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Bring back dog shock collars in Wales says Welsh Conservative MP

28 Mar 2022 2 minute read
David Jones MP. Picture by Richard Townshend (CC BY 3.0).

A Welsh Conservative MP has called for the return of dog shock collars in Wales.

E-collars used for training dogs have been banned in Wales since 2010, and a similar law has been mooted by senior ministers in England.

But David Jones, a former Welsh Secretary, said that new data made clear that the “ban has failed and, paradoxically, is leading to many animal deaths”.

The Clwyd West MP said “there is a significant sheep-worrying problem in Wales. Sheep are being savaged by dogs, and dogs are being shot by farmers.”

His comments come as the NFU released data showing that Welsh farmers suffered £306,068 in losses from dog attacks last year compared with £68,408 in Scotland.

The Welsh Government responded that e-collars “cause pain” and that they had “no plans to review this decision”.

In 2018 the current Levelling Up Minister, Michael Gove, introduced legislation proposing a ban on the training collars, in which dogs receive an electric shock, saying they cause “harm and suffering”.

The Welsh Government today urged owners to keep their dogs under control around sheep and other livestock as the end of lambing season approaches and with young lambs now out in the fields.

Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths said: “Dog attacks on sheep and other livestock is matter we take very seriously and very sadly, we continue to see instances where animals are badly injured or killed.

“The majority of owners do the right thing in controlling their dogs, but there are others who don’t.

“The costs – financially and emotionally – for those who own or find dead and injured animals, are wholly unacceptable, as are the animal welfare implications.”


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Richard
Richard
2 years ago

We have Ukraine, Covid, Heating cost worries for pensioners and young families plus Energy supply issues and global warming…all vital issues for Westminster to focus on

AND

David Jones has dog 🐕 training collars as his main rota issue to attack y Senedd with !!

He must feel its a quiet week 🙃

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

If tainted Tory David Jones is refering to shock collars for Conservative MPs to keep them in line , I’d tend to agree. But it was his backwards party who scrapped the 1959 Dog Licence Act in 1988 in Scotland, Wales & England that’s led to where we are today.

Llinos
Llinos
2 years ago

So now the Tories want to torture family pets. They really are the nasty party

Sindy
Sindy
2 years ago
Reply to  Llinos

They don’t torture ..if you use them properly it just causes a a vibration ..that is enough to break the dogs focus so it can concentrate on your instruction

Andrew Holden
Andrew Holden
2 years ago
Reply to  Sindy

The RSPCA have no idea what they are talking about. These are training aids which used correctly stop dogs attacking sheep. Used correctly they do NOT cause pain and fear – do some research! A lead or your boots, CAN be used to abuse an animal – why spend hundreds on an Ecollar if that’s your intention?

Geraint Ellis
Geraint Ellis
11 months ago
Reply to  Andrew Holden

The trouble is some of the people who would use them are idiots. THey are a great tool in the right hands.

Andrew Holden
Andrew Holden
2 years ago
Reply to  Llinos

Go find out what you are commenting on by looking at some training videos on Youtube. They are used to train NOT to torture. You can’t effectively train a dog with fear or abuse.

Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams
2 years ago
Reply to  Llinos

They don’t torture

Last edited 2 years ago by Kevin Williams
Ieuan Evans
Ieuan Evans
2 years ago

I think its David Jones that needs a dog shock collar.

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  Ieuan Evans

..and if you can’t find a collar big enough for his neck I’ve got a length of rope in my shed ! Just offering to help.

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  hdavies15

Does your rope cut through brass, hdavies15?

Ex Plaid member
Ex Plaid member
2 years ago

I know its wrong, but I can’t get the idea out of my head of using shock training collars to train Tory AM/MP’s with an empathy deficit. His logic is a little flawed. Unless you have access to sheep to train a dog not to chase sheep, its really quite hard to train a dog not to chase sheep, no matter what technique you use and so most dogs will chase sheep. It takes a fair amount of work to train a young dog not to chase sheep, the best approach I have found is to have an old dog… Read more »

Richard
Richard
2 years ago

Whats an AM ? 😜 only joking

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  Richard

One who doesn’t work in the PM!

Richard
Richard
2 years ago
Reply to  Welsh_Siôn

😂

Ronnie
Ronnie
2 years ago

Oh OK then…and while we’re at it why don’t we bring back the stocks for politicians who lie, cheat and behave atrociously? What is this man on?

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

Correct dog training from responsible owners would save a lot of dogs. He can wear the collar, while pet owners can take dogs to obedience classes.

Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago

Has anybody explained to him how a dog lead works?

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  Erisian

You can take a dog to water, but a pencil must be lead.

Andrew Holden
Andrew Holden
2 years ago
Reply to  Erisian

And what happens when the lead doesn’t work? Most dog attacks are from dogs that have escaped a home or car or got away from the owner, the lead has broken or been dropped. A dog trained with an eCollar will not run off, will not attack sheep so will not get shot by a sheep farmer. Just do some intelligent research and see for yourself. Instead let’s keep them banned and continue to see sheep attacked and dogs shot – that’s really caring for animals.

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

There’s a reason why this dog collar was banned in Wales – perhap Mr Jones should read up on the legislation? I’m surprised there is still no similar law in England but shouldn’t be really as the country is Tory led.

I.Humphrys
I.Humphrys
2 years ago

Dog owners must pay for a chip licence, inserted into the scruff as a pup. Small dogs 50 pounds, graded to 200 for big dogs (generally the culprits, often with slaphead camo clothed owners). Farmers should have shoot to kill -rights on their land.

