Overview

The Hasan Piker Dog Shock Collar Controversy or Collargate, also known as Dogtober 7th, refers to accusations and backlash over a viral video clip of political Twitch streamer Hasan Piker (HasanAbi) allegedly activating a shock collar on his dog Kaya after she steps off her bed in the background of his stream, proceeding to yelp and get back on the bed as Piker calls her a "baby" and complains that his mother has made her spoiled. The incident took place on October 7th, 2025, and the clip quickly went viral across social media, with many viewers claiming that Piker used a shock collar and condemning what they perceived as inhumane treatment of the dog. Piker and his defenders later claimed that Kaya "clipped herself," meaning that she caught her dewclaw, on the bed, and that's why she yelped, denying the use of a shock collar.

As the controversy grew, old clips of Piker resurfaced. In one, he claims he owns a shock collar, but could never use it on his old dog, Fish. Additionally, people began looking for evidence of a shock collar on Kaya's neck, believing that a green light on her collar indicates that it is a shock collar. The incident also inspired memes about Piker shocking his dog in a variety of cartoonishly evil ways.

On October 8th, Piker responded to the allegations, claiming Kaya wears a vibrating training collar with an AirTag attached to it, not a shock collar. He also explained Kaya's routine and claimed she has an active morning and evening, which is why he lets her sleep so long during streams. After Piker showed the collar, people began researching to find the model and analyzed the clip of Piker showing the collar, believing that he taped over the inserts for the shock prongs to hide them from viewers.

Some critics started sharing the opinion that, whether Piker used a shock collar or not, he was still wrong not to check on her after she yelped and that he was still abusive to her for making her sit in her bed on stream for hours at a time. Days after the initial clip went viral, another clip was leaked from an old stream between Piker and streamer AustinShow where Piker allegedly reaches over his desk and pushes the collar button to make Kaya get in her bed, although this clip is unconfirmed. Throughout the incident Piker garnered criticism from content creators including Ethan Klein, Penguinz0, Tectone, Dan Saltman, Hutch and more. He received defense from content creators including Valkyrae, Pokimane, Sydeon, Anisa Jomha, iDubbbz and more.

Background

On October 7th, 2025, Redditor u/Ignignokt_DGAF posted a clip from Hasan Piker's stream that day to the /r/LiveStreamFail^[1] subreddit titled, "Hasan reaching for something and seemingly shocking his dog to keep her in camera view," garnering over 58,000 upvotes and 9,200 comments in a day.

The clip begins with Piker talking politics. Kaya, his dog, who is usually seen sleeping in the background of his streams, gets off her bed. Frustrated, Piker says, "Kaya, please, just fucking go back-," then seems to reach to the left of his camera, followed by a yelp from Kaya. He finishes his sentence, "Just stop." He looks at Kaya for a moment and says, "Jesus Christ, what are you doing? You're being such a baby." A chatter suggests he's stressing her out, and Piker says that she's "so incredibly spoiled from my mom."

A longer version of the clip was reposted by X^[2] / Twitter user @Awk20000 shortly after, garnering over 25,000 likes and 3,900 reposts in a day.

In the extended clip, Piker continues to explain that Kaya wants to roam the house because his mom let Kaya roam the house freely when he was gone. He says Kaya needs "the same structured, regimented," then tapers off his sentence and changes the subject.

Developments

Resurfaced Clips Of Kaya and Hasan Piker

Several other clips of Hasan Piker related to shock collars and his dog Kaya's well-being resurfaced online as the video went viral in early October 2025.

On October 7th, 2025, the official Kiwi Farms X^[3] page, @KiwiFarmsDotNet, posted two clips from Kiwi Farms users. In one, Piker admits to owning a shock collar, but says that he could never use it on his old dog, Fish, also saying they're "incredibly effective."

In the other, a guest on one of his past streams tells him that Kaya's collar is too tight, and he goes to loosen it. Some claim that, in the clip, Piker is about to admit that it's a shock collar, which is why it needs to be tight. However, this is pure speculation.

In another resurfaced clip, Piker is seen dragging his old dog Fish by the tail and threatening to kill him while at what appears to be a dog training session.

Hasan Piker's Initial Statement

Roughly 90 minutes after the clip was posted to the /r/LiveStreamFail subreddit on October 7th, 2025, another clip was posted to /r/LiveStreamFail^[4] from the same ongoing stream. In the video, Piker finds out that the clip is going viral.

He reads a comment claiming that the clip started in Destiny's community, spread to Ethan Klein's community, then went to /r/LiveStreamFail. Piker sarcastically calls himself abusive to the "best trained" dog and claims that she "clipped herself" on something while getting up on the bed.

