03/21/2026
Did you know that a 2020 study found that using e-collars for training recall, amongst other behaviours, showed no significant increase in efficacy vs reward-based training? In fact the only times there was a significant difference was to show that reward-based training worked better! 😲
Not only is there no real evidence that shock collars are beneficial in training, there is evidence of the damage they can do. According to the British veterinary association 'research has shown that the application of an electric shock to dogs or cats, even at a low level, can cause physiological and behavioural responses associated with stress, pain, and fear.' and they are 'concerned that the use of electric shock collars to punish or control dogs or cats is open to abuse and can cause welfare and training problems. '. .
Shock collars have actually been banned in multiple places across the world, due to the risk they pose to animal welfare, including Sweden, Germany, Finland, and even Wales. Unfortunately, they are still currently legal in other areas of the UK such as England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. But, because of all of these above reasons, we, along-side other force-free dog trainers, support a ban of aversive tools such as shock collars in the rest of the UK.
So, if a trainer ever says to you you NEED to use a shock collar to get training results, there is scientific proof they are lying, and immediately find yourself a new trainer qualified with up-to-date and proven reward-based methods. ✅
You can check out the study mentioned in the graphic for yourself here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00508/full?fbclid=IwAR3f5YZj8VRjygcXWKx4i1AM3EPK02-9T8O3KDU8NRs1XNPVRQQ4u-_V2iY
And the British Veterinary Associations full stance here: https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/our-policies/electric-shock-collars-and-training-aids/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQlHXlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBWR25sNktjVWJrcEhjcnhyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHh1zptVfE5oik7y1rojkmv8ZR_whcQupU_pe0h1C7HUlAYPk8CAJOlJf0y27_aem_yYOg9a__wUSEc9CVyMyKVw