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  I.Humphrys

Farmers should have shoot to kill -rights on their land.
_____

My late father did have such rights from local landowners. Didn’t stop one blow-in from complaining to the local constabulary that should she be found dead in her bed it would be my dad’s fault.

Fortunately, at the time, the Constable and his superiors saw sense and dismissed her actions as those of a crank.

It was the self-same blow-in who reported local shepherds for ‘cruelty’ as the performed sheep dipping one year, too.

arthur owen
2 years ago
Reply to  Welsh_Siôn

‘My father had such rights from local landowners’ No,they had such rights because its the law..

Kurt C
Kurt C
2 years ago

Gone after kids eating, gone after heating home. Now it’s torture pets as run out of hitting human welfare maybe for now.

Valerie Matthews
Valerie Matthews
2 years ago

IF you wanted proof this Party is peopled by backward thinking Barbarians, here you have it! I do hope he is never put in charge of a helpless animal. Ban for life would be appropriate methinks?

nannybutler
nannybutler
2 years ago

there is never an idea so cruel or stupid or pointless that a well paid tory mp won’t advocate it. presumably the Cruel Authoritarian Bstards Who Enjoy Animal Cruelty demographic needs servicing.

Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams
2 years ago

100% they should overturn the ban on e-collars they save lives dogs lives sheep’s lives horses lives and any other life your dog might take when there prey drive is triggered it is important your dog knows live stock is off limits in every surcomstance and what stop and come means these are not commands to be egnoughd these 2 commands alone can help in nearly every situation you can come across dog chases squirrel stop dog goes to approach a child or other person whilst out and about come hey there’s 2 potential disasters avoided already we are legally… Read more »

Loraine McAleese
Loraine McAleese
2 years ago
Reply to  Kevin Williams

89% of sheep attacks happen when the owner isn’t present – now the dog may very well be on lead but that lead is trailing along the ground!! One second of pulsation – not shock – for a lifetime of peace of mind seems a no brainer. And the added bonus is that you don’t put a farmer in the horrible position of having to shoot your dog – a point not thought about very often. We must take the emotional/furbaby element out of the equation and think about our dogs’ welfare in terms of safety for them and other… Read more »

Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams
2 years ago

The same we worked on numerous shoots in Wales over the winter there were sheep everywhere he couldn’t have cared less he worked around them and adjusted his line in order to avoid them

Eleanor b
Eleanor b
2 years ago

A brilliant tool! They have saved so many dogs and are much kinder than physical corrections such as slip leashes or flat collars.

Mark Hutchings
Mark Hutchings
2 years ago

That’s a ridiculous comment on the subject. Please can everyone banish any idea that an e-collar is there to deliver some massive shock as a punishment in a negative only training regime. I own a dog that was extremely reactive. They were every well behaved for me when there was no distraction, but as soon anything unusual entered its environment, it would automatically react, meaning lead walking anywhere busy was a nightmare and off-leash walking was simply not an option anywhere but a private, enclosed area. I spent time with multiple positive only / force free trainers, including a very… Read more »

kate spencer
kate spencer
2 years ago

I completely agree with David Jones. I used to think very badly of Ecollars, I thought them cruel and unnecessary – I had been fortunate in never having a dog that needed one. When I got my current dog three years ago, a rescue Brittany Spaniel from Spain, I discovered the meaning of a high prey drive. It is natural to dogs but, in some, it is so focussed and so strong that no call, no high value treat, absolutely nothing can get through. I found I just had to avoid all places where sheep were anywhere near which was… Read more »

Julia Wherrell
Julia Wherrell
2 years ago

E-collars are an extremely effective way of training a dog not to chase livestock. I have had three dogs with high-prey drives and used an e-collar successfully on all three. The collars are not cruel, they are effective when used properly. What is cruel is allowing a dog to worry and kill livestock and keeping the dog on a lead its entire life as you cannot trust it off lead. Even worse and more cruel is a dog being shot for chasing livestock.

JANET
JANET
2 years ago

Why, as a nation of “animal lovers” are we seemingly content to turn a blind eye to sheep being mauled, having their throats or bowels torn out, their faces removed, by a dog high on adrenaline and (natural) prey drive, yet the suggestion that a dog gets a MOMENTARY discomfort from a stim (not SHOCK) collar is revolting? Is a dog’s life, because it is “part of the family” worth more than any other sentient being…….? is a dog worth more than a sheep because we give it a name and care for it? Dogs will chase and dogs will… Read more »

Andy
Andy
2 years ago

This is excellent to see. In the interests of dogs living full, happy lives, as well as sheep and other livestock being kept safe, this is a great move.

I have first hand experience of my dog being trained with an ecollar to consistently avoid chasing deer. He already had an excellent recall but once his prey drive kicked in he would chase and be deaf to my call or whistle. Now the deer are safe, whether I spot them first or not, and my dog enjoys loads of freedom.

G. Williams
G. Williams
2 years ago

Certain individuals are being led by the nose by the shock collar industry in order to spread their propaganda. The article ‘Dogs Attacks on Sheep Due to ‘Failed’ E-collar Training Ban’ is misleading and without fact. The article quotes a sheep farmer suggesting the Welsh ban on shock collars has failed, when in fact, the shock collar ban has saved tens of thousands of dogs from suffering needless shocks. It appears to me that statement was intentionally made to bamboozle the public. The farmer also attempts to defy rational thought by suggesting e-collars are like vaccines. He further claims, “it is worse for a… Read more »

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