Barking (yes, I know...)

[Sandy in CT]

I have to chime in here because I just got this device yesterday afternoon:

I actually have two of those that we got ages ago and I think they are quite effective. I used them with Kooper for incessant barking and use them on occasion with Brodie - Kooper has lost his hearing or at the very least, suffers from male intentional hearing loss as I think there are things he does actually hear. We keep one by hubby's family room recliner and one on the micro. Trick is to not them them see you have it or they react to it, not you. I use the command NO BARK!, push it once, then make sure I have something else in my hands. Our cat goes flying when the button is pushed so it does make some sound. We don't use it all the time but switch things up with treats, strong commands, redirecting just to keep him on his toes.

 

[Sandy in CT]

If they're using them where you are, I'd run from that trainer fast! That is certainly animal cruelty

I love Ann, but I disagree with this comment.

My local trainer for Rally and Agility uses 'choke' collars in their beginning obedience classes. They teach how to use responsibly. My trail trainer is a highly respected dog trainer in NY state. She trains police and Federal bomb and drug dogs. She takes animals in and trains them in her homes. She is so in tune to an animal, amazing to watch. She uses micro-prong collars.

I have one of each, neither are used daily. But when we visit our son in NJ, the micro prong collar is worn. Brodie will rarely move from my side, it is not used to choke, he rarely receives a correction. But I do not have to worry about him lunging, running away, taking off if he hears noise that he hears there in that high traffic area that he is unaccustomed to when away from our very quiet, isolated neighborhood. In that environment, he is actually more relaxed with a prong collar, like he doesn't have a 'job' to do, he just sticks by me. The prong collars she uses are Herm Sprenger and have rounded tips - no points.

I also have slip collars, slip leads - the slip lead is our main leash and used daily. It is a 'choke' collar, IMO, though not metal it is soft cotton.

Any collar can be used responsibly. Any collar can be used irresponsibly. Gotta remember... there are folks that need a warning not to use a hairdryer while in the bathtub. A collar does not equate to irresponsible training with a dog, sheltie or not, it's all in how it is used. Just my .02.

 

[RikyR]

I trained Zulu to walk on a 3 foot lead with a prong collar. The secret is to never pull or jerk the collar. I put my hand in my pocket while holding the lead. That way I could not pull or jerk the collar. When we started the walk, he would pull on the lead and feel the collar. When he did that, I stopped, looked surprised and said "What was that"? It did not take him long to realize that he was causing the collar to pinch. Two days later he was walking at my side with a regular collar. I use a harness now, but I still hold the lead close to my side, and let him set his own pace. If he gets to far ahead of me he feels the pressure and falls back to my side.

 

[Margi]

I actually have two of those that we got ages ago and I think they are quite effective. I used them with Kooper for incessant barking and use them on occasion with Brodie - Kooper has lost his hearing or at the very least, suffers from male intentional hearing loss as I think there are things he does actually hear. We keep one by hubby's family room recliner and one on the micro. Trick is to not them them see you have it or they react to it, not you. I use the command NO BARK!, push it once, then make sure I have something else in my hands. Our cat goes flying when the button is pushed so it does make some sound. We don't use it all the time but switch things up with treats, strong commands, redirecting just to keep him on his toes.

It has been the quietest week since Benson got here. I am amazed. He knows what Quiet! means now. No more barking at the disposal, tv, skillet, dinner getting made, windows/doors opening etc etc. Koko has also learned Quiet at dinner by proxy LOL. I think I pushed the button a total of 5 times in a whole week.
I don't use it outside yet...but I plan to try curing Fillion of his lunging at cars on walks next.

 

[Shelby's mom]

I couldn’t find Cooper, he wasn’t in his usual sleeping spots and the gate was closed so he wasn’t upstairs....hmmm....Cooper??? Nope!! Then I noticed the basement door was slightly ajar and you got it he went in, but in looking around the door had closed more and he couldn’t get out. lol. What the heck?? They certainly do have selective barking!

