What’s the Problem with Prong or E-Collars?
The choice of methods we use to help train our dogs is a highly contentious subject. Some trainers recommend a more ‘traditional’ approach which has its roots in what we would now call aversive methods. They use ‘punishers’ such as e-collars that administer an electric shock to the dog’s neck which is remotely controlled by the owner, or prong collars which are designed to put pressure on the dog’s neck in order to correct behaviours that are deemed undesirable for example, barking at other dogs or pulling on the lead. Other trainers advocate for using ‘positive reinforcement’, this is a reward-based approach where dogs learn to change their behavioural responses by being given either food based or social based rewards (such as a game with a toy) when they display behaviours we want to encourage.
At the start of the 21st century most professional trainers moved towards using positive reinforcement techniques to encourage better welfare for our dogs as aversive methods were shown to have the capacity to cause long lasting damage to the dog’s skin, muscular and skeletal structures and nerve damage. However, the influence of many social media trainers, who use slick video editing to give the viewer the impression that they can “fix behaviour in a day” has given an unexpected platform for promoting aversive methods. When you watch these videos, try muting them and just look at the dog, in my experience they appear scared, confused about what is being asked of them and uncomfortable with the trainer.
But What Does The Research Say?
The science of learning has been thoroughly explored for many species, however, like all good research each result throws up further questions and areas to be explored. What is clear is that the vast majority of research into the effectiveness of training methods for dogs shows that using positive reinforcement techniques is more effective than aversive techniques.
Let’s take an example of a dog who barks at other dogs when out on a walk; it appears that using aversive techniques such as a shock collar can inhibit the behaviour (barking at another dog) but does not address the underlying cause; this means that the dog is only learning how to moderate its response to the situation but does not allow them to become comfortable in the environment. On the other hand, a good behaviourist or trainer tries to work out the underlying reasons why the dog is barking at other dogs from an emotional and motivational point of view, and then uses positive reinforcement methods to help the dog cope in these situations. It has been found that food rewards actually help to rewire a dog’s brain (which is a bonus for training!) and can allow the dog to feel happier and more confident around the other dog.
Dogs are able to learn at a faster speed using positive reinforcement methods and they are able to retain this learning for many years. This is why guide dogs and scent detection dogs are trained using these methods. It has been shown that dogs who are trained using shock collars display more signs of stress and fear and that this can result in redirected aggressive behaviour. Sadly, dogs that are trained with these collars begin to associate the owner with the delivery of the shocks and as a result have less strong bonds with the owner, even when the training isn’t happening. I believe that building a strong bond based on mutual trust and respect is the most fulfilling relationship we can have with our dogs which is why I always advocate for positive reinforcement training techniques. Why damage your dog’s physical and mental wellbeing when you can just use a few cubes of cheese or a game with a tug toy and get quicker and more reliable training results?
