E-collar education
E-collar myths and what is actually true
E-collars attract confident opinions from people who have never held one and from people who sell them. Both camps skip the hedging. Two of our programs include a modern Educator remote collar, we teach every skill without it first, and we have no interest in defending the tool past what it can honestly do. Here are the four myths we hear, each with the true part kept and the false part removed.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
Four myths
Four claims, each with its true part kept.
Myth one: it is a punishment device. The true part is that a collar can be used to punish. The false part is 'device': modern collars have many low levels, and what the dog experiences is decided by the method and the hand on the remote, not by the hardware. Myth two: it replaces training. It cannot. A collar adds a signal to a cue; if the cue was never taught with markers and rewards, there is nothing for the signal to point at.
Myth three: it works on any dog. Introduction and fit decide. A loose collar gives a muddled signal, and a dog that meets it before it knows the cue risks learning worry instead of recall. Myth four: it is cruel by nature. The fair part is that a dog cannot tell you what a level feels like, so the worry deserves a real answer. Ask how the collar was introduced, whether the cue came first, and whether the owner was taught.
- Method decides, not hardware
- No collar teaches an untaught cue
- Fit and introduction matter
- Ask how it was introduced
Our method, honestly
What we publish about the collar, and what it cannot do.
Skills come first, taught with a marker and a reward, and no tool is part of that stage. Tools are matched to the individual dog, from slip leads to prong collars to modern Educator e-collars, introduced properly and taught to the owner. The remote collar is included in two programs: Functional Off-Leash, three weeks at $3,030 plus GST, and Advanced Off-Leash, four weeks at $3,940 plus GST. Both include owner education, a handover lesson, and free follow-up sessions.
Now the limits. A collar does not fix fear, reactivity or aggression; those are what Behaviour Rehab is built for, after a full assessment. It does not make a recall certain, so a dog is not trusted off leash beside a road because a receiver is on. It does not suit every dog or every owner, and the consultation says so, recommending a smaller program where one is enough. We do not publish levels or settings; they are chosen for one dog, in person.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Is an e-collar the same thing as a shock collar?
Modern Educator remote collars have many low levels, so the word shock describes a way of using a collar more than it describes the collar. Whether a given collar behaves like one depends on the method and the hand holding the remote.
Can an e-collar stop my dog's reactivity?
No tool resolves reactivity on its own, and adding a signal to a frightened or aroused dog may make things worse. Reactivity is what Behaviour Rehab is built for, planned after a full assessment; the collar question, if it comes up at all, comes after that.
Do you put e-collars on puppies?
A remote collar is not among Puppy Fundamentals' inclusions; that program sends a slip lead and training collar home and works on name, sit, down, place, leash manners and crate comfort with markers and rewards. The remote collar is included in Functional and Advanced Off-Leash.
Can I buy an e-collar and train my dog with it myself?
You can buy one, but the collar is the last step, not the first, and introduction and fit are where owners often get into trouble. If you want to do the training yourself, Private Training at $150 plus GST per one-hour session gives you a written plan and professional eyes on your handling.
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Ask us the hard questions
Bring your doubts about the collar; we would rather answer them than dodge them. Book a consultation and hear what fits your dog.
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