Dog Ownership & Training

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Typically, when people discuss dog training "tools" they are referring to equipment that is generally regarded as aversive. Some of these tools are inherently aversive and cannot be used in any way that is ethical, but others are ethical and force-free when used correctly but aversive when used incorrectly. There are also tools that are created to be used aversively but can and sometimes are used for force-free training.

Retractable Leashes

Retractable leashes seem harmless and generally do not harm dogs, but they can be dangerous. In an emergency (e.g., the dog runs into traffic or approaches an aggressive dog) it is difficult to contain your dog if the locking mechanism fails, and some people who use these leashes end up with rope burns and cuts on their hands from trying to grab the leash to save their dog. These leashes also have a tendency to break over time, so if it happens at the wrong place or time it could be dangerous for your dog. These leashes can also cause injuries to humans or allow dogs to break free of their handlers if the dog runs after something and the handler presses the lock button or the dog reaches the end of the leash, resulting in the handler being jerked abruptly toward the dog.

Invisible Fences

Invisible fences can technically be used ethically, but they practically never are. The only correct way to use one would be to use treats to desensitize your dog to the beeping sound and then teach your dog the perimeter of the yard whilst training them that the beep is a cue to retreat from the boundary of the yard. Even if you did this, if the dog really wanted to go after someone or something outside the yard, they would leave the yard and experience an aversive shock. The warning beep typically is not very salient unless the dog has experienced the punishment that comes next, so we do not condone the use of these products because, practically speaking, they are impossible to use ethically.

Choke Collars and Martingales

Choke collars are obviously aversive and serve no other purpose because their only function is to choke the dog, causing discomfort and sometimes even injury if the dog tries to pull. Martingale collars are often misused due to people fitting them on their dogs improperly, causing them to function essentially the same way as choke collars. However, Martingales are not inherently aversive and when used properly they are force-free. These collars were initially created for sighthounds whose skull is narrower than the base of the neck where the collar normally rests because a regular flat collar would slip over the dog's head if it tried to duck out of its collar and run from its handler. If a martingale is fitted properly: 1)when relaxed, the collar should fit comfortably at the base of the dog's neck, and you should barely be able to fit two fingers under the collar; and 2) when fully tightened (or when the dog is pulling), the collar should be just barely smaller than the base of the dog's skull so that it is not choking the dog but it cannot slip over their head.

Prong Collars and "Gentle" Leaders

Prong collars are often used to discourage pulling by jerking on the leash when the dog starts to pull in order to pinch the dog's neck and punish the pulling behavior. This is clearly forceful and aversive, but proponents of prong collars argue that it is not painful for the dogs. If it weren't painful (or at least scary) for them, it wouldn't be effective. If it were only used for voluntary pulling, it might not be so bad because the dog could just stop doing the thing that is hurting it, but most of the pulling that arises in dogs who need behavior modification is reactive, so they do not truly have control over their actions and the prong collar is creating an additional stressor to associate with the sight of their trigger. The result is an even more elevated fear/anxiety of new people, new dogs, or some other trigger. Using prong collars to train loose leash walking is always forceful.

Gentle leaders are often used to forcefully turn a dog's attention away from stressful triggers, which is definitely an aversive use of the tool. Gentle leaders are also used to discourage pulling, and they do this by making it difficult and uncomfortable for the dog to pull their owner down the street because they have to pull with their head. This can be aversive or even dangerous for a dog who is stubborn or doesn't understand what is happening, but it really is not more forceful than a no-pull harness because the dog is producing its own discomfort when it pulls. Regardless, these should only ever be used in combination with a harness (if at all) so that if the dog reacts strongly to a trigger you have a leash on a safer point of contact to remove the dog from the situation safely. The main difference between a gentle leader and a prong collar is that the feedback provided by the gentle leader is not inherently aversive. However, using it on a reactive dog will inevitably result in the dog causing itself pain or discomfort via reactivity.

eCollars

Electronic collars were created as an aversive tool to train long distance recall, and to punish a variety of other undesirable behaviors. Using the shock setting on these collars is inherently aversive for obvious reasons, but the beep and vibrate settings can be used for positive reinforcement training if done very carefully under the supervision and guidance of a certified trainer. The most important part is gradually desensitizing the dog to the beep and/or vibration until it becomes a positive stimulus; if this is not done perfectly it will ruin your chances of being able to ethically use an eCollar for training. The purpose of the beep function for recall is that the dog can hear the beep no matter how far away it is, cuing them to return to their handler; alternatively, you could use a dog whistle, but depending on the distance and setting one might work better than the other, and if you are training the dog to hunt or search for missing persons with a team of other dogs, a dog whistle might recall the wrong dog(s). The purpose of the vibrate function is that it works for deaf dogs. For a dog with poor or no hearing, the vibrate setting of an eCollar may be the only option for training reliable recall. The downside of purchasing an eCollar to use for positive reinforcement training is that you are still financially supporting a company that produces aversives, and it likely will not come with instructions for use in positive reinforcement training.