Dogs Trust Ireland welcomes introduction of ban on remotely controlled electronic shock collars

Dogs Trust Ireland welcomes the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue’s, recent decision to introduce a ban on the use of remotely controlled electronic shock collars for dogs and cats in Ireland. Last year, the Advisory Council on Companion Animal Welfare (ACCAW), of which Dogs Trust Ireland are a member, advised the Minister to consider introducing a ban on these devices on the grounds of animal welfare. Electric Shock Collars are used by some to train dogs by punishing unwanted behaviours through the application of a shock to the dog’s neck. To change unwanted behaviour, the shock administered by electric shock collars needs to be strong enough for the dog to feel pain and be fearful of feeling that pain again. 

Dogs Trust is opposed to the use of all aversive training devices, such as remotely controlled electronic shock collars, which often fail to tackle the root cause of behavioural problems in dogs. Instead, they can have several negative impacts including pain, anxiety and associated physiological and behavioural indicators of stress.  

Research demonstrates that dogs are far more receptive to positive reinforcement and reward-based training. A report by the University of Bristol[1] comparing results of this method with the use of electronic shock collars found a significantly higher proportion of owners in the reward group had training success than those in the electronic shock collar group. Furthermore, thousands of dog trainers prefer reward-based methods in achieving long-term behaviour change, including reliable recall.

Dogs Trust Ireland has long held the position that there is no place or need for these cruel devices in modern dog training and it is very positive to see Ireland taking steps to better align with other European countries and introduce policies that protect our much-loved companions.