Well, I thought I should write a little more about this, because I want people to know more about the controversy that is e-collar training.
Suffice to say, this is one of the most divisive subjects you can bring up about dog training, so here's my take:
E-Collars are a TOOL. They are not evil in of themselves. The stimulation it delivers can range from a mild tingly feeling (like when your leg falls asleep) to a "Yowza! that hurts!" sting (have you ever touched an electric fence meant to keep horses in? It's about like that). The remote allows the trainer to change the setting for what he/she thinks is right for his dog. But... It is VERY easy to use this tool in an abusive way. People who use them extensively are either VERY skilled, or they are abusing their dogs, and it can be a fine line in between.
My second objection is that they are completely unnecessary for basic obedience training. I can make a dog sit, lie down, and stay with no forceful or painful actions at all, so why even go there? If I use treats wrong, well, my dog just won't learn anything, and maybe get fat from all the treats, but if I use a shock collar wrong, he could become afraid of me, and that's the last thing I want. The directions that came with Bruno's collar made me mad. Basically, they asked you to find the level of stim that bothers your dog, but isn't torture (so he paws the collar, but doesn't whine or scream, for example). Then you shock him while forcing him to do the command (using a leash to pull him into a down, for example) and stop the shock as soon as he's in the position. THE PAIN STOPS IF HE OBEYS. That just seems...wrong. I'm sure that eventually the dog will figure this out and will obey you lightning-fast, but it's learning based on pain and fear. I know many trainers have excellent results using e-collars, but the dogs have to have a high pain tolerance, quick bounceback, and be tolerant of forceful handling. That obviously isn't every dog. Bruno shrieked at even the lowest level of stim.
So... There is ONE use for the e-collar that I feel is completely justified: stopping predatory chasing. It works, and there are few other ways to get the results. Traumatic memories are VERY hard to erase (it's called PTSD in severe, human cases...) which is why it works so well. I will admit that openly- Yes, I want to build a traumatic association in my dog. I want him to feel uneasy around prey animals and ignore or avoid them, instead of killing them. I think it's a fair trade-off. It saves the poor bunnies and kitties, saves my peace of mind, and might even save my dog's life, if it stops him from chasing a deer into the woods, attacking sheep and getting shot by an angry rancher, or darting across the road after a squirrel and getting squished by a car.
But I don't stop there... I still work diligently to build my dog's recall so that he will return to me BEFORE an incident starts, so I don't have to use the shock. I use positive-only training for this.
So far, it's working well. Bruno willingly submits to the collar, and is even eager to have it on (because he's built a positive association as well: e-collar=going for a walk). His recall is getting much better, thanks to the doggy crack I tend to carry around with me. (Yes, I know, it's a horrible, horrible product, that will rot his teeth, make him fart, etc. But it works, and only takes a little bit at a time.)
So I will not say that "E-Collars are for evil dog abusers!" or "E-Collars are wonderful, and people who hate them are pansies!" I have a specific use for one, and it works for me and my dog. I would strongly hesitate to use it for anything other than predatory aggression, though.
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