Shock Collars for dog training

[AndyF]

I'm trying to get my dog to stop chasing the chickens and a friend has recommended a shock collar. Anyone have experience with them and did it work OK?

I need something which will get the dog's attention as soon as she starts to chase the chickens. Now, it often takes me a minute to get to her after she has started to chase, and once she starts chasing, she doesn't respond quickly to a verbal command.

[GaryM]

I used one to cure my dog from digging under the fence. Wasn't proud of it but it seemed the best at the time.

I'd turn the coller unit on when I let her out. Watched carefully and as soon as she started pawing at the fence gave her a shot.

Had her pretty much under control after a week or so. But kept the unit on her for a while longer.

Be careful as the prongs that deliver the shock can rub on the skin and cause sores. Need to not have the coller on the dog all the time. She rubbed some sore spots on her neck that took a while to heal. Felt bad about that. My fault for not keeping a closer eye on her skin.

Need to keep an eye on the dog as correction needs to be applied as soon as the bad behavior is started, not a few minutes later.

[Gatorboy]

How about getting invisible fencing? Then you won't have to be the one doing the shocking.

[Hank]

We use them for training all sorts of things. Their biggest attributes are that they deliver a correction that is unpleasant, but not harmful, and that they animal does not associate the correction with you.

You are correct that you need to shock them just as soon as you see the behavior begin.

Another thing to note, is to put the collar on an hour before you intend to use it, and leave it on for an hour afterwards. This keeps the animal from becoming "collar aware". If you don't do this, they will learn that they can get away with the behavior when the collar is off.

You should shock yourself in the palm so you know exactly what it feels like to them.

We have used them on various breeds and indviduals for digging, barking at night, chasing deer or groundhogs (for a working dog that works off lead), and here in AZ they use the collars for "snake breaking" (teaching aversion to rattlesnakes).

[Stoneheartfarm]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
You should shock yourself in the palm so you know exactly what it feels like to them.


[/ QUOTE ]

Dogs don't have palms.
[img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Steve

[ljh2]

A friend of mine used a 'bark' activated one to train his Australian Shepherd who was an incessant barker. It worked and she seems none the worse for wear.

Larry

[fivestring]

<font color="blue">"Dogs don't have palms." </font color>

Correct.
But, Florida and California do!!!! [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[fivestring]

<font color="red">"You should shock yourself in the palm so you know exactly what it feels like to them." </font color>

Hank, our Police Dept. tried to use reasoning like that when we got pepper spray and tasers. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
My response was, "Are you gonna shoot me too, so I know what a bullet feels like?" [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Some things you can just take for face value.
They told us what the response would be to pepper spray and tasers and that response was good enough for me! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Hank]

<font color="purple"> Hank, our Police Dept. tried to use reasoning like that when we got pepper spray and tasers </font color>

My wife's dept. had their officers "experience" both pepper spray and batons. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Also, as a K-9 handler, she has to take her turn playing bad guy, wearing the bite sleeve.

My suggestion for the e-collar (to shock yourself) is more to salve the human's conscience, that they are not being cruel to the dog. Yes it's unpleasant, but it falls short of physical harm. Also, some of the better models (from TriTronics) are adjustable, and this helps you determine a setting for your particular dog, taking into account the thickness of their coat and their personality.

[Stoneheartfarm]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Dogs don't have palms."

Correct.
But, Florida and California do!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Steve