10 Dog Training Tools I Would Never Use

10 Dog Training Tools I Would Never Use (And What I Use Instead)

There are a lot of dog training tools out there. The majority of which I wouldn't really call training tools to begin with..

Many are marketed as quick fixes. Some promise "better" walks, less barking or faster "obedience". And some have become so normalized in the dog training industry that people don't realize there are other (more humane) ways to teach the exact same skills.

As a dog trainer, there are certain tools I simply will not use. That doesn’t mean these tools are incapable of changing behaviour. Punishment and corrections can absolutely stop behaviour in the moment. My concern is how they work, what the dog is learning in the process and what can happen when we focus on stopping behaviour instead of understanding why it is happening.

This isn't just a personal preference of mine. A 2017 review of 17 studies examining dog training methods found that aversive methods can negatively affect dogs' physical and emotional welfare, while finding no evidence that punishment-based training is more effective than positive reinforcement. I use positive reinforcement/reward-based, evidence-based and force-free training. That means focusing on management, predictable outcomes and encouragement, reinforcement and creating situations where dogs can successfully learn.

Here are 10 dog training tools I would never use, why I avoid them, and what I would do instead.

1. Prong Collars

Prong collars tighten around a dog's neck and apply pressure through metal prongs when the leash becomes tight or a correction is delivered. They're commonly recommended for pulling, reactivity and "controlling" larger or stronger dogs.

I don't use them because the behaviour change relies heavily on discomfort.

If a dog stops pulling because pulling now hurts or becomes uncomfortable, we haven't necessarily taught the dog how to walk nicely on leash. We've taught them what happens when they don't..

This becomes even more concerning with reactive dogs.

Imagine your dog sees another dog, becomes worried or frustrated, reacts and then experiences pressure and pain around their neck. There's then a risk that the appearance of other dogs becomes associated with something unpleasant.

What I use instead:

A comfortable harness or flat collar, reinforcement and rewards for being near the handler, environmental management, appropriate distance from triggers and lots of practice rewarding the behaviours we actually want to see more of.

Loose-leash walking is a skill. I would rather teach it than punish the dog for not already knowing it. :)

2. Shock Collars and E-Collars

Whether they're called shock collars, e-collars, stimulation collars or remote training collars, they work by delivering an unpleasant sensation controlled by the handler. Sometimes the sensation is described as being very low-level.

But if the sensation doesn't bother the dog at all, it wouldn't be useful for stopping behaviour..

That's the part that matters to me. I don't want my training to depend on my dog worrying about what might happen if they make the wrong choice. Research also doesn't suggest that we need e-collars to get better training results. In a 2020 study comparing e-collar training with reward-focused training, dogs in the reward-focused group performed better on several measures, including responding to "come" and "sit" after a single cue. The researchers concluded that there was no evidence that e-collars were necessary for effective recall training. An earlier controlled study reached a similar conclusion. Researchers found no consistent training benefit from using e-collars compared with reward-based training, while identifying greater welfare concerns in the dogs trained with e-collars. It can also be very difficult for a dog to understand exactly why the sensation occurred. That becomes particularly risky around things like other dogs, strangers, children, wildlife or unfamiliar environments.

What I use instead:

I teach the behaviour I want, encourage it repeatedly and only gradually increase the difficulty.

For recall, for example, wearing a long leash, I want a dog running toward their person because doing so has an enormous reinforcement history, not because they're trying to avoid what might happen if they don't.

3. Choke Chains

A choke chain tightens around the dog's neck when tension is applied. Traditionally, they're often paired with leash "pops" or quick corrections intended to stop pulling or other unwanted behaviour.

I don't use choke chains because I don't need pressure on a dog's neck to teach leash skills. Dogs pull for all kinds of reasons.

They're excited, the environment is interesting, they want to reach something, or they're overwhelmed.

Correcting the pulling doesn't answer any of those concerns.

What I use instead:

I work on engagement, reinforcement placement, leash-handling skills, environmental difficulty and teaching the dog that staying connected with their human pays.

4. Slip Leads Used for Corrections

This one needs a little context!

Slip leads can have legitimate uses for temporary handling, transportation, shelters, veterinary settings and emergency situations.

What I don't use them for is tightening them around a dog's neck to address unwanted behaviours. There's a very important difference between equipment being used to safely handle a dog and equipment being used to punish a dog.

If I'm teaching leash walking, reactivity or impulse control, I don't need to repeatedly tighten something around the dog's neck to communicate what I want. I can set the dog up for success by first practicing in environments they are comfortable with and building them up from there.

What I use instead:

For regular training, I prefer comfortable equipment that allows us to focus on teaching rather than correcting, such as a flat collar or an adequately fitted harness. The equipment I always recommend is primarily for safety purposes, not for training.

5. Anti-Bark Collars

Anti-bark collars are designed to detect barking and automatically deliver a consequence. Depending on the collar, that might be an electric stimulation, vibration, sound or spray..

The biggest concern for me is that barking IS communication.

Dogs bark because they're scared, excited, frustrated, alerting, seeking attention, responding to something outside or experiencing any number of other emotions. Stopping the sound won't solve the reason the dog was barking.

