i'm trying to find a shock collar/electronic trainer/whatever you'd like to call it, that works as a remote trainer and for bark control.

any advice on electronic trainers that is helpful would be great, also.

i'm not totally set on using one just yet, but i want to explore all of my options.

12/27/2007 3:44:50 PM

I'm gonna put one on my dogs weiner for when he pisses in the house.

12/27/2007 3:51:24 PM

DO NOT use a shock collar. there are so so so many other ways to train a dog. talk to someone with experience training animals OR a vet. a shock collar is what lazy people who want a "easy" way to train an animal resort to. don't use one. if you don't have the time to train your dog, then don't get one. seriously---there are lots of other methods. investigate those and talk to people with experience before you get one.

if you do use an electronic training method use one that deals with noise or something...not a shock.

[Edited on December 27, 2007 at 4:59 PM. Reason : sadfa]

12/27/2007 4:58:41 PM

so whats wrong with the shock collars?

12/27/2007 5:10:18 PM

this is why we have vets, google, and other mechanisms for researching. look up the literature on them. i guess there are pros maybe...but there seem to be more cons. i mean if you are going to shock an animal i would hope you'd at least attempt to read up on it first

12/27/2007 5:18:47 PM

yay for jumping to conclusions!

yay for assuming shit!

12/27/2007 5:21:21 PM

Quote :

"i mean if you are going to shock an animal i would hope you'd at least attempt to read up on it first "

If you are going to jump in here and tell him what not to do I would hope you'd at least attempt to back up your commands with some facts/reasons/etc.

12/27/2007 8:16:28 PM

it was for whoever asked why no shocking. that is why they make things for you to do researchhhhhhhh.

and see the post above that one i did make suggestions, read, talk to vets, trainers, etc.

also mentioned there were pros and cons but seemed to be more cons (IMO).

12/27/2007 8:47:33 PM

I installed underground dog fences for a few years, a few years back and we sold the bark collars and the remote controlled collars. They are a SAFE effective way to correct/train a dog. BUT it can be abused and dogs CAN be over corrected and turn out crazy.


The "shock" is closer to a static shock that you would get walking across carpet and touching someone than it is to sticking your finger in a socket. It is not electrocuting them

12/27/2007 10:09:18 PM

i used to work at a vet. there are just some nasty side effects that can come from it. which is why it is important to read up and investigate and ask questions to the right people (an actual vet or dog trainer). i mean there are other effective ways to train a dog.

12/27/2007 10:16:13 PM

k pretend there is no such thing as google or the internet and post information to backup that statement

12/27/2007 10:20:13 PM

^^ is your bf out of town? You seem to have a lot of pent up frustration.

12/27/2007 10:20:55 PM

Ok. Hereeee we go. The Humane Society of the US is "squarely against" the use of so-called shock collars in routine training, but does not address their implementation in underground fencing. the AVMA has not made a policy statement regarding these collars. some say electric shock devices are curel when used in an anti-bark manner because the dog suffers twice, once from the zap and once from the anxiety that caused them to bark in the first place. some vets say shock collars aren't a viable approach to training (this is why it is important to talk to a vet). there is some discrepancy about whether the shock in collars used for the electric fencing and the ones used for anti barking are the same strength. a lot of stuff says that the ones for anti barking are stronger. some reports of dogs getting hurt/burned by the collars. some vets endorse collars that spray citronella instead of shocking. citronella apparently is unpleasant to animals so it deters them without the shock. i've also read about things that produce high pitch noises to deter dogs (again, instead of a shock collar). this is more on the animal cruelty front.

as far as side effects:
can cause unnecessary pain and distress for the animal, a dog experiencing a shock will associate it with whatever the dog was focusing on at the time (this is somewhat the point, but not exactly---it basically means if the dog is barking, he may not understand that the shock is meant to deter him from barking. he may be looking at a child, or barking because he wants water, etc). so if the dog is in a certain area of the yard/house when shocked he may become afraid of that area which can lead to aggression. or if a child is around when the dog is shocked he may become aggressive toward children.

i guess the main thought is that you should investigate WHY your dog is barking. and the point is that there are other alternative and equally effective methods of training. as an owner, i would rather go with a less intrusive but equally effective method.

i guess a lot of the new literature strays away from the use of shock collars (which used to be widely accepted). but it generally says that they should ONLY be used by a trained professional and that they are not suggested for personal owners (because of misuse, etc). this is just what the articles say. there are a lot of articles. i mean the fact that vets may disapprove of the method would be a significant factor for me, that is why i recommended speaking with a vet first.

