By . Stuart Woledge . PUBLISHED: . 03:40 EST, 25 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:53 EST, 25 July 2013 . Ban: The 'e-collar', favoured by celebrities including Hollywood actress Jessica Biel, are no more effective than traditional forms of dog training . Collars that give dogs electric shocks should be outlawed immediately after Government research concluded they were no better for training dogs than traditional methods of reward. That is the view of the Kennel Club in response to two reports commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which found they could actually cause harm to people's pets rather than change their behaviour. The devices, used by Hollywood dog whisperer Cesar Millan and actress Jessica Biel, have already been banned in Wales and pressure is now mounting on ministers to extend this to the rest of the UK. The Kennel Club is campaigning hard for action on the grounds the 'e-collars' are cruel and harmful and has written to ministers calling for action. The controversial collars can deliver a shock lasting as long as 30 seconds. Up to 500,000 British . owners are said to use them. Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko argued the reports, which cost £540,000, proved the devices hurt dogs and were less efficient than manufacturers claimed. She said: 'There is no denying the results of . these two surveys. 'Action needs to be taken now to prevent further harm . being done to the UK's dogs. 'Even with industry trained . professionals, and the project being conducted by an organisation (ECMA) with a clear agenda, it was still found that electric shock collars . often had a detrimental effect on dogs and did not prove to be a better . alternative than training using positive reinforcement.' She added the devices failed to address . underlying behaviour and could lead to further behaviour problems by . training a dog to respond out of . fear of further punishment rather than a natural willingness to obey. Fan: Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan uses electric shock collars to help train neglected canines, although the Kennel Club believes they are harmful . Good boy: Traditional rewards work just as well as the punishment meted out by electric shocks . DOG TRAINING SCHOOLS . In the first of the two studies, scientists at the Universities of Bristol and Lincoln, and the Food and Environment Research Agency, concluded the use of e–collars 'can lead to a negative impact on welfare at least in a proportionate (number) of animals trained using this technique'. It found that many owners used the devices without adhering to the instructions. Cruel: Electric collars, such as these pictured here, can emit shocks lasting 30 seconds . The second follow–up study was conducted by the Lincoln team in conjunction with the Electronic Collar Manufacturers Association (ECMA). It showed that the devices were no more effective than other methods of training, such as giving rewards for dogs who have problems chasing other animals, a common reason given for using shock collars. But ECMA denied that the collars caused pain, although spokeswoman Angela Critchley admitted Defra officials had been in contact with its members since the publication of the reports. She told the Telegraph: 'Defra has approached ECMA to ensure that its members' products continue to be manufactured to set standards and to further educate users on how to operate the training products responsibly.' 'ECMA members have signed up to a robust code of practice where all products meet the latest technical requirements and provide user guides with consistent instructions to improve the quality of lives of dogs while protecting animal welfare.' A spokesman for Defra said its research showed the collars 'cause no long–term harm to dog welfare when manufactured to a high standard and used appropriately' but that those using the devices 'to inflict unnecessary suffering may be prosecuted under animal welfare laws'.
Kennel Club calls for controversial electric collars to be banned immediately .
Government research finds 'e-collars' no more effective than rewards .
The collars emit 30-second shocks and are used by 500,000 owners .
By . Stuart Woledge . PUBLISHED: . 03:40 EST, 25 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:53 EST, 25 July 2013 . Ban: The 'e-collar', favoured by celebrities including Hollywood actress Jessica Biel, are no more effective than traditional forms of dog training . Collars that give dogs electric shocks should be outlawed immediately after Government research concluded they were no better for training dogs than traditional methods of reward. That is the view of the Kennel Club in response to two reports commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which found they could actually cause harm to people's pets rather than change their behaviour. The devices, used by Hollywood dog whisperer Cesar Millan and actress Jessica Biel, have already been banned in Wales and pressure is now mounting on ministers to extend this to the rest of the UK. The Kennel Club is campaigning hard for action on the grounds the 'e-collars' are cruel and harmful and has written to ministers calling for action. The controversial collars can deliver a shock lasting as long as 30 seconds. Up to 500,000 British . owners are said to use them. Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko argued the reports, which cost £540,000, proved the devices hurt dogs and were less efficient than manufacturers claimed. She said: 'There is no denying the results of . these two surveys. 'Action needs to be taken now to prevent further harm . being done to the UK's dogs. 'Even with industry trained . professionals, and the project being conducted by an organisation (ECMA) with a clear agenda, it was still found that electric shock collars . often had a detrimental effect on dogs and did not prove to be a better . alternative than training using positive reinforcement.' She added the devices failed to address . underlying behaviour and could lead to further behaviour problems by . training a dog to respond out of . fear of further punishment rather than a natural willingness to obey. Fan: Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan uses electric shock collars to help train neglected canines, although the Kennel Club believes they are harmful . Good boy: Traditional rewards work just as well as the punishment meted out by electric shocks . DOG TRAINING SCHOOLS . In the first of the two studies, scientists at the Universities of Bristol and Lincoln, and the Food and Environment Research Agency, concluded the use of e–collars 'can lead to a negative impact on welfare at least in a proportionate (number) of animals trained using this technique'. It found that many owners used the devices without adhering to the instructions. Cruel: Electric collars, such as these pictured here, can emit shocks lasting 30 seconds . The second follow–up study was conducted by the Lincoln team in conjunction with the Electronic Collar Manufacturers Association (ECMA). It showed that the devices were no more effective than other methods of training, such as giving rewards for dogs who have problems chasing other animals, a common reason given for using shock collars. But ECMA denied that the collars caused pain, although spokeswoman Angela Critchley admitted Defra officials had been in contact with its members since the publication of the reports. She told the Telegraph: 'Defra has approached ECMA to ensure that its members' products continue to be manufactured to set standards and to further educate users on how to operate the training products responsibly.' 'ECMA members have signed up to a robust code of practice where all products meet the latest technical requirements and provide user guides with consistent instructions to improve the quality of lives of dogs while protecting animal welfare.' A spokesman for Defra said its research showed the collars 'cause no long–term harm to dog welfare when manufactured to a high standard and used appropriately' but that those using the devices 'to inflict unnecessary suffering may be prosecuted under animal welfare laws'.
Biel, are no more effective than traditional electric shocks should be outlawed immediately after Government research concluded they were no their behaviour. The devices, used by Hollywood owners are said to use them. Kennel Club