Re: [PyrNet-L] Barking

[Joan Ziehl <joan@ziehl.com>]

I'm sure you will get lots of comments on the shock collar.  I know I
have strong opinions on it.......Perhaps in many cases the shock
collars do work, but on pyrs it does not.  Pyrs are a stoic breed
and do not show pain.  You would have to crank it up to almost
the highest level in order to achieve your desired result.

If any of us heard of any dogs that were being chained, tied up,
abused, beat or neglected, we would react.  To me personally,
a shock collar is being abused.

Not all dogs are alike; I realize that some pose more challenges
than others to train, but I firmly believe that you can train your
dog by other methods than by going to a shock collar right away.

Can you use the money you would have spent on the shock collar
instead with a professional trainer?  Or an indoor run?

A breeder friend of mine told me a story of one of her puppy buyers
putting a shock collar on her puppy in a crate--she hung up the phone
and immediatly got in the car and went to the house and took the
dog back.   It seems that when the dog barked in the crate they would
zap him.  Can you imagine how cruel that was?  The breeder
immediately put another line in her puppy buyer contract that stated
a shock collar could never be used on the dog at any time in their lives.

I guess I don't see shock collars as a  viable alturnative.

Joan
Our Dog Bleu
http://www.ourdogbleu.com

>     Not to start the controversy on the issue again; but from what I've read
> here, and from talking to a friend of mine at work; I'm told these
> anti-barking shock collars work.   I had purchased a similar collar at
> Walmart that only emits a high pitched sound whenever the dog barks for more
> than 3  seconds.  We have a small mixed shetland, and a pyr, my problem at
> the time was with the shetland so I tried this on her.  At first it did have
> an effect although it never totally stopped the barking, but after about 2
> weeks she just became used to it, and it had no effect. I had my first
> complaint from a neighbor last week, I've done some research and I'm
> seriously considering trying the shock collar myself.   If the barking
> becomes a problem with your neighbors, you may want to consider this as well.
> I simply consider this a personal decision, not a moral one.
>
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