Dogs: Electronic Training Aids

(asked on 12th November 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the proposals made by Action Plan for Animal Welfare, published 12 May 2021 on banning e-collars on reactive dogs.


Answered by
Jo Churchill Portrait
Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 17th November 2021

One of the key reforms in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare is to ban hand-held remote-controlled electronic training collars (“e-collars”), given their scope to harm the welfare of dogs, including those deemed reactive. We continue to work closely with the animal welfare sector, enforcement agencies and Governments across the four nations on this ban.

Concerns that e-collars can cause long-term harm have been raised by a number of trainers, behaviourists, the animal welfare sector and dog-keeping organisations. In light of these concerns, Defra undertook research studies AW1402 and AW1402a. The resultant peer-reviewed report on this research, carried out between 2007 and 2010, was robust and showed that many users of the hand-held devices were not using them properly in compliance with the manufacturers’ instructions, thereby having a negative impact on the welfare of some dogs. As well as being misused to inflict unnecessary harm, there was also concern that e-collars can redirect aggression or generate anxiety-based behaviour in pets, making underlying behavioural and health problems worse.

Data from the research were published separately in two different reputable scientific journals, which required additional independent peer review exercises involving scrutiny from experts in the same field prior to publication. This gives the Government further confidence that the results are robust.

We have listened carefully to a range of views from pet owners and respondents, as well as consulting key stakeholders including animal welfare charities, e-collar manufacturers, and trainers who use e-collars. Defra ran a public consultation in 2018 on the proposed ban on e-collars for cats and dogs in England. A summary of the responses received can be found here; Animal welfare: banning the use of electronic training collars for cats and dogs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Training dogs is important to help them learn to behave appropriately and to make it easier to keep them under control. It can also help strengthen the relationship you have with them. Defra supports reward-based training, which includes the use of things that dogs value (e.g. toys, food and praise), is enjoyable for dogs and is widely regarded as the preferred form of training dogs. It is important to seek professional advice to identify/discuss any behaviour problems and the best training options for a dog. An incorrect training regime can have negative effects on a dog’s welfare.

The legislation needed to ban remote controlled electronic training collars will be laid before Parliament as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

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