Purported Evidence of Shock Collar

Many people attempted to prove that Kaya was wearing a shock collar during the stream in early October 2025, including other streamers.

On October 7th, 2025, X^[5] user @MadamSavvy posted a zoomed-in screenshot of Kaya during the stream, circling a portion of her collar, which seems to show a square block on the collar with a green blinking light, indicative of some shock collars. The user writes, "That is a shock collar. Many models have vibrator settings that while not good in field work, can at least be used in the home to get attention. Pairing this with the arm movement, lack of shock at the yelp, yes hasan you zapped your dog so hard she yelped, all because she was trying to get comfortable in her 'place' command," garnering over 15,000 likes in a day.

Shortly after, X^[6] user @Luis808z posted a clip from streamer xQc's livestream in which he investigates the collar, also believing it to be a shock collar, garnering over 9,000 likes in a day.

Hasan's Second Response (October 8th, 2025)

On October 8th, 2025, Hasan Piker went live on Twitch. During the stream, he responded to the allegations of using a shock collar. During the stream, Piker had a message pinned to chat claiming that he uses a collar with an "AirTag and vibration motor" to help train her, not a shock collar. This was posted as a screenshot by X^[17] user @SNSwagger that day.

During the stream, he also claims that Kaya has a very active morning and gets plenty of exercise and attention, which is why she rests so much during streams. He also claims that he isn't sure why she yelped, but that he assumed she tripped or got her dewclaw stuck on the bed. Hasan explains that he doesn't want her to get off the bed because he doesn't want her lying on the floor, as it's bad for her joints.

Hasan reveals he doesn’t use shock-collars on his dog but does have a vibration collar that is used to communicate with her when she’s free roaming at the park or off leashpic.twitter.com/mjU5UcAjUj

— SUAREZ (@suayrez) October 8, 2025

Later, when asked what he was reaching for that some theorized was the "shock button," Piker said he was merely reaching for a can of Zyns, holding up a pack and saying, "What do you think?"

Piker notably showed off the collar during the October 8th stream, which was clipped and posted by X^[18] user @awk20000 that same day, accumulating over 4.4 million views, 5,900 likes and 2,000 replies in a day.

Collar Analysis

After Hasan Piker showed the collar Kaya was wearing on his stream on October 8th, 2025, people began searching for the exact brand of the collar to find out if it really was a vibration collar or if it had shock capabilities. They also began theorizing that Piker had put tape over the back of the collar's device to hide the shock prongs.

On October 8th, 2025, X^[19] user and streamer Dan Saltman (@dancantstream) posted a clip from political streamer Loner Box's stream in which he claimed to find the exact make of the collar and shares the theory that Piker removed the shock contacts or prongs, which is a feature of the collar, then covered them with black electrical tape when showing his stream. He also shows that there's a non-shocking model of the collar, but, according to him, it supposedly isn't a match. The post garnered over 17,000 likes and 1.1 million views in a day.

That same day, X^[20] user @mrphillipchan posted a screenshot of Piker showing off the collar in which he's upped the lighting and contrast on the image to better show what looks like tape covering the prong inserts, writing, "Hasan shocked his dog because the dog is a prop for his streams," garnering over 4,400 likes in a day.

Resurfaced Clip With AustinShow / Leashed to Bed Clip

On October 13th, 2025, Redditor u/GdoDotA posted a clip from one of Piker's old streams with AustinShow to the /r/LivestreamFail^[27] subreddit, garnering over 4,300 upvotes in under a day. In the clip, Piker gives Kaya her "place" command, ordering her to her bed. Some viewers have alleged that Piker reaches across his desk and clicks the button on Kaya's alleged shock collar. Shortly after, she goes to her bed.

On that same day, another clip from an old stream resurfaced where Piker talks about leashing Kaya to her elevated bed to teach her how to "sit in place for hours and hours on end." The video was posted by X^[38] user @dancantstream, gaining over 2,700 likes in under a day.

Sweet n' Sour Podcast Episode Delay

On October 13th, 2025, the team behind the Sweet n' Sour podcast, hosted by streamers Pokimane and LilyPichu, announced to members of their Patreon page that the release of an episode recorded with Hasan Piker was postponed due to the intensity of Piker's "recent drama." The post reads, "We had a serious talk as a crew and we all agreed that it did not feel right uploading tomorrow's episode at this moment in time."

The post was shared by the @Awk20000 X^[28] account that day, garnering over 2,600 likes in under a day.

