Dogs learn best when they feel safe and able to think. Tools that cause pain or fear can stop behaviour in the moment, but they do not teach understanding. This page explains how these devices work; why they seem effective; and the well documented fallout that follows.
How these tools work
Prong collars
Prong collars tighten around the neck and apply pressure from metal points. The sensation is painful or sharply uncomfortable. The dog stops the behaviour to avoid the pressure.
Shock collars (E-collars and sometimes referred to as ‘stim collars’)
Shock collars deliver an electric pulse to the neck of varying strengths as set by the remote controller. The dog stops the behaviour to avoid the shock. Some models also use vibration or sound, but the learning process is the same; the dog acts to avoid something unpleasant.
Grots, slip leads and choke chains
Grots, sometimes known as ‘illusion collars’ if supported by webbing which holds them in place at the most sensitive area of the neck, where the vertebrae meets the skull, are a thin cord that will simultaneously choke and inflict pain if the dog attempts to move. The pressure restricts breathing and causes pain. The dog stops the behaviour to avoid the tightening. Choke chains and ‘fur saver’ chains are designed to be jerked by the handler which both restricts breathing, and creates a noise which the dog will find startling. The ‘fur saver’ has a longer chain link so that it does not damage the coat on longer hair dogs when pulled (never mind the vertebrae, soft tissues and glands inside the dog’s neck!
The finer the diameter of the chain or cord, the more pressure (pain and potential for damage) they deliver when pulled or jerked by the handler, and the higher up they ae on the dog’s neck, the more it will impact on the dog’s pressure points, and cause it more pain.. Slip leads are also used to choke a dog when jerked, however there are some that have a stop to prevent them constricting beyond the circumference of the dogs neck, or you can sew one in. If restricted and of a thick diameter so that any weight against them is more evenly distributed they can be very handy for being able to pop on and off as needed and for dogs that have learned to slip out of a flat buckle collar. There is never any reason to choke a dog.
Why they appear to work
All three tools rely on positive punishment or negative reinforcement, two of the four quadrants described by B. F. Skinner.
Positive punishment: adding something unpleasant to reduce a behaviour
Negative reinforcement: removing something unpleasant when the dog complies
In simple terms, the dog behaves to avoid pain or fear.
This can create the illusion of quick results. The behaviour stops, so it looks like the tool has solved the problem. In reality, the dog has learned only one thing: “Do this or something bad happens.”
This is not understanding; it is avoidance.
What behavioural science tells us
Skinner’s work, along with decades of research in animal learning, shows that:
punishment suppresses behaviour but does not teach the correct behaviour
fear and pain narrow the dog’s ability to think
learning becomes slower when the animal is stressed
associations form quickly between pain and whatever the dog sees, hears or smells at the time
This last point is where most fallout begins.
The fallout: What can go wrong
1. Increased fear and anxiety
Dogs often link the unpleasant sensation to the environment, not the behaviour. For example: A dog receives a shock when barking at another dog. The dog may learn that other dogs predict pain. This can create fear, reactivity or aggression.
2. Suppressed communication
Dogs stop showing early warning signs because those signs have been punished. A dog that no longer growls is not a safer dog; it is a dog who has learned that communication is punished.
3. Stress and learned helplessness
Repeated exposure to pain or fear can lead to a state where the dog stops trying to avoid it. This is known as learned helplessness, a concept demonstrated in classic behavioural studies. The dog appears calm, but the calm is shutdown, not understanding.
4. Damage to the relationship
When the unpleasant sensation comes from the handler’s direction, the dog may associate the pain with the person holding the lead. Trust erodes; confidence drops.
5. Masking the real problem
Punishment stops behaviour but does not address the cause. Fear, frustration, pain, lack of training, or unmet needs remain unsolved.
What works better: Teaching through clarity and safety
Modern behavioural science supports:
positive reinforcement
clear communication
predictable routines
safe environments
teaching alternative behaviours
meeting emotional and physical needs
Dogs learn faster when they feel safe; they retain information better; and they are more willing to try new behaviours.
This is why your shop focuses on toys, tools and games that support calm learning; impulse control; confidence; and real life skills.
A simple summary for owners
Prongs, shocks and chokes work by causing pain or fear.
They stop behaviour but do not teach understanding.
They carry well documented risks; fear; anxiety; aggression; shutdown; damaged trust.
Kind, reward based methods teach dogs what to do, not just what to avoid.
Dogs learn best when they feel safe.