Dog owners and trainers should be obligated to use the least aversive means necessary to produce a behavioural change. Training collars should only be used as a last resort when all positive methods of training have been exhausted and failed.

The method of canine training and the associated stimuli an owner or handler chooses to encompass is important with regard to the welfare of the dog, but the outcome is even more crucial since it will impact the dog’s whole life experience (Stafford, 2007). Canine problematic behaviours that are not corrected through adequate training can comprise welfare as they often associated with increased states of anxiety (Askew, 1996), abuse, abandonment, and death of many dogs (Stafford, 2007).

In a case of a dog owner who is considering best method of training for their dog, I would recommend the reward-based training as it has been proven to be the most successful method of training; in addition to the following key benefits for a dog and owner alike:

• Encouraging effective learning
• The associated of higher levels of obedience, and less problematic behaviour compared to punishment-based methods
• Stronger dog-owner relationships