Are shock collars legal in the Netherlands?

Are shock collars for dogs banned in the Netherlands?

Yes. Since 1 January 2022 the Dutch Animal Keepers Decree (Besluit houders van dieren) has prohibited the use of equipment capable of giving a dog electric shocks. It sits in the same article as the ban on kicking or hitting an animal, and it applies to everyone with a dog: owners, trainers and people in dog sports.

The rule was added to article 1.3 of that decree. That article lists acts the law designates as prohibited, such as kicking an animal or hitting it so hard that it is injured. The shock collar was added to that list as part h.

Part g of the same article prohibits using an object that can cause an animal pain through sharp protrusions, or tying up or leading an animal with one. So using it is enough, even with no lead attached. That is the prong collar, or pinch collar: a collar with points on the inside. According to the Dutch animal welfare society Dierenbescherming, it has been banned since 1 July 2018.

The ban is enforced by the police, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the national animal welfare inspectorate (Landelijke Inspectiedienst Dierenwelzijn), according to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The Royal Netherlands Veterinary Association (KNMvD) states that a breach is a criminal offence, prosecuted under criminal law.

When were shock collars banned: 2020 or 2022?

On 1 January 2022. The decree itself says it enters into force on 1 January 2022. Yet many websites still give 1 July 2020. That date came from an earlier announcement. The ban was postponed and only took effect on 1 January 2022.

The history is in the explanatory note the government published with the decree. A ban had already been adopted in 2018, but with an exemption for users with sufficient expertise. The aim was for that ban to start on 1 January 2019. It never took effect: while working out the exemption, it became clear that expertise does not remove the risk to the dog.

Then came the plan for a full ban. According to Dierenbescherming, it was originally meant to start on 1 July 2020. Several English-language sites reported that date at the time and still give it today. So if you search in English, you may read that the ban began in 2020.

Which collars does the ban cover?

Any collar that can give an electric shock, even if you never use that function. What matters is what the device can do, not what you do with it. A collar that only vibrates or beeps, or is only a GPS tracker, falls outside this ban. A combination collar with a shock setting is covered.

The explanatory note is very specific here. 'Use' is not only giving a shock but also the situation in which an owner lets a dog wear the device. The reason: a dog that knows what such a collar can do wears it expecting that a punishment could come at any moment.

Who is still allowed to use a shock collar?

Almost nobody. The law names three exemptions: veterinary procedures, a few government tasks and electric fencing. Hunters, people who do dog sports, behaviour trainers and ordinary owners get no exemption, not even for a difficult dog. Nor does the law make an exception for a collar bought abroad or a dog here on holiday.

The government tasks are the work of the police, the Royal Marechaussee and the armed forces, and carrying out a prison sentence or custodial measure. That exemption is narrow too. It applies only where the purpose justifies the use and that purpose cannot be achieved any other way. The exemption for vets covers procedures such as X-rays, CT scans, treating tumours and heart defibrillation, the explanatory note says. Using a shock collar to prepare for such a procedure is not covered, let alone training. The note also says the police and the armed forces have begun to phase out the purchase of dogs trained with shock equipment.

During the public consultation, some people asked for an exemption for deaf dogs. None was granted. The explanatory note says that methods without pain or fear exist for deaf dogs too, although they do call for special knowledge on the trainer's part.

What if you see someone using a shock collar?

Call 144. That number lets you report animal cruelty or neglect to the national hotline 144 Red een Dier. The national animal welfare inspectorate, the NVWA or the police then handles the report. Don't confront anyone in the street yourself; leave it to the authorities.

Seeing these collars in online shops is no sign that they are allowed. When the ban came in, selling them was not banned, only using them. According to Dierenbescherming, the government saw little point in a sales ban: as far as EU law would even allow one, the collars would still be easy to get, for example in neighbouring countries.

Still have a shock or prong collar in a drawer? Don't put it on your dog again, not even 'just for show'. Wearing it already counts as use.

Why are shock collars banned?

Because electric shocks harm dogs, and because they are not needed. A shock can lead to stress, fear and aggression, and possibly to pain and injury (RVO). Phobia and lasting damage to the bond of trust between owner and dog are named too (KNMvD).

That is also why there is no broad exemption. While drafting the decree, the government found that dogs can be trained perfectly well without shock equipment, its explanatory note says. So it saw no need for a general exemption.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) goes further. It says aversive methods, naming electronic collars, prong collars, choke chains and lead corrections, should not be used under any circumstances, and that reward-based methods are both safer and more effective.

What can you use instead of a shock collar?

Train with rewards. Teach your dog in small steps what you do want, and make sure it pays off for him. Dierenbescherming advises taking a course at a dog training school, ideally from puppyhood or straight after you bring an adult dog home. Choose a school that trains with rewards.

People often bought a shock collar for a handful of familiar problems. Each one has an approach without pain:

• Pulling on the lead. Stand still as soon as the lead goes tight and reward every step on a loose lead. The step-by-step plan is in dog pulls on the leash.
• Not coming back. Build up recall from living room to beach, with a long line in between. See dog won't listen outdoors.
• Lunging at other dogs. There is often tension or fear behind it, and a shock can make that worse: Dierenbescherming writes that such a correction can even reinforce the unwanted behaviour. Read our guide to walking an anxious or reactive dog.
• Barking. First work out what your dog barks at: the doorbell, passers-by, or being home alone. Remove the trigger where you can, for example with frosted film on the window, and reward calm before the barking starts. If he barks mainly when left alone, read how long a dog can stay home alone.
• Escaping from the garden. A real fence instead of an invisible one, and not leaving your dog outside unsupervised.

Is your dog aggressive, or does he bite? Then have your vet check him first, and after that ask for a referral to a qualified behaviourist who works with rewards. Don't try to solve it with a tool that hurts or startles your dog.

Frequently asked questions about the shock collar ban