You don't choose your dog's collar. Your dog will choose her collar. Whether you use an E collar or a prong collar for training, it should not be used violently. Never use anything on your dog which you think would be harmful if used on you. It depends on the activity level and communication. A dog who needs more communication should be on a star collar. Even a simple neck collar can be used to train your dog. You should just know how to use it the right way.