So true. One year we “lost Shelby” at my in-laws on Christmas. We were looking everywhere, my sister-in-law and her husband were outside running around the neighborhood thinking some how she got out. DH and I were in a panic both in tears........we finally found her, in the shower!!! I guess she walked into the shower and the curtain closed behind her so she just sat there. Didn’t make a sound, even when we were yelling “do you want a treat”, “do you want supper”. We can’t whisper either of this words without her going crazy. But not that Christmas.

Took about 10 years off my life.

 

[Piper's mom]

According to the product description, the max range is 30 ft. I'm going to assume the sound is audible to any dog within range. There are three settings-- just flash light, medium sound, and max sound. I have been using the middle "training" setting. When I hit the button the light flashes as well. This is actually good because I can see how long the device is activated and I am literally hitting it for one second!

Neither Fil nor Koko has shown any adverse reaction to it when I used it on Benson and they were in the room. No crying whining hiding--nothing. They just shut up. Koko also barks at dinner time and after I told Benson Quiet! Koko never made a peep!

Following up on second use on Benson:
He goes crazy barking when I leave the house. The others don't and never did. So I took it with me to the garage door, and he started gearing up for his "Mama's leaving" hissy fit. I said Quiet!, he let out one yip, I hit the button and said Quiet again. He trotted off down the hallway quietly. I went into the garage, left the device on the workbench so I could grab it for the "Mama's home" hissy fit training session. According to my husband, Benson started barking again after I was in the car (I'm betting the garage door going down triggered it) and he couldn't hear the tv. He looked over here at my desk but no device! So he grabbed the Firestick remote, got up and showed it to Benson and he shut right up. LOL.

I grabbed the device when I came back in. I had three calm dogs standing at the garage door. Yes, Benny saw it in my hand For the first time since Benson bonded to me, I came home and he waited with the rest of the family until I put my purse and packages down, then got on the floor to give all three hugs and kisses!

I'm impressed Margi.....but I don't WANT to buy anything else.....and now I may have to! Lol
Seriously though, Finnie is bad for barking when I go out or if he hears a motorcycle go down the street or...or...
And then there's sweet Piper...I tell everyone we meet that he's a social butterfly and he is but at home he's full of sass...barks at me if I even look at him funny and in the yard...well he's the enforcer. How dare people walk by our yard? He races the fence line and then lunges at the gate barking and snarling all the way. I can definitely see some use lol.

 

[Margi]

I'm impressed Margi.....but I don't WANT to buy anything else.....and now I may have to! Lol

Happy to help! (Empty your wallet LOL)
My friend had me order two devices to use on her reactive Airedale rescue. (She plans to leave one in the car) Fence line aggression with the neighbor's dogs is one issue she hopes to address. Looking forward to her report on effectiveness! She just got them yesterday.

 

[Piper's mom]

Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be available here in Canada (eBay does seem to have it, if I'm willing to wait over a month for it to arrive lol) but I can't seem to find it anywhere else. There are several other models on the market (Amazon) but I want to check it out first to see that it's not a cheap knock off.

 

[Caro]

I have numerous ultrasonic devices. They work for about a week and then the dogs don't care. Not sure whether they have gotten better over the years. I did have a vibrating collar that was much more effective, but poor Deska was so scared of it that I stopped using it, the image of a cowering dog is just too much. I didn't want my dogs to live in fear. For Deska, much of his excessive barking I think stemmed from having arthritis from a young age. With Della it's about her anxiety.

Personally would never ever use an adversive device to deal with aggression issues - even fence aggression.

 

[Margi]

Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be available here in Canada (eBay does seem to have it, if I'm willing to wait over a month for it to arrive lol) but I can't seem to find it anywhere else. There are several other models on the market (Amazon) but I want to check it out first to see that it's not a cheap knock off.

I only bought this model because my friend saw the huge change in her friends three dogs with this model. I assume others work, just didn't want to take a chance when I had a personal testimonial.
If the boys regress after a few weeks I will be disappointed, however will not be out a buncha bucks.
Benson seems to being enjoying NOT barking at the disposal and then getting fussed over for being so good LOL I'm trying to replace the negative with a positive. Positive always works better, but as I learned in the classroom, you got to get the kid's attention first so they can listen to you.