APDT Supports Ban On Shock Collars

Published in Dog Training News
20-06-2006

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), the UK’s largest professional pet dog training body, is joining the fight to have the use of electric shock collars banned under the new Animal Welfare Bill.

The APDT has a very strict code of conduct for its members, ensuring that dogs are trained only in a positive and humane way. Electric shock collars, in the APDT's view, are totally at odds with this code, training dogs using pain and fear.

The Kennel Club has been heading the anti-shock collar campaign in the UK, and the APDT are supporting them in their goal – along with, they say, an ever-growing number of professionals and members of the dog-owning public who agree that there is no place in a humane society for such aversive and painful methods of training.

The APDT believes modern dog training has progressed far from the days when punishment was the most common method of teaching dogs – in the same way as education has progressed from caning children in schools. The APDT acknowledges that there is no behaviour or training problem in dogs that is best dealt with by delivering an electric shock into a dog’s neck.

They also believe all problems are best solved using up-to-date reward-based training methods and responsible dog ownership – adhering to their motto,"kind, fair and effective". The APDT believes that not only are these collars inhumane, but their use can give rise to far more serious problems than the ones originally being treated – often causing serious aggression or debilitatingly fearful behaviours, as they tap directly into a dog’s natural ‘flight or fight’ response.

A spokesperson for the APDT said “We are totally committed to having these barbaric pieces of equipment consigned to dog training history. It is our professional opinion that it is totally unacceptable to train dogs using such inhumane devices, and a complete ban should be implemented as soon as possible. Dogs are meant to be man’s best friend – and you don’t cause your best friend pain and fear in the name of education.”

By: eRaze

Your views...

The voice of reason prevails at last. The campaign to ban these medeival and barbaric pieces of 'training equipment (and I use that term in it's broadest possible sense) will grow and grow and ultimately they WILL be banned. I cannot, personally understand, how anyone can say that they 'love' their dog and then shock it. To physically punish or hurt something that we care about surely goes against human nature?
A big 'hoorah' for the APDT again...joining the KC, Dogs Trust, Hearing Dogs...the list is endless....... and continues to grow.

Ramble

Very good article, glad to hear it!

Ripsnorterthe2nd

This is great news - thank you very much for bringing it to our attention. It is wonderful when the dog you have invested so much time, effort, love and emotion in responds to gentle, kind, reward based training and the bond of trust between you becomes even stronger.

Lucky Star

Being a subscriber to the APDT I knew of this a little while ago; it's excellent news and yes, the list of those against the electric collars is pretty big now and has some names on it that should be listened to. Great stuff!

Wysiwyg

There are hundreds of accounts on internet forums alone that show how horribly wrong the use of this particular piece of equipment can and does go terribly wrong so my main surprise is that it hasn't been banned long before now. With so many of the 'big names' getting behind the call for a ban, surely, it's only a matter of time.

Brierley

Thank you Dogweb News for sharing that information with us . It's good to see so many of the big organizations standing up against the use of ecollars, let us hope their ban isn't too long coming. Although I have seen it said there could be an argument for using these devices in extreme circumstances, I can't think of one instance where training techniques and a little thought on the part of the owner would not be the better option to their use.

Minihaha

It is both saddening and frustrating to see that, in this day and age, some see stunning a dog with electricity as an effective training method. Inflicting pain, no matter how small, can never and should never be masked as training. It simply isn't training. What's more, it's completely unnecessary. We should all be aiming for dogs that do as we wish because they want to, not because they have to.

GSDLover

I would like to see a complete ban of the e collar, it is a tool that is used as an easy fix in most cases. What ever happened to time and training where a dog follows a command to please or for a reward? Not because it is scared of the collar and the pain it has to endure because the owner can't be bothered to train the dog in a more postive way.

leo

I do not agree with such devices for training, dogs need love and patience and to be guided in the right direction at all times, it's the same with children ( although I think these days thats a lost cause ). I have had dogs all my life and have never had to result to violence to train a dog. My opinion is that they should use on the people that invented it and see how they like it !

mikesacre

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