Although many dog owners and trainers use the electronic ‘shock’ collar on a regular basis, researchers have finally proved that the collar is bad for your furry friend.

They don’t deny the e-collar is efficient, but stress that using it can seriously harm your dog.

The study was conducted at the University of Lincoln in Britain and the lead author, Jonathan Cooper, advised dog owners in a press release to avoid using e-collars.

“It seems that the routine use of e-collars even in accordance with best practice, as suggested by collar manufacturers, presents a risk to the well-being of pet dogs.”

The researchers proved that electronic collars cause stress in dogs and dogs that were trained with them tend to be sleepy more often and engage in less ‘environmental interaction’ compared to dogs whose owners steered clear from e-collars.

Most e-collars nowadays have ‘pre-warning’ cues (auditory or vibration signals that come before the electronic shock), but not all trainers and dog owners use the device according to the instructions.  The study shows that some of them use the e-collars without pre-warning cues and at high intensity, leading to an extremely painful experience.

Even though qualified trainers used the device properly, dogs still showed signs of distress.  To conclude, the study advises dog owners to choose different dog training methods and avoid e-collars at all cost.

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