[Edited on December 27, 2007 at 10:40 PM. Reason : sigh: is that better? i tried. i just didn't feel like typing before]

12/27/2007 10:39:29 PM

Discovery channel is running Dog Whisperer marathons. Just watch that and you don't need all these fucking gadgets

12/27/2007 10:41:34 PM

^ haha

12/27/2007 10:44:43 PM

have you ever watched a dog get shocked by a shock collar? they know EXACTLY where its coming from.

both of my dogs have shock collars, and i did this after i spent hundreds of dollars at obedience classes for them, had run ins with my neighbors regarding their barking, and one neighbor called animal control on us because he liked to sleep with his windows open.

now, the batteries are dead in the collars but the dogs are aware that the extra weight of that collar means they could get that shock, so they know better. i don't leave it on them, i only put it on them when necessary, etc. there's a LOOOONG list of instructions that come with shock collars to prevent injury to your animal.

i recommend them, at least for us, because it worked.

12/27/2007 10:44:45 PM

^ i'm just talking about the research and what vets have said. never said they couldn't work. they CAN cause side effects. i'm sure the instructions provide you with that warning. however, there are other methods (besides the usual obedience classes) that can work. again a vet is prob the best place to start!! i would also not want to resort to using a shock collar on my dog, but that is a personal preference. i mean i'm sure people that are investigating the use of them are clearly attempting to be aware of what they are doing so i doubt that the collars would be misused. i'm just saying that there is a high potential for misuse, and that people should be aware of all the options and potential effects before they invest in a particular method

also: i never said the dogs wouldn't know where the shock was coming from; just that they may associate the shock with things in the environment that were unintentional. ie like the example of the child. yes, they may know where the shock is coming from, but they may associate it with the wrong thing.

[Edited on December 27, 2007 at 10:49 PM. Reason : edit]

12/27/2007 10:47:41 PM

^


you got spunk.. I like that.

12/27/2007 10:54:53 PM

thanks i try!! i mostly just like picking up whatever side people are going to argue against

12/27/2007 10:57:33 PM

Thats usually how TWW works

12/27/2007 11:14:11 PM

12/28/2007 12:00:47 AM

Quote :

"some vets endorse collars that spray citronella instead of shocking."

You had my attention up until this line.

12/28/2007 2:11:31 AM

my brother had a blue heeler (most stubborn breed of dog ever) one time that he had to train with a shock collar. it worked pretty well until he figured out that the shocks were coming from the collar; then every time you used it, he'd flip out and spend the next five minutes trying to get it off. he was a smart little bastard if nothing else

12/28/2007 2:31:52 AM

I was just trying to generate meaningful discussion. I don't have a shock collar.

I have found if I get pissed off and yell loud enough my dog complies.

12/28/2007 2:55:12 AM

Cesar Millan was an illegal immigrant. Kick his ass out.

12/28/2007 4:18:02 AM

I bought a shock collar for my dog's barking and it seemed okay for awhile... Then I put it on my roommate when he passed out at the toilet at a party. Just 1 shock. He didn't like it too much. It was probably just a bad brand though. I am not against shock collars.

I went to PetSmart and asked one of the trainers there, (I always use their doggy daycare deal), what a non-shock method was. I ended up getting a collar that sprays a pungent odor whenever the dog barks. That worked very well. Only used when taken on walks, just so she wouldn't bark at joggers.

A cop in my apartment complex trained her to bark when she heard noise at night. That worked out very well too. Thwarted 1 burglary attempt and 1 time that my drunken neighbors tried to come start a party at my apt at 6am.

