Are Dog Training Collars Cruel?

This is a very common question when it comes to changing behavior in dogs. And the answer is both straight forward, and nuanced.

There are a lot of different training collars out there, but here I’m only going to discuss a few, that make up the bulk of training collars that are used today.

Firstly, let me say that a training collar is NOT cruel. They can be used to create discomfort, and often are, but that isn’t the same as cruelty. The term discomfort can be alarming to some, however the reality is that many dogs experience discomfort regardless of the training equipment they are wearing. Often times they experience this type of discomfort because they are behaving in habitual ways that allow them to become highly stressed, and or dangerous to themselves or others.

The most common training collars people take issue with are Prong collars, Electronic collars, and Slip lead style collars. As previously stated all of these collars can cause physical discomfort to an animal. There is a large difference between discomfort and harm and it’s disingenuous to equate the two. Harm typically involves more serious, lasting damage, while discomfort is a milder, temporary state of unease or inconvenience.

Training collars like a prong collar add discomfort, but not harm and are typically used to make changes in behavior that benefit both the dog and the owner in the long run. Things like aggression, jumping on people, eating things the dog shouldn’t, “nipping” can all be handled with compassion and fairness with a training collar.

Simply because a collar could be used in an unethical manner doesn’t mean that every instance of its use is unethical. In many cases the collars are being used in a communicative way ie: move away from that, don’t do that behavior and instead do this. They give us an opportunity to interrupt behaviors we don’t like, and guide our companions into behaviors that are more appropriate.

All together, training collars are a fantastic tool to add to your training repertoire. Along side good timing, a good relationship with the dog, and some reward based training, the sky really is the limit. And I will add that with proper use of training collars, you can get a lot of dogs on board with training and interested in the “fun” of training a lot faster once you can block the unwanted & unacceptable behaviors.