I am a dog trainer but first and foremost a dog owner who is intent on building a lifestyle that gives my dogs the best life ever. When I say best life ever, I mean, access to hiking and exploring the outdoors, as well as a healthy and regulated nervous system. A lifestyle balanced with plenty of genetically fulfilling experiences (like off-leash hiking) as well as intentional calm time so that their bodies can rest and reset.

 

Let me tell you about my experience with e-collars - I knew very little about e-collars back when I started training, but I had heard that they could be used for recall as reassurance. I started my journey of learning to use the e-collar and more importantly, wanting to make sure I was using it right. I did extensive research and spoke with many experienced trainers who taught me how to use it for recall, but then opened my eyes to the other incredible benefits of the e-collar. I began to implement it as a training tool - a way to effectively communicate with dogs. I went on to using it for obedience commands, reactivity, engagement, anxiety and more. I remember when I started using it on my own dog and how I was worried it would change the relationship I had with him. And the truth was - it WAS changing my relationship with Atlas, but for the better! That was a crucial turning point in our training where I started seeing Atlas turn into a calmer, more relaxed dog compared to the bundle of anxiety he was before. Looking back I love that I overcame that moment of concern because Atlas and I now have one of the strongest relationships I could have ever imagined.

 

I’m a dog trainer and here’s what I want to convey to owners about the e-collar:
 

I need to start by stressing that the e-collar is NOT a shock collar, they are two very different tools. We do not use shock collars at Happy Paws. An E-collar is a stimulation tool that uses similar technology as a TENS unit to provide discreet prompts through pressure and release of muscle stimulation on the dog's neck. The e-collar is most successful in shifting your dog into a happier, calmer, better dog when it’s primarily used at a lower level as a communication device, rather than a higher level as a correction. 

 

When an e-collar is brought into an owner’s life with the primary function of it to be used as a communication tool, it shifts your entire mindset around what an e-collar is, and what it can do. By communication tool, I am referring to a “tap on the shoulder”, to stop the fixation, anxiety/fear spiral and more, to allow you to successfully grab their attention and redirect them. We don’t use e-collars to intimidate, cause fear or pain or to suppress any natural dog behaviors. I’ve watched my clients witness this in their own dogs. Some clients come in with hesitations about the e-collar and then when they learn how to use it for communication rather than correction, it opens up their world.

 

In addition, we live in a world where e-collars are one of the most heavily misunderstood tools in dog training. I want to ensure we have e-collars in our world for a long time to come, and so as dog trainers, we need to ensure we are using these tools mindfully. I’ve had clients who come to me after being told to only use an e-collar to only highly correct bad behavior and I don’t believe or support that as a healthy way to use e-collars. I believe in teaching others that the e-collar is used primarily as communication. 

 

I hope this helps you, wherever you are on your e-collar journey, to mindfully consider how you bring this tool into the lives of your dog.