05/07/2025
⚡️Shock Collars⚡️
Folks just don't understand how they work. And how the dog suffers.
This morning alone, I talked to over eight potential clients with severe behavioral fallout from shock collars—often marketed more gently as “e-collars”.
Yes, I do work with clients who’ve used them, and booked several today who have, and I always strive to meet people where they’re at without judgement. But please—for the sake of your dog’s emotional well-being—stop using these tools.
Even the "vibrate" or "tone" settings can be deeply distressing. Dogs don’t understand these sensations—they just know the world sometimes can be scary and unpredictable. One dog I met pancaked to the floor at the sound of a door ding at the entrance and wouldn’t move. Another from last month now panics every time the ice maker goes off at home multiple times a day – fallout from the shock collar!
This isn't rare—it's the result of emotional trauma. Yes, this tool creates emotional learning and thus trauma for many dogs.
We now have overwhelming scientific evidence showing that aversive tools like shock collars cause lasting psychological harm and many dogs never fully recover.
Dogs learn through association, and when we pair fear or discomfort with training, it can leave deep emotional scars.
I will never stop advocating for us to do better by dogs. Dogs deserve kindness. They deserve humane, science-based training that builds trust, not fear.
Let’s do better—because they deserve better.