Sometimes it just removes their ability to express it..

What I use instead:

First, I want to know WHY the dog is barking. Then we can work on the actual cause through management, enrichment, changing emotional responses, teaching alternative behaviours and adjusting the environment.

The goal isn't simply a quieter dog.. The goal is a dog who no longer feels the same need to bark in that situation. The effects of training methods can also show up beyond whether a behaviour stops in the moment. A 2020 study found that dogs trained primarily with aversive methods showed more stress-related behaviours and greater increases in cortisol after training than dogs trained using reward-based methods. They also showed more pessimistic responses in a cognitive-bias test used to assess emotional state.

6. Spray Bottles

Spraying a dog with water is often suggested as an innocent way to interrupt unwanted behaviour. It's "just water," after all?

But the important question isn't whether the spray physically hurts.

The question is whether the dog finds it unpleasant enough that they change their behaviour to avoid it. If they do, we're still using an aversive consequence.

It can also create weird associations. If you're spraying your dog whenever they bark at another dog through the window, for example, they may not understand that you're trying to punish barking. They may simply learn that seeing another dog predicts something unpleasant happening.

What I use instead:

Management first!

Block the window if necessary and increase distance. Redirect before the dog becomes overwhelmed to help keep them under threshold and prevent the repetition of the unwanted behaviour. Reinforce disengagement from the trigger and provide them with something else to do.

7, 8, 9 & 10. Compressed Air, Ultrasonic Devices, Shake Cans, Bonkers and Other Startle Devices

I’m grouping the final four items together because, while the devices themselves are different, the basic idea behind them is very similar.

7. Compressed-air deterrents release a sudden burst of air and sound.

8. Ultrasonic deterrent devices emit a high-frequency sound intended to interrupt barking or other unwanted behaviour.

9. Shake cans and similar startle devices use sudden, unexpected noise to stop a dog from doing something.

10. Bonkers, throw chains and other objects used to frighten dogs rely on throwing, striking or creating a sudden startling event around the dog.

Some of these products are marketed as harmless because they don't necessarily cause physical pain, but that's not really the question I care about.

If the device works because the dog finds the sound, sensation or sudden event unpleasant enough to stop what they're doing, then we're still relying on discomfort, fear or startle to change behaviour. And yes, it might interrupt the behaviour.

But interrupting behaviour for a few seconds isn't the same thing as teaching the dog what to do instead. If a dog is jumping on guests, I want to teach them what to do when somebody walks through the door.

If they're barking, I want to understand why they're barking. If they're fixating on another dog I want to help them disengage and feel comfortable enough to make a different choice.

I don't want startling or frightening a dog to become one of my primary ways of communicating with them, especially when working with dogs who are already fearful, anxious or sensitive to sound.

Research looking more broadly at aversive training methods gives us another reason to think beyond whether the behaviour simply stops. A 2020 study found that dogs trained primarily using aversive methods showed more stress-related behaviours and greater increases in cortisol after training than dogs trained using reward-based methods. They also showed more pessimistic responses in a cognitive-bias test used to assess emotional state.

What I use instead:

If I need to redirect or interrupt behaviour, I'd rather use something the dog has actually been taught.

That might be their name, a recall cue, a hand target, a "find it" game, moving away together or another familiar behaviour. And whenever possible, I want to go one step further and teach a behaviour that can replace the unwanted one.

✔️ Four paws on the floor instead of jumping.

✔️ Going to a mat instead of rushing the door.

✔️ Walking beside me instead of pulling.

✔️ Checking in with me instead of fixating on another dog.

Training gives us plenty of ways to redirect behaviour without deliberately frightening the dog. :)

I want dogs to feel safe experimenting and making mistakes while they're learning around me. Sometimes the dog doesn't understand what we're asking. Sometimes the environment is too difficult. Sometimes the reward isn't good enough. Sometimes we've increased the difficulty too quickly.

When that happens, the responsibility is on me to adjust the training. Not on the dog to avoid punishment.

But What If These Tools "Work"?

This is one of the most important distinctions in dog training.

A method can change behaviour and still not be a method I want to use. If yelling stops a dog from jumping, it worked in the most basic sense of the word. If a leash correction stops pulling, it worked. If a shock stops barking, it worked..

But my goal isn't simply to stop behaviour as quickly as possible.

I want to understand why the behaviour is happening, teach the dog what to do instead and create a training process that doesn't depend on fear, pain or intimidation.

I also care about what happens when the equipment comes off. I want the behaviour itself to make sense to the dog.

Good Dog Training Should Teach the Dog Something

One question I think every pet parent should ask when choosing a training method is:

What is my dog actually learning from this?

Not just: Did it stop the behaviour?

✅ If your dog is pulling, what do you want them to do instead?

✅ If your dog is barking at another dog, how would you like them to respond?

✅ If your puppy is jumping, what behaviour should replace the jumping?

Once we start thinking this way, training becomes much clearer. :D

Instead of constantly looking for ways to stop dogs from doing things, we start teaching them the skills they need to succeed.

And in my experience, that's a much better relationship to have with your dog!