Electric Dog Collars: ARE THEY USEFUL?

Richard Thomas
Over 15 years handling, testing, and restoring pocket, fixed-blade, and Damascus steel knives across hunting and everyday-carry disciplines.

As dog owners, we often face challenges like disobedience, destructive behavior, or running away… 😇 but is using an electric collar really helpful?

These behaviors can often be minor and manageable, but sometimes they become so significant that they strain the relationship with our companion and those around us.

👉 In such cases:

What solutions should we consider?

What is our attitude toward these inconveniences?

Do we listen to advice from qualified experts or from people with no real skills in the field?

In this article, we want to share our stance on using restrictive equipment, much like choke chains, prong collars, pinch collars, etc.

Myths about the electric collar

Regarding the electric collar, many myths circulate, and we wanted to provide you with the reality of the facts.

Myth: my dog doesn’t care about treats or rewards.

You probably haven’t found the right treat or reward to motivate your dog yet. Try various high-value treats (meat, cheese, antlers) or activities and games (toys, tug-of-war) to determine what your pup enjoys most.

Myth: an electric collar doesn’t hurt if used correctly.

Unfortunately, this is not true.

Electric dog collars deliver an uncomfortable electrostatic shock to your dog’s skin, which can cause pain, an unhealthy increase in heart rate, and neck burns.

It is important to know that a dog’s skin 🐶 (0.02 to 0.1 mm thick) is much thinner than human skin 😉 (0.4 to 1 mm).

It also requires perfect timing between the unwanted behavior and the delivery of the shock, which is extremely difficult to achieve and requires deep knowledge of canine behavior—something not within the reach of the average person.

Myth: using an electric collar is the fastest and most effective way to train my dog.

A study conducted by Cooper et al. in 2014 showed that recall training using reward-based methods was just as effective as training the same behavior using electric pet collars!

Furthermore, there is growing evidence that short- and long-term use of electric collars is associated with other behavioral problems, including aggression, phobias, and stress levels that block a dog’s ability to learn.

Myth: an electric collar is the only solution to protect my dog when they run away.

There are many reward-based training solutions to address common behavioral issues like recall or barking.

In addition to ensuring your pet’s safety, humane training fosters a positive relationship with them. One unfortunate consequence of using aversive training methods like electric collars can be the breakdown of the bond between you and your dog.

A dog may sometimes associate the pain of the shock with other elements in their environment, including their owner, and may withdraw or become aggressive.

Electric collars do not help your dog understand the positive behaviors you are looking for. They only inflict pain for unwanted or forbidden actions.

If you weren’t convinced yet, we describe below 5 reasons not to use this type of collar on your beloved dog:

1) You love your furry friend

The bond between you and your dog is precious 😊

Using aversive training methods based on fear and pain can cause your dog to avoid you or even become aggressive toward you.

Humane training based on rewards rather than punishment allows you to address unwanted behaviors without jeopardizing the special relationship you share with your companion.

2) Electric collars are no more effective than humane training

While punishment-based tools like electric collars may modify your dog’s behavior, studies have shown that positive, reward-based training is just as effective.

3) Electric collars can harm your pet

Electrostatic shocks can cause psychological distress in your dog, including phobias and high stress levels, as well as an unhealthy increase in heart rate and painful skin burns.

Using these collars can also desensitize your pet to pain (the dachshund is very pain-tolerant) and lead to an increase in aggressive and fearful behaviors.

4) Experts advise against using electric collars

Veterinary associations and animal welfare organizations have long recognized that punishment-based training can be detrimental to animals.

Around the world, many veterinary associations regarding training strongly advise against aversive training methods.

5) There is a better way

We understand that as a responsible owner of your doxie, you have to deal with unwanted behaviors like barking and poor recall.

There are many solutions and resources to treat behavioral problems without compromising your pet’s psychological and physical well-being.

Discover solutions through proven methods based on deep knowledge of canine behavior with a professional dog trainer.

Final Thoughts

The electric collar should not be used for dog training and, in our opinion, should not be sold over the counter; that is why you will never see them on

Only an experienced professional in canine behavior and training should be authorized to use an electric collar in extreme, last-resort cases for a dog in rehabilitation, and only if this solution could prevent the ultimate decision of euthanasia.

What about you? What do you think about their use? Share your thoughts in the comments on this topic! 😊

The DoxieLife team
– 💚 last updated 01/10/2026