21/01/2025
I regularly receive messages from dog owners and meet clients who are terrified of their dog running off, chasing something and being injured or killed.
When looking at training, I always look at the whole picture. Is it a dog with high exercise requirements? Is it a dog naturally built to have a higher prey drive? How big is the dog? Where do the owners live? Does the dog regularly encounter livestock or wildlife? Have other methods been attempted?
As Scotland attempts to pass a ban, banning the tool is back in the spotlight. I suspect it's inevitable that e-collars will ultimately be prohibited throughout the UK. We could go into depth on why countries banning things doesn't mean it's the right choice, as is shown worldwide, but that's not a discussion for here or now.
I speak to people daily who identify as 'force-free' in their training approaches, who've exhausted all other methods and are now terrified to speak publically about their choice to use 'aversive' training tools. People lose friends over it (I know I did), are viciously bullied for it and receive a torrent of abuse from a few very loud and rude individuals. These people have tried for years to get their dogs the freedom they deserve and make a brave leap to give them a better life, but they cannot speak out about it. So many people are in this position, but it also provides an inaccurate idea of how many use these tools.
I know many so-called force-free trainers use them. I know people who've publicly slagged me off have allowed their dogs to do awful things to other animals and not even considered the welfare of another animal.
Other animals' welfare matter too. Allowing dogs to kill and worry livestock is not acceptable. A dog chasing a deer and potentially causing an RTC is not acceptable.
I speak to owners terrified of their dog getting out, chasing something and being shot, or lost, or run over.
These are owners desperate to keep their dogs safe.
"Just keep it on a lead"
"Just use secure fields"
As an owner of active, working breeds, a life on the lead is not fair or ethical. My dogs and countless others need to run, stretch their legs, explore freely, and enjoy life. A secure field does not allow them to do all the stuff dogs love doing. My dogs find secure fields boring, and yes, I am doing myself out of business there! We go there to train and for them to periodically romp, but most dogs enjoy nothing more than immersing themselves in the sights and smell nature has to offer.
"Oh, but they're not free if they're using an e-collar"
That old chestnut! Is it no different from a long line?
Well, it is. A properly conditioned e-collar stimulation is used as pressure. If taught properly, the dog will learn how to turn that pressure off on the lowest level they can feel. On a collar of 127 levels, for most dogs, that level will fall below a level 10. Nobody is running around blasting the pants off a dog. Plenty of people don't find this ethical, however, view it as a tap on the shoulder. It can be conditioned in a range of different ways, and yes, it can be done poorly, but if done correctly, it's highly effective AND seriously undramatic for all of those saying the dogs are suppressed by this tool.
But for full transparency, I do work up to offering livestock aversion sessions. And no, these aren't done on lower levels.
However, picture this. Not everyone lives places where they can avoid livestock or wildlife. I myself am surrounded by sheep from all angles, including my own sheep (and goats!). All of my walks contain sheep that can pop up anywhere...even in fields or roads where they're not supposed to be! We hike a lot of hills and mountains too, which are full of sheep, and it's not safe to be dragged after a sheep by a determined dog. Deer and hares pop up from under our feet and hedgerows just inches away. The unexpected happens regularly and we cannot possibly train for every eventuality.
I work with dogs who've killed, worried and chased sheep. None of them were owned by irresponsible owners. Mistakes happen. Leads get dropped, leads snap or get yanked out of a hand. Dogs escape from dog sitters, walkers, gardens, houses, cars... you name it.
And what happens to dogs when those mistakes occur? They get shot.
So many people are in the same situation. We don't all just walk in parks with only a few squirrels to contend with. Many of us have beautiful countryside to enjoy with our dogs, and e-collar training allows us to do that safely, and thus, so do our dogs.
Banning this tool won't do anything. They will still be available to purchase, which will drive their use underground. Owners will not be able to source reputable training, and the poor conditioning (or no conditioning) I mentioned earlier will be rife.
Should we legislate their use? Hell yeah. Should they be available for anyone to purchase freely? Absolutely not. Do I believe that every dog needs one? Absolutely not.
But banning them will do nothing except ensure that responsible owners who are desperate and terrified of their dogs getting themselves in trouble will have nowhere to turn.
