A Client Asked Why I Don't Recommend E-Collars.
- Shelley Doan
- Aug 7
- 4 min read
These Moments Explain My Answer.
Every once in a while, someone asks me why I don't use or recommend e-collars.
My answer isn't based on one study, one philosophy, or one dramatic story. It's based on years of watching everyday pet owners trying to use them in everyday life.
In my experience, the biggest problem isn't simply the collar itself.
It's that the collar is often being asked to do a job that should have been done through training long before the dog ever wears it.
Over the past year, four situations have reinforced that for me.
Story #1 – The Cabin Walk
One evening at the lake, I watched a neighbour walk out of her cabin with her dog off leash.
The dog stayed close and everything appeared calm. But the owner had the remote in her hand, with her finger resting on the button.
Not tucked in a pocket. Not hanging around her neck. Her finger was already there.
It made me wonder: if maintaining the behaviour requires you to remain constantly ready to correct it, how reliable is that behaviour without the tool?
Would holding a long line while continuing to build the training actually give you more control?
Story #2 – The Chocolate Lab
On another walk, a young Chocolate Lab came running around the corner toward my dog. His owner followed behind, calling his dog with the e-collar remote already in his hand.
By the time he reached us, our dogs were nose to nose.
I immediately yelled, "Don't hit the button!"
Why?
If a correction happened at that moment, what would the Lab associate it with? Ignoring his owner—or the dog standing directly in front of him?
The dogs sniffed appropriately and we moved on. No fight. No correction. Just a normal interaction.
Timing isn't simply about pressing a button quickly. The handler also has to accurately understand what is happening and what the dog may associate with the consequence.
Story #3 – The Neighbours
Our neighbours at the lake have a lovely Doberman named Zeus who regularly wears an e-collar.
One weekend, whenever my dog passed their cabin, Zeus would give a low growl. In response, I could hear him yelp as the collar was activated.
The growling stopped, but that didn't necessarily mean Zeus felt differently about my dog.
By the second day, Zeus charged through the screen toward my dog.
Did the collar cause that? I can't say.
What I can say is that the warning had been interrupted, but the underlying problem had not been resolved.
Story #4 – Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, we were out for a quiet walk in the park when a young dog suddenly came charging out of the darkness toward my dog.
Within seconds, there was barking, scrambling, and a fight.
My husband managed to grab the other dog's collar and noticed the flashing light on the e-collar. The owner was repeatedly pressing the button, desperately trying to stop her dog.
But by then, the dog had already left its owner, crossed the distance between us, and reached my dog.
The owner wasn't preventing the behaviour; she was trying to stop something that was already happening.
That's the difference that stayed with me. Having a way to respond after your dog makes a decision isn't the same as having the training in place to change that decision.
The Common Thread
All four situations had something in common.
The owners had a remote in their hand, but a remote isn't the same as understanding your dog. That understanding comes through training—learning to recognize what your dog is doing, anticipating what may happen next, and knowing what to do before the behaviour is already underway.
Good training builds confidence on both ends of the leash. You learn to trust your ability to read and guide your dog, and your dog learns what to expect from you.
Why I Don't Use Them
When someone asks why I don't use e-collars, my answer is pretty simple: I don't need to.
I have yet to find a situation where a long line, food, and good training haven't given me a better way to teach the dog what I want them to do while safely managing the behaviour as they learn.
And timing matters. Everyone's timing is imperfect. I'd much rather have an owner make a mistake with the timing of a reward than the timing of a punishment.
If you're late with a cookie, your dog may be confused about what earned it. If you're late with punishment, your dog may associate that unpleasant experience with something you never intended.
Recently, I watched a client's dog dash out of her crate and take off after a squirrel.
Her owner shouted, "Fido, here!"
Fido hit the brakes, turned around, and came straight back.
That's what I want training to look like.
The food helped build the behaviour. A long line could have provided safety while it was being learned. But when that unexpected moment happened, neither had to be in her hand.
She called her dog, and her dog knew what to do.
That's training.
