The essence of the whole argument behind not using any tools in dog training is that tools cause discomfort and stress.
On the contrary, force-free methods avoid stress and discomfort at all costs, relying only on reward-based training; they may consider tools, but only as a last resort.
Indeed, the often-quoted peer-reviewed studies proved that prong collars and e-collars trigger stress responses in dogs, and this conclusion has been picked up by force-free advocates in their I-told-you-so narratives.
These narratives are further supported by videos of dogs encountering a prong collar for the first time. They thrash, scream, and salivate, dramatically showing that they are being tortured.
Why such drama? Not because of pain, but because of the stress of facing boundaries for the first time in their lives.
This stress—meeting an obstacle a dog doesn’t yet know how to overcome—and the learning mechanisms it activates is something researchers have not and likely will not address, unless someone funds a long-term (5–10 year) field study among proven trainers. Such a study has too many financial and practical constraints, and too many variables.
Yet stress, and knowing how to manage it, is instrumental for successful learning. Dealing with stress builds resilience.
Everyone has experienced stress at school: tests, grades, college applications. These things caused sleepless nights, too much coffee, and pounding hearts. Was homework or exam prep pleasant? Absolutely not. Did it teach you something important about resilience? Definitely.
Stress is unavoidable and natural—not only here and now, but always has been.
What does this mean for dog training?
It means that when we use tools, a big part of what we teach is resilience. We show dogs how to work through stress when they encounter it.
We do not just yank dogs on prongs or shock them with e-collars for disobedience. We teach them what collar pressure is, how to turn it off, and that they can solve this stress on their own. And every time, we make sure they succeed and get rewarded for their problem-solving.
This ability to conquer stress boosts a dog’s confidence and carries over into other situations.
This is why the force-free crowd cannot explain why dogs trained with tools by skilled trainers look so happy.
The answer is simple: they were not suppressed or tortured. They learned they can face stress and overcome it. They became resilient, open-minded, and ready for whatever challenges the world brings.