Thoughts on Correction Collars
 

I have a 9 month old puppy who has become a wonderful girl. She has a couple issues that I can't seem to fix. One is barking at everything and the other is not leaving the cat alone for a minute. I was thinking of getting her a correction collar. The kind that has different levels of intensity from just a vibration to a small shock. They also operate with a remote so you can correct the unwanted behaviour when it happens. Just wondering if others here have used them and had good results?

A friend of ours purchased a remote spray mist collar for correction and advised it worked wonders. When correction was needed, a simple push on the remote projected a small mist of water into the pups path. No electric shock or chemicals, just water and it helped with the training process. :thumbs up

I also had the spray collar for my last dog, it was a citronella spray, worked wonderfully while training and after a month I no longer needed it

Before you put a shock collar on your pup I strongly suggest you try it on yourself. I hate those damn things. Your dog may require training, but doesn't likely require a shock collar. A citronella collar may work well enough, but seriously, some good training together would help you a whole lot more. If your puppy is chasing the cat, keep the dog leashed in the house so that you can stop the dog immediately and redirect her to something else.

While some have wonderful successes with such collars, I'd be sure you know what you're getting into and even have a professional trainer show you how to use it properly.

While I'm not adamantly against them, the risk that a dog may shut down after being exposed to one is too high for me. There are other methods that have fewer risks in my opinion.

What you are speaking of is properly called an e-collar, for electronic collar. Modern collars can dispense a sound, a vibration or an electronic stimulus. The term "shock collar" is outdated though you can still find such items. If you find a trainer or retailer referring to "shock collars" I suggest you run the other way as chances are you might be dealing with outdated collars, outdated methods and outdated ideas.

For an update on modern e-collars and a surprising list of endorsements for their use as training devices check out this paper. [url]http://www.friendsofk9.com/documents/The_Facts_About_Modern_Electronic_Training_Devices.pdf[/url]
Surprised the heck out of me, I must admit.

While these collars do operate from a remote it is not an easy thing to operate, to stop your dog chasing the cat, when you are not there. Training with these collars is very specific. Field trial trainers use them all the time and when they are in a trial the dog cannot be wearing the collar. But when they train the dog is back to wearing it again some of the time. In other words I agree that you would need a specialized trainer and I doubt you could rely on the collar to work when you are not there.

Plus you should not leave this kind of collar on for long periods of time and/or with the dog unattended. Note the section in the paper that describes how it is Impossible to burn your dog with the electrical charge but it IS possible to give your dog a contact burn from the points. Similar to a rope burn on your hand when a nylon leash gets ripped across your palm.

I wonder, if as others have suggested, that the water and or citronella collars might be more effective anyway. I do know an agility trainer who has successfully employed the citronella collar to stop barking. I would still be leery of leaving the dog with such a collar on, unattended.

Personally, for me, I would prefer to rely on training. Teaching your dog to bark on cue is a good method for gaining control of the bark. We often use the same method to cue other undersirable actions like jumping and playing keep-away. Ask about this if you don't know how this works.

A good solid LEAVE IT worked for my dog with my cats. Until he matured enough to not chase them when I was not home though, I made sure they had safe places to get to that he could not reach.

Advice is good on the e-collars. I was going to use one, but it takes extensive training. U have a teenage dog, that is even a more difficult age to deal with. Patience and some good training will get you through. Make sure the cat has plenty of high places to run. The novelty will wear off as long as it's not prey drive!

[QUOTE=Dog Dancer;1032889]Before you put a shock collar on your pup I strongly suggest you try it on yourself. I hate those damn things. Your dog may require training, but doesn't likely require a shock collar. A citronella collar may work well enough, but seriously, some good training together would help you a whole lot more. If your puppy is chasing the cat, keep the dog leashed in the house so that you can stop the dog immediately and redirect her to something else.[/QUOTE]

exactly, I trained with her as well as using the collar as a "tool" not a way of life....after a month we no longer needed it.

I have no problems with e collars at all as a training tool, however not all situations IMO need such a tool.
I use e collars for things like solidifying off leash recall at distances with distractions that are almost too tempting to ignore.
I have however spent a lot of time in seminars and with trainers on how to use this tool properly and not have my dogs shut down or be reliant on a collar. If improperly used you can teach the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Also this tool should NOT be used in many situations as the reminder and cues must be with in seconds.
To use an e collar as a "punishment" for a behaviour at the wrong time will do more harm than good.
Same can be said for spray collars or beep collars. If you are marking the wrong behaviour with the collar you are creating one heck of a knot that can be harder to unravel than it would have ever been to take another approach to discouraging the behaviour you were hoping to "fix"
The cat problem could be easily worked on and stopped with teaching a solid "leave it" command, and for the barking, there are many ways of stopping that which doesn't need static, vibrations, sprays or horns IMO