My Pet World: My dog is being a 'picky' eater. What do I do?
As a lifelong dog owner, I have found that training works best when calm, confident, and authoritative commands are clearly articulated. Using a shock collar seems unnecessary, ineffective, and cruel. Please give your view on this device.
— True, Hamden, Connecticut
Dear True,
I don't recommend shock collars for the same reasons, and I'm sorry if I missed an opportunity to comment on them. Training is about building a trusting relationship between a dog and their human, and that only happens over time and with positive reinforcement.
Yes, it can take longer to train a dog using positive reinforcement, but it builds a relationship that will last a lifetime.
Another problem with shock collars, or any negative reinforcement, is that they could result in the dog developing fears or aggression over what they may consider to be the source of the shock. If used, for example, to control barking, the dog could think it’s the stray dog passing by, the kid on the bike, or the delivery person dropping something at the door that is the source of the shock, since he is barking to alert on those occasions.
I know people use invisible fences and that the collar may be more of a buzz than a shock these days, but it's worth noting that electric fences do nothing to prevent stray dogs, cruel people, or other animals from passing over the invisible line and into the dog's yard. And they don't always keep dogs in their yards if they really want to get to something. I was attacked by two dogs who ran through their invisible fences to get to me and my dog as we walked by their yard.
Positive reinforcement and relationship building are all that’s needed to train our canine friends.
Dear Cathy,
Here’s another psychic dog story: Our terrier mix, Sammy, was extremely loyal to me and never failed to greet me at the door when I arrived home. My husband said that Sammy would always get up and go to the door long before my (extremely quiet) Prius was in the subdivision.
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