other dogs going forward. A burden his family will be left to manage.
If you've talked to me about training your dog, you already know where I stand: no e-collars, no prong collars, no intimidation, no exceptions. It's not a personal preference or a gimmick, it's a line I hold because of what that type of training does to a dog, and because there are better options that get you the same result without the risks.
How E-Collars Work
Electronic collars work by applying an aversive stimulus: something the dog is motivated to avoid. Regardless of whether they experience pain, startle, or mild discomfort, the learning mechanism is the same: it makes the dog concerned enough that they change their behavior to avoid or escape that sensation. Look out for fluffy marketing language trying to make it sound benign: "stimulation," "tap," "correction," or "communication".
A dog ‘corrected’ for lunging or barking at another dog might figure out that lunging predicts pain and adjust their behavior accordingly. But dogs don't always learn the lesson we intend. They connect the unpleasant sensation with whatever is most salient to them at that moment. That could be another dog, a child on a bicycle, a visitor approaching the house, or even the dog’s guardian approaching them. When that happens, we risk creating escalating fear and aggression while temporarily suppressing outward behavior.
This isn't a matter of opinion. Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found that dogs trained using aversive methods show higher levels of stress-related behaviors and poorer welfare than dogs trained using reward-based methods (Cooper et al., 2014; Vieira de Castro et al., 2020). The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) also advocates for reward-based training and warns against the use of punishment because of the documented risks of fear, anxiety, and aggression.
In 2025, Radio Systems Corporation agreed to settle a $1.9m class action lawsuit alleging that they falsely advertised PetSafe shock-collar products as "safe" and "harmless" despite evidence that electronic collars can cause burns, pain, fear, anxiety, and behavioral harm. While the company did not admit liability, the settlement required changes to product warnings and marketing materials. Cases like this reflect a growing recognition that the risks of electronic collars extend well beyond temporary discomfort.
The Fallout
I personally experienced a training facility where forceful leash "pops," yelling, and physical "corrections" were standard practice, dressed up as "thoughtful interruptions". What I saw firsthand tracks with the research: dogs trained this way are more likely to develop increased anxiety, avoidance behaviors, and a shakier relationship with their guardians. You can suppress behavior with pain. You can't build trust with it.
Last year I had a client whose dog received prong collar training as a puppy, then was managed later in life with a shock collar to stop barking and reactivity toward other dogs. For a while, it seemed to work. He was "better behaved" wearing the collar. But over time, his reactions to other dogs became more intense, not less, and he eventually caused serious injuries in more than one incident, including removing flesh from another dog in his own home.
It closely matches what behavioral science predicts. Suppressing pre-bite warning growls or barking doesn't remove the emotion driving the behavior. It simply removes your ability to see the explosion coming. An e-collar can appear to be working right up until it isn't, and by then the fallout lands on the dog, the family, and anyone else nearby.
Humane, science-based training
Reward-based training isn't slower or softer just because it skips the pain. Done well, it's precise. That’s why I rely on the same methods used in evidence-based behavior work:
Desensitization and Counterconditioning (DS&CC) to change how a dog feels about a trigger, not just suppress the reaction to it.
Clear management so dogs aren't set up to rehearse the behavior we're trying to change.
Reinforcement of the behaviors I actually want, so the dog has a clear, achievable alternative.
This approach sometimes takes a little more patience upfront. It also holds up, because the dog's underlying emotional response actually shifts, instead of just being punished into silence.
FAQ
"I only use the beep or vibrate function."
If the beep or vibrate alone reliably changes behavior, the dog either finds it unpleasant enough to try and avoid, or they have already learned to associate that sound or sensation with the shock that might follow. Otherwise, it's just meaningless noise to them. If the dog truly found the beep or vibration completely neutral, there would be no reason for them to change their behavior in response to it. There's no version where it's neutral and effective.
"My dog is deaf/blind, so vibrate/beep is how I communicate with them."
A hearing, sighted dog usually has some warning that something is about to happen. They see you move, or hear you approach. A deaf or blind dog often doesn't get that warning. For them, the vibration or beep can come out of nowhere, with no context for what caused it or what it means. If you’ve experienced a jump scare in a horror movie or haunted house you know how startling it is to be surprised by something unpleasant that you never saw or heard coming. There are better ways to train with touch cues, hand signals, and pattern games, as positive, predictable signals instead of startling ones.
"I use it for pressure and release, not shock."
Here's the plain-English version: "pressure-release" means the collar keeps applying an unpleasant electric current until the dog does what you want, and it only stops once they comply. The dog simply learns how to make the bad feeling go away. It’s so much easier and more fun for everyone to use modern, positive reinforcement training.
"It doesn't actually hurt, it's like a TENS machine."
TENS units are used on humans who consent to the sensation for pain relief, at a level they control and can stop at will. A dog can't consent, they can't tell you "that's too strong," and they can't opt out.
"It's just a reminder."
A reminder of what? Something must have been unpleasant in the first place for a low-level ‘tap’ to function as a "reminder" of it. If the sensation didn't carry any unpleasant association, it wouldn't remind the dog of anything, it would just be noise. The word "reminder" is doing a lot of work to avoid saying what's actually happening.
If You're Already Using One, I'm Not Here to Judge You
If you're reading this and you use an e-collar, please hear this part clearly: this isn't a judgment of you. Dog training is an unregulated industry, and a lot of well-meaning dog guardians have been sold these tools by people who present themselves as experts, with confident language about "communication" and "balance" that hides what's actually happening. You did what you were told would help your dog. That's not a character flaw. It's the industry failing to be honest with you.
What I do ask of my clients is that they work together with me to replace the e-collar with sensible management and humane training methods. I will never shame anyone for having been given bad information in an unregulated market.
In fact, I'd love to help you make that switch. I'm a member of Project tRade through the Pet Professional Guild. I’ll swap your e-collar or prong collar for a discount on training to help you transition your dog to reward-based methods instead. Mention this post when you reach out.
If you're looking for a trainer, ask two simple questions: "What happens when my dog gets it wrong?" and "What happens when they get it right?" The answers will tell you almost everything you need to know.
We know far more about how dogs learn than we did twenty years ago, and our training methods should reflect that knowledge. We no longer must choose between kindness and effectiveness; the science has shown us we can have both.
Dogs don't deserve training that simply teaches them what not to do. They deserve training that teaches them how to succeed. That's the standard I hold myself to, and it's the promise I make to every client who trusts me with their dog.
References
Cooper JJ et al. (2014). The welfare consequences and efficacy of training pet dogs with remote electronic training collars. PLOS ONE.
