Don't Jerk or Pull, Use a Harness- Part 2/4

Equipment That Hurts

I would never recommend the following equipment.

Electric Shock Collars (E-collars)

*Shock collars cause extreme suffering, pain, stress and worsen behaviour*

In Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Wales, certain states in Australia and the province of Quebec in Canada, shock collars are illegal and banned. While in England, Scotland and other Canadian provinces the governments are working towards a ban. Multiple veterinary and force free training associations state in their policies that shock collars should never be used such as; the British Veterinary Association (BVA), British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour (AVSAB), American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and the Pet Professional Guild (PPG). Countless international animal welfare charities are also advocating for shock collars to be banned due to how they compromise of animal welfare.

Shock collars are placed around the neck of a dog or a cat, who are given an electric shock whenever they do an unwanted “bad” behaviour. When using this equipment there is great difficulty to accurately judge the right level of electric pulse to use without causing suffering. Yet, even low level electric pulses create fear, pain and stress responses in animals that continue long after the dog has received the shock. Shock collars can leave severe wounds and burns on a dog’s neck and affect their heart rate. Instead of solving a behavioural issue by addressing the underlying causes, shock collars suppress behaviours leading to worsening aggression due to the pain and fear they cause. Behaviourally, they lead to high levels of stress, phobias, anxiety, increased aggression and also break the bond between an individual and their dog. These collars are used in punishment/aversive based training, are inhumane and lead to high levels of abuse and misuse to the point that they cause a legal offense of causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act (2006).

*Severe burns and wounds from a dog traumatized by a shock collar (ABC News)*

As well, shock collars are also included in anti-bark collars or underground electric containment fences that are connected to and administer an electronic shock via a collar. All types of shock collars unnecessarily create suffering and pain that can easily be solved humanely with positive reinforcement training.

Concerning the use of shock collars and techniques, Dr. Karen Overall write in her book Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats

1. “The use of shock is not treatment for pets with behavioral concerns.

2. The use of shock is not a way forward.

3. The use of shock does not bring dogs back from the brink of euthanasia; instead, it may send them there.

4. Such adversarial techniques have negative consequences that are dismissed/ ignored by those promoting these techniques”

*Dr. Karen Overall and the Shock-Free Coalition*

Prong Collars

Prong collars are illegal in New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Switzerland and in the Canadian province of Quebec. According to the British Columbia SPCA (BCSPCA), the organizations who support against the use of prong and choke collars are; “CHS, RSPCA UK, RSPCA Australia, RSPCA South Australia, the Canadian Advisory Council on National Shelter Standards, CVMA, ACVB, ABTC, APDT UK, and APDT.”

The San Francisco SPCA states that a dog’s skin on their neck is only 3 to 5 cells thick, while the skin on a human’s neck is 10 to 15 cells thick, even with fur. Prong collars are made out of metal spikes that are placed around your dog’s sensitive neck with the purpose to inflict pain and make pulling painful. Even if “fitted correctly” physical injuries from prong collars include;

· Skin irritation

· Neck punctures

· Spinal cord/back problems

· Crushed and collapsed tracheas

· Whiplash

Neck punctures and damage from a prong collar

Prong collars suppress behaviours, but don’t change them and will lead to worsening emotional and behavioural issues such as depression, redirected aggression, learned helplessness and emotional shutdown. Behaviour fallout from using this equipment as well as shock collars and choke chains, include an increase in fear and aggression. Emotional problems will be your dog living in fear for going for a walk due to the pain of the prong collar as well as a broken relationship and increased distrust with your dog, as your dog will associate you with the pain of the prong collar.

The CVMA position on prong and choke collars are that they strongly discourage their use in favour of more humane alternatives like positive reinforcement training.

*Skin irritation, neck punctures and worse from a prong collar*

Choke chain/collars

Some trainers argue that harsher equipment and a heavy hand is needed for big or difficult dogs, while smaller or less challenging dogs can be trained with positive reinforcement. This is not true and has no basis in modern dog training as it does n… — Some trainers argue that harsher equipment and a heavy hand is needed for big or difficult dogs, while smaller or less challenging dogs can be trained with positive reinforcement. This is not true and has no basis in modern dog training as it does not meet a dog’s mental, physical or emotional welfare needs. If a trainer or any professional says this, it means they are probably uncomfortable and are trying to justify the yanking, choking and shocking and other horrible abuse done in the name of training. Shock, prong and choke chains can harm dogs of all sizes and shapes and it is important to recognize the continual daily stress that these methods cause. No animal needs a heavier hand, what they need is a lighter touch.

Choke chains are illegal in 2 countries, Denmark and Switzerland, and several dog welfare charities, groups, associations, trainers and individuals are advocating for choke collars to be banned in many countries, provinces and cities in the world. For choke chains to work, they need to choke a dog in a variety of circumstances such as when they pull, which will damage your dog emotionally, physically and behaviourally.

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers of UK (APDT UK) states that choke chains “have been directly linked to the following medical conditions:

· Injured ocular vessels

· Tracheal and oesophageal damage

· Severely sprained necks

· Cases of fainting

· Transient foreleg paralysis

· Laryngeal nerve paralysis

· Hind leg ataxia”

*Imagine the strain on this dog’s trachea*

Other collars I would never recommend using

Other punishment/aversive based collars and training methods that the CVMA, BVA, BCSPCA, other animal associations, institutions and I would not recommend are; citronella spray collars or anti-bark collars that use vibrations, ultrasound or noise and martingale collars. Similar to shock, prong and choke collars, these collars have the potential to cause suffering in dogs and cats, develop negative long-term physical, emotional and behavioural suffering and problems, and compromises welfare.

*The PPG, an association I am a part of, always states to find a professional who uses humane positive reinforcement methods because they are fun and effective*