Are E collars cruel? Have you considered getting your dog E collar trained but you are afraid that it may hurt your dog? Matt shares his personal experience and how his opinion of E collars has changed over the years. Can e collars be cruel? Absolutely! Can cloth collars be cruel? Absolutely! Every training tool can be used in both the wrong way and the right way.

Many people call e collars "shock collars", but we find this term misleading. An e collar at a proper level does not shock a dog. It applies a low level of stimulation similar to a tens unit.

E collars are the most controversial and misunderstood training tool on the market. This training tool has come a long way over the years and is much different than people think it is.

For years, our company never used E collars. Back in the day, the collars were not super safe, and overall we just did not understand how to use them correctly. After experiencing a scary situation with Matt's personal dog, he started to research what other solutions were out there that can help keep dogs safe. From that point forward, E collars became a collar choice we consider in the right situation.

The first thing to discuss is that not every E collar is the same and people still misuse them. When it comes to E collars, you get what you pay for. Our go to brand is Dogtra.

See our review of our number 1 selling E collar (DogTra ARC).    • How To Use a Dogtra ARC E Collar - EV...  

E collars are often misused. People tend to go to them when nothing else seems to work. For us, we do not teach on E collars. We reinforce what a dog already knows. We focus on calming a dog’s brain overall, in the moment, and making sure they have their full foundation of obedience before considering an E collar. Not only is this fair for the dog, but this also improves the relationship between the dog and their owners.

E collars need to be snug inorder to work correctly. Some breeds, like Pitbulls, have thin fur and making contact is super easy. With longer hair breeds, like Huskies, you will need to get contact extension points. Our go to E Collar Contact points are The Wingtip Ultra Comfort Pad. You can see our review on this product here.    • Dog Trainer Reviews: Winged Ultra Com...  . We also love Dogtra’s Titanium Enhanced Contacts.    • Dogtra Titanium Enhanced Contacts Review  

Keep in mind, E collars should not be on all day. As we mention they need to be snug. This can lead to contact sores on your dog’s neck if the collar is left on for too long. Make sure you are rotating the collar every 3-4 hours, and of course these should not be left on unattended.

One misconception that people have is that E collars electrocute your dog. That is completely false. Most E collars come with a pager, (usually a vibrate or tone) and a correction function. The correction function is very similar to a tens unit and can be operated at an extremely low level.

All in all, E collars can be an amazing tool if used correctly on the right dog, Make sure you are doing your research on the collar you plan on using for your dog, determine your dog’s temperament, determine your dog’s training goals, and lastly make sure you are choosing the correct trainer.

If you have any questions please let us know!

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
03:30 Aversives Are Not Always Bad
05:00 What Are E Collars Like?
08:35 Contact Matters
09:30 E Collars Need To Be Snug
09:40 Do E Collars Electrocute?
10:30 Do Not Leave On Too Long
11:03 How We Use E Collars
15:08 Does An E Collar Make Sense For Your Dog?
16:03 Closing Thoughts

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