12/28/2007 4:53:17 AM

Quote :

"i guess the main thought is that you should investigate WHY your dog is barking. "

my dog barks at everything. she barks at the mailman, my neighbors, my neighbor's dogs (who actually bark more than she does), anyone walking down the street, noises, squirrels, rabbits, my cats, cars, my neighbors 2 houses down, my other dog, whenever she hears another dog in the neighborhood barking, etc.

she stays with my other dog in my fenced in backyard while i'm at work. my total lot is 2/3rds an acre, my backyard makes up 75% of that...so...1/2 an acre? they have plenty of room to run, lots of toys/balls/sticks to play with. plus they can run up and down the fence all day long w/ my neighbor's 2 jack russell terrors (and their 2 puppies who are outside occasionally).

while in the house she barks at noises, anybody she can see from the front door if i accidentally leave the big door open, the tv, nothing.

while i am thankful she is barky...being that i live by myself and i know if i hear a noise at night and she's not worried, then i'm not worried...it gets annoying.

i'm going to enroll her in training either at petsmart or another trainer here in town. she's very obedient otherwise so sit/stay/shake are not the things we need to work on.

12/28/2007 8:44:42 AM

According to the folks at Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine khcadwal
is correct.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/chronicle/96/6.6.96/barking.html

I've heard good things about this one too.

[Edited on December 28, 2007 at 10:48 AM. Reason : khcadwal]

12/28/2007 10:47:35 AM

if i decided to use a citronella collar, is my dog going to smell like citronella?

i'm thinking i'm not going to use a collar of any sort (besides her regular one w/ her name on it ), but i'm curious if the dog will end up smelling like whatever it is you spray in its face.

12/28/2007 11:56:05 AM

^ haha i was thinking about the citronella thing to after i read it. well. who knows really. i guess with the citronella maybe its smells bad to dogs and not others? but then you have a good point with the odor thing...i wonder if it does make the dog keep smelling.

12/28/2007 12:01:49 PM

just beat the damn dog when it starts to bark

12/28/2007 3:18:29 PM

$50 says your dog just needs more exercise.

12/28/2007 3:32:03 PM

At least you have your own place so the barking is only annoying you. Most people I know that have used a shock collar do so because a rental company has threatened them to fix the problem immediately because of complaints. A lot of dogs whine and bark the entire time the owner is not home. This is one reason (in a long list) why apartments hate on dogs. You shouldn't really own many types of dogs (especially large dogs) until you have your own place.

A shock collar is a pretty fast way to fix the barking problem when compared to other methods in a situation like this. The only shitty thing is they can be shocked with many collars if they move wrong and aren't barking.



[Edited on December 29, 2007 at 5:13 AM. Reason : .]

12/29/2007 5:06:53 AM

advice - I read about an anti-barking device that send out high pitched noises (that the dog can hear & not humans) whenever a dog barked for a certain amount of time. you aim it into the backyard (or your neighbors backyard ) and the dog will learn to associate the annoying high pitched noise with its barking and will quit. Sounded like a humane way to correct the behavior.



I wish I remembered where I read about the product. I want to buy one and aim it at my neighbors house. They leave their poor dog outside all day (tied on a short rope) and it just barks and barks and barks... at everything and nothing! Luckily they bring it in at night (around 11pm or so) but I can hear it most of the day and is really rattling my nerves and I'm afraid it's going to start waking up my newborn once she moves from the bassinet to her crib (closest room to the barking dog). Why have a dog if all you do is leave it tied up outside and neglect it? It's obviously miserable. And there is always someone home - they just ignore the dog.

I'm an animal lover as everyone knows and have 3 dogs of mine and in the past always had fosters but my dogs have never been a nuisance. If they bark while outside I bring them in and they know I'm not pleased.

/rant

I have no experience with shock collars. Have heard good things about the citronella collars. Have you tried squirting it with a water gun? Obviously only works when you're home...

12/29/2007 11:17:43 AM