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The first thought you have when you read the headline is probably: “Why are those allowed? Why is this even a debate, they should just be banned!”
For those of you who don’t know what electronic collars are, please have a seat before continuing with the rest of this article because we’re about to discuss some not-so-nice things.
What Electronic Collars Are
Electronic collars, or e-collars, are shock collars sometimes used in training dogs. These e-collars, when triggered, transmit electrical stimuli of varying intensities to the dog’s nerves, causing pain to the animal.
Think of it as a mini electric chair (of course it doesn’t actually kill the dog, but it still hurts a lot).
You can watch this to know more about it:
They’re often used as a training device or to prevent dogs from running out of yards, and can be set to varying intensities.
Most importantly, they’re legal in Singapore.
Reader: What??????????? Isn’t that basically torture? Why are they legal here?
While electronic shock collars for dogs are currently banned in countries like Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Wales, England, Quebec, and some states in Australia, Singapore has not yet joined these countries in banning them.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) here notes that while electronic shock collars may have some short-term results, they can also lead to other behavioural problems such as aggression, phobias and high levels of stress in a dog.
The dog may also associate the pain of the shock with other things in the environment at the time such as the owner, causing a breakdown in the bond between one and one’s dog.
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The SPCA here had supported a proposal by the Singapore Kennel Club to ban these collars in the Republic in 1999.
Since then, the SPCA has been active in educating the public about the negative effects of using such collars and has been promoting alternatives.
The Government also commissioned a study on e-collars in 2020.
Discussion In Parliament
The topic of e-collars was raised in Parliament on 7 March by Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC), who asked the Ministry of National Development (MND) for an update on a study it had conducted on the use of such collars in animal training.
Mr Tan said the study concluded that such collars should only be used as a last resort, when all other science-based training methods have been exhausted.
It’s a bit like how your mother scolds you verbally first, but if things continue to be out of hand, her last resort is to take the rotan and slap you.
Or maybe you’re unlucky and rotan is the default punishment for anything.
E-collars work as a form of negative reinforcement by delivering electric shocks through contact points on the animal.
Other examples of negative reinforcement are taking away your child’s iPad when he performs badly on a test or spraying your cat with water when she goes onto the counter.
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By the way, negative reinforcement doesn’t work on most cats. Look into positive reinforcement instead.
Although there may be exceptional circumstances which may warrant the use of such aversive training tools – such as extremely violent dogs who do not respond to other disciplinary methods – these electronic shock collars still cause pain and distress to the animal.
Mr Tan said “the use of such tools, including the use of electric collars, must be done properly and by trained personnel so that the desired outcomes are achieved. NParks will not hesitate to take enforcement actions if electric collars are used inappropriately.”
NParks is currently developing guidelines on the usage of such collars in dog training, in consultation with some groups.
Mr Tan said the new guidelines will be released “in the coming months” to recommend good practices, but they are not legally enforceable.
Notwithstanding this, in cases where unnecessary pain or suffering is found to be inflicted on animals, investigations will be conducted and enforcement action under the Animals and Birds Act will be taken.
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In his follow-up question in Parliament, Mr Ng asked what concerns MND had about banning the use of electric collars in Singapore.
“I think Mr Tan himself tried the use of the electric collar and it is painful. Obviously it’s painful for the dogs as well and that’s why it is being used to train them. So how could it not be a physical abuse when it causes pain and suffering to the dogs which are being trained?” he asked.
“I certainly did not expect Mr Ng to know about it and raise it in Parliament. But I thought it was important for me to try the electric collars on myself, to better understand what the dogs go through, and better appreciate the perspectives of the various stakeholder groups,” Mr Tan said.
Since the guidelines will not be legally enforceable, we can only hope that the guidelines will encourage dog trainers and others using e-collars to practice more humane training methods that do not inflict such pain to dogs.
Soon after, he revealed what he did in an article with The Straits Times.
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Senior Minister of State Tried The E-Collar Himself
Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How said in the article that he had tried a variety of electronic collars for dogs on himself to find out just how painful these are.
His verdict: Level 7 was too much to take.
Officers at the National Parks Board (NParks) were reviewing if electronic shock collars should be used in training dogs, and arranged for him to try a variety of them on his arm.
This happened after the multi-stakeholder Rehoming and Adoption Workgroup (RAWG), comprising NParks, animal welfare groups, veterinarians and dog trainers, published guidelines in 2022 to standardise practices in dog rehoming and adoption, as well as dog training and behaviour rehabilitation.
As part of the RAWG’s recommendations, NParks further consulted key stakeholders of the animal community and members of the public on the use of e-collars in Singapore.
Mr Tan did not try these electronic shock collars just for fun or because he bo-liao.
But if you bo-liao you can also try for yourself.
“The electronic collars caused sharp pain when set on higher intensity. I did not manage to get to the maximum setting. Besides the pain, it was the unanticipated shock that was most disconcerting for me,” Mr Tan said.
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Imagine having an electronic shock collar on your neck 24/7 and you’re constantly living in fear of being shocked at any moment. It’s a terrible, terrible way to live.
And that’s the reality some dogs are living in right now.
Alternatives to Shock Collars
Earlier, I mentioned that negative reinforcement doesn’t work on cats.
They have the IQ of a two-year old child; they’re just babies who don’t understand much.
Cats learn much better from positive reinforcement, and studies have shown that this method is also more effective in training dogs than negative reinforcement.
Using treats or toys to reward good behaviour are much more effective in training dogs.
Trainers should look into using positive reinforcement instead of e-collars or other harmful methods to train dogs to continue training dogs while maintaining a good relationship with the furry little ones.
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