Dear friends. I have no intention of getting into a pissing contest about the various uses of devices and methods when it comes to dog training, I think to each his own. I myself am a very tolerant person and I also hold back from criticizing until I have the full picture. I try to be careful in the use of English words since its not my mother tongue . Its easy to speak only in black or white when using a foreign tongue. I am however, not in the least tolerant when it comes to hurting animals or to be cruel in any shape or form but... I have been training dogs now for close to 50 years and many things have changed over the years. We have gained a much greater understanding of what to do and what not to do. For example, my very first OWN dog was a Rottweiler. Surely many would criticize my parents for allowing me such a difficult, dangerous dog when I could have had a ShiTzu...... But instead I was allowed to learn and understand with the help of knowledgeable trainers. Back then we gave the dog a command he had to obey. Today we give a cue.... That shows well how training today focuses much more on cooperation between the animal and the trainer. Like during a theater play the actor is given a cue to tell him when its his turn to perform. In the same manner we have learned to use clickers and positive reinforcement...we dont beat our dogs into submission but we strive to establish love and a WANT to collaborate from the dog. My father was beaten on his knuckles because he was left handed and was forced to learn to write with his right hand. That was acceptable 75 years ago but would today most likely lead to suspension for the teacher... Times change, methods change..and mostly for the better! It is my firm belief that , as we say in Italian you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar... In other words, you always obtain more with kindness than with being harsh....and I also firmly believe that, even for a dog, the heart is the seat of motivation so as trainers we must find a way to reach the heart of the subject we train, in order for him to WANT to work with us! In order to be able to do this we have to be PHYSICALLY present..so, unfortunately ....there are times and situations in which we have to resort to solutions that are not obvious, that might not be our first choice. I would love to live in the countryside with no neighbors as far as I could see. Unfortunately that is not possible right now. So as I live in an environment where I have to 1) show respect for my neighbors 2) make sure the police doesnt get involved because then I could face the prospect of LOSING my dogs and they could face a fate MUCH WORSE than having a buzz on their neck. I am FORCED to chose methods that are not an obvious choice. Its also obvious that before even using an e collar I 1) test it on myself to determine the strength and I come to the conclusion that when I have the collar on and I scream it delivers, not a shock but a buzz, similar to what I would feel if I held my husbands electrical razor to my neck! 2) its also obvious I try this collar on the dog for the first time when I AM HOME in order to monitor the reaction. When I see that the reaction is a little yelp, no doubt from astonishment much more than from discomfort...Lucas yelps when he farts and I deduct its not from pain but from...astonishment..!.....I then I use the collar for a couple of hours which has so far been enough for these dogs to connect the barking to the buzz. Thats it! Next time I put the collar on, and its always turned OFF when I leave, it REMINDS the dog that barking with the collar on is not a good choice..and he stays quiet! End of story. No abuse, no pain.... And again, lets have the intelligence and the maturity to distinguish the joyful, playful barking...the chasing and the screaming...from the senseless yodeling of a pissed off dog that feels he should never be left alone. Just as I enjoy listening to a child laughing and screaming when they run and play..but when they throw themselves on the floor at the supermarket, kick their legs and have a tantrum..well, then I most surely do not stand back and accept such a behavior! My dogs are loved to bits, they are spoiled rotten and they are catered to in EVERY sense. I give them the best I can as far as exercise, medical help, food is concerned. Last year I spend 8000 Euros on saving Lucas ....there are few things I would not do for my dogs. BUT they are also required to behave. They have rules. And one of those rules is that when we , occasionally, go out and leave them for an hour or two they shall bloody well shut up. So no, I dont think its disgusting to use an e collar in a correct way. Disgusting is to debark a dog, to keep it in a crate for 8 hours when the owner is working. Disgusting is to with hold information regarding your dogs health, pretend a stiff neck never happened and breed from such an element or to bring fifteen healthy dogs to the vet to be euthanized becuase youre moving....disgusting is to force your dog into inactivity because youre a lazy so and so..or to shove a litter of newborn , unwanted puppies in THE FREEZER...now THAT is disgusting! So let us please try and use a bit of common sense, some intelligence before jumping to conclusions and freely criticizing . Find out the whole picture, understand the why behind a certain choice..now THAT would most certainly pave the way for a greater understanding and afford an opportunity for us all to learn, in a positive way, from each other . Thank you.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 21:50:25 +0000
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