Study brief: Cooper et al. (2014)
Cooper, J. J., Cracknell, N., Hardiman, J., Wright, H., and Mills, D. (2014).
The welfare consequences and efficacy of training pet dogs with remote electronic training collars in comparison to reward based training.
PLOS ONE, 9(9), e102722.
In one sentence:
In a controlled field study of pet dogs referred for recall-related problems, e-collar training showed no consistent efficacy advantage over reward-based training, and was associated with greater behavioural signs of poorer welfare during training.
What was done
After a small preliminary study, 63 pet dogs referred for recall-related problems (including livestock-related issues) were assigned to three groups of 21:
- Group A: trained by industry-approved trainers using e-collars
- Group B: trained by the same trainers without e-collars
- Group C: trained by Association of Pet Dog Trainers (UK) members without e-collars
The study recorded behavioural measures during training, some physiological measures, and owner reports of improvement.
What was found
- About 92% of owners reported improvement in the referred behaviour. There was no significant difference in reported efficacy across the three groups.
- Dogs in the e-collar group spent significantly more time tense, yawned more often, and showed less environmental interaction than dogs in the reward-based APDT group.
- Owners of dogs trained with e-collars were less confident about applying the approach themselves.
- The authors concluded there was no consistent benefit from e-collar training, but greater welfare concerns compared with positive reward-based training.
What this study does not claim
- It does not claim that no dog has ever stopped a behaviour after an electric stimulus.
- It does not claim that every use of an e-collar, in every context, produces identical results.
- It does not establish that e-collars are necessary for recall or related problems.
Why it matters for policy
For ordinary pet-dog goals such as improved recall, this study found no consistent efficacy advantage for e-collars and reported behavioural welfare costs during training relative to reward-based work. That combination is central to the welfare-and-efficacy case used in ICLAC materials.
Primary source
Full open-access paper (PLOS ONE)
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