As the post spread, Pokimane made a post on X^[29] claiming that the team behind her and Lily's podcast never asked them if it was okay to postpone the episode, writing, "sorry guys! we'll talk about everything on this week's episode & go on a hiatus afterwards to restructure." Some commenters wondered if "restructure" meant that they were firing their staff over the incident.^[30]

Online Reactions

The shock collar incident inspired considerable discourse online, including backlash towards Hasan Piker and defense of Piker from his community.

On October 8th, 2025, Redditor u/thrandruill posted an edit to the /r/h3h3productions^[13] subreddit, which claims that Kaya was sleeping on her bed for four hours straight during the stream where Piker allegedly shocked her, the implication being that this is unacceptable, garnering over 1,100 upvotes in under a day.

Defense of Hasan Piker

Dewclaw Defense

Hasan Piker received significant defense from his community, including on the /r/Hasan_Piker subreddit, as the controversy garnered attention in early October 2025.

For instance, on October 7th, 2025, Redditor u/Avocados_number73 posted a screenshot to the /r/Hasan_Piker^[7] subreddit defending Piker, claiming to show that Kaya got her dewclaw caught on the bed as she was jumping back onto it, garnering over 1,400 upvotes in a day.

The post reads, "Dewclaws are typically found on the inside of a dogs leg a bit above their paw. This is a screenshot immediately before the 'yelp'. You can see the area that contains the dewclaw rubs against the bedframe."

Anisa Jomha's Defense

On October 7th, 2025, streamer Anisa Jomha, wife of YouTuber iDubbbz, made a post to X^[25] defending Hasan Piker and attempting to deflect some criticism to Ethan Klein of the H3 Podcast, writing, "Just because Ethan’s a horrible dog owner and can’t train his dogs worth shit doesn’t mean other people are using shock collars," garnering over 1,900 likes in two days.

Sydeon's Defense

On October 13th, 2025, X^[31] user @Awk20000 posted a clip of streamer Sydeon defending Piker from accusations of shocking Kaya. In the clip, she says that e-collar training is common with large breeds, talks about her own experiences with a vibrating e-collar and says that sometimes dogs will yelp at a vibration if they're especially "dramatic."

Valkyrae's Defense & Backlash

On October 9th, 2025, streamer Valkyrae spoke about the controversy during a stream on YouTube.^[32] During the stream she admits that the clip of Piker looks "really bad" and claims she understands why people were concerned, but then says that she "can verify that Kaya is the most loved and spoiled and the most well trained and best little baby" that she's ever been around. She then says, "You would think that this kind of outrage, you would have seen it towards like, the genocide and stuff, but you know, priorities in this world are not where they should be." By "genocide" she is referring to the Hamas-Israel conflict, with many considering Israel's actions towards Palestine as an act of genocide.

The clip of Valkyrae's take was posted to the /r/LivestreamFail^[33] subreddit that day, gaining over 6,400 upvotes and 2,000 comments in four days. Some of the top comments accuse her for using the Hamas-Israel conflict to deflect.

For example, Redditor u/Able-Act4567 commented, "Does standing up for Palestine wash away all your sins or something?" to over 2,000 upvotes. Redditor u/Belthhhhhhh posted, "How dare you talk about [literally anything] while there's a genocide going on," garnering over 5,000 upvotes in four days.

On October 11th, Redditor u/Aromatic-You-2321 posted a clip to the /r/LivestreamFail^[34] subreddit from Valkyrae's YouTube^[35] stream that day where she tells the chat that she reached out to streamers Asmongold and nmplol to ask them how to react or respond to "hate threads," referring to the /r/LivestreamFail thread about her reaction to the shock collar controversy.

On October 12th, Redditor u/thrandruill posted a clip from Valkyrae's YouTube^[36] stream that day to the /r/LivestreamFail^[37] subreddit where Valkyrae apologizes for reaching out to Asmongold for advice, claiming she didn't know enough about him and did a "deep dive" to learn more, garnering over 5,500 upvotes and 1,500 comments in two days. Notably, Hasan Piker is often vocally critical of Asmongold and his political takes.

Criticism of Hasan Piker

Hasan Piker gained significant backlash online over the alleged shocking incident in early October 2025, with some calling for him to rehome the dog and calling him abusive to Kaya.

For example, on October 7th, 2025, X^[8] user @notsoErudite posted another clip from one of Piker's streams in which he kicks Kaya out of the room for wanting attention, writing, "For those insisting its NOT a shock collar. What is he even mad at her for…….? Getting up? […] How many hours a day does Kaya sit in the same position? Is he just treating her like a prop?" garnering over 6,500 likes in a day.

