02/09/2026
⚡️🐾 “DOG SHOCK COLLARS DON’T HURT!”… REALLY?💥
While the video below is funny & crazy, it highlights something very serious: if these devices didn’t produce an unpleasant sensation, they wouldn’t work as an aversive training tool.
Shock collars, e-collars & electric collars are designed to deliver an electrical stimulus to influence or suppress behaviour. The question we should be asking is why do we need to make a dog uncomfortable, frightened or distressed in order to change what they do?.
⚡️“STIM” — A NEW WORD FOR THE SAME OLD THING?⚡️
You may now hear “stim” or “stimming” used instead of shock or electric stimulation.
But changing the terminology doesn’t change the underlying method!
Whether it’s called a shock, electric stimulation, electronic stimulation or stim, an aversive electrical stimulus is still being delivered to the dog to influence their behaviour.
So let’s not dress it up with nicer terminology to make it sound more acceptable.
🐾 HERE’S THE THING… HOW GOOD MUST YOUR TRAINING REALLY BE IF YOU NEED AN ELECTRIC COLLAR TO MAKE IT WORK?
A genuinely skilled trainer should have an extensive understanding of canine behaviour, learning theory, motivation, communication & emotional states, & be able to work with the dog rather than relying on discomfort or fear to suppress behaviour.
A dog that stops doing something because it is fearful hasn’t learned what we want instead..
They may simply have learned not to risk being themselves, having serious welfare implications, particularly when fear, anxiety or frustration are already underlying the behaviour we are trying to change.
♥️ ETHICAL TRAINING IS TEACHING, NOT INTIMIDATING.
We identify the reason behind behaviour, address their needs, teach better alternatives & reward the choices we want to see repeated.
As a qualified MSc degree behaviourist & trainer, dogs deserve training based upon science, welfare, kindness & respect, not fear, pain or intimidation.
🙏🏽 Thanks for the video!
https://www.facebook.com/Dkleyntv/videos/485971086926998/
©2019–2026 Sarah MSc Dog Training & Behaviour©️