Penguinz0's (Cr1tikal) Criticism of Hasan Piker

On October 8th, 2025, YouTuber^[21] Penguinz0, or Moist Cr1tikal, posted a video covering both the Hasan Piker shock collar allegations and Fandy giving birth on stream. In his section on Piker, he is largely critical, saying that Piker should have just shown the collar during the stream if he wanted to disprove critics. Ultimately, he expresses that Piker appeared to use a shock collar on Kaya, showing the alleged evidence that he taped over the back of the device. The video gained over 1.4 million views in about 12 hours.

Ethan Klein's Criticism of Hasan Piker

That same day, the H3 Podcast hosted a stream on YouTube^[26] reacting to the allegations and criticizing Piker, garnering over 242,000 views in under 24 hours.

Suzanne Lambert's Criticism & Feud Between Taylor Lorenz

On October 8th, 2025, TikToker^[22] and liberal political comedy influencer Suzanne Lambert posted a video criticizing Hasan Piker over the incident, sharing the belief that he shocked his dog and making fun of Piker throughout, garnering over 90,000 views in a day.

That day, independent journalist Taylor Lorenz, who had been defending Piker from the accusations, made a post on X^[23] criticizing Lambert, calling her out for being part of the so-called "Chorus/1630 dark money influence program," claiming she called herself a "Regina George liberal" (a reference to the Mean Girls character) and ultimately suggesting that Lambert's opinion is untrustworthy.

On October 9th, 2025, X^[24] user @Awk20000 posted screenshots of Lambert's Instagram Story, in which she responded to Lorenz. In the posts, she claims that she never called herself a Regina George liberal, clearing up that the Washington Post called her that, then makes fun of Lorenz for her history with the Post.

Lambert continues, attempting to redirect criticism toward Lorenz, claiming that she's the untrustworthy one by pointing out the differences in her calling Lambert "a Regina George liberal" and "the Regina George liberal" in her posts.

Memes

On October 7th, 2025, X^[9] user @Traumvita posted a meme using a clip from Star Wars of Emperor Palpatine using Force Lightning, captioned, "Dog: *stands up* Hasan Piker:," garnering over 38,000 likes in a day.

Later that night, X^[10] user @BoxLoner posted a meme showing Kaya getting cartoonishly shocked in the background of Hasan's stream, garnering over 50,000 likes in a day.

Also on October 7th, X^[11] user @jstlk_ posted a meme depicting Piker as Raiden from Mortal Kombat, known for his electrical powers, garnering over 4,500 likes in a day.

On October 8th, 2025, X^[12] user @lilbabygandhi posted a meme using a clip from The Green Mile of John Coffey about to get executed via electric chair, writing, "Hasan to his dog if she interrupts his stream for 0.5 seconds," garnering over 6,600 likes in under a day.

Also on October 8th, Redditor No_Coyote_3064 posted a Wojak meme about the controversy under the title "Hasan Dog Abuser Picker" to the /r/Asmongold^[14] subreddit, receiving over 2,500 upvotes and 150 comments in seven hours.

#FreeKaya / Free Kaya Hashtag

On October 8th, 2025, as the controversy expanded online, the hashtag "#FreeKaya" began spreading among critics of Hasan Piker, who wanted the dog to be removed from his possession.

For instance, Twitch streamer Tectone posted the hashtag to his X^[15] account on October 8th, receiving over 57,000 views, 3,600 likes, 240 retweets and 70 replies in 22 hours.

That same day, images using the hashtag and phrase emerged, such as one posted by X^[16] user @UltimateClint, garnering over 570 views in a day.

J.D. Vance References Incident

On October 29th, 2025, Vice President J.D. Vance appeared on the Pod Force One with Miranda Devine podcast and notably referenced Hasan Piker and the dog shock collar controversy while he and the host were discussing former President Joe Biden's dog, Commander Biden. The episode was uploaded to the podcast's YouTube^[39] channel that day, garnering over 38,700 views, 3,000 likes and 450 comments in a day.

VP Vance referencing the Collargate controversy quickly sparked discourse and reactions online that day. For example, Twitter / X^[40] user @408romanski posted the clip in a tweet on the 29th, receiving over 1.7 million views, 1,200 likes, 440 retweets and 150 replies in a day.

JD Vance just talked about Hasan Piker and Collargate pic.twitter.com/NcBF72dhEC

— romanski (@408romanski) October 29, 2025

Also on October 29th, Piker's official subreddit, /r/Hasan_Piker,^[41] posted the clip of Vance, with the OP criticizing him and saying, "he sounds ai generated and has the vocabulary of a toddler." The post garnered over 1,900 upvotes and 530 comments in a day.

Later that day, it was then reposted to the /r/LivestreamFail^[42] subreddit, accumulating over 6,000 upvotes and 1,200 comments in a similar timeframe.

Search Interest

External References