pet connection

To be honest, I have no philosophical problem with electronic collars, when they’re used appropriately by people who understand why and how they work. These collars are training tools, something to pull out of a trainer’s tool box to address specific problems.

One example of a specific problem: A dog who won’t quit chasing livestock or killing chickens. Predation is not only a problem for the animals being chased and possibly killed, but the behavior can also be a death sentence for the dog involved. A dog who won’t leave other animals alone may find himself in need of a new home, or may be shot (legally) by a farmer or rancher if the animal gets off his own property and chases someone else’s livestock.

In cases such as these, an electronic collar used by an experienced trainer can change a bad situation.

What I have is an issue with the reality of electronic training. The widespread, ill-informed and unsupervised use of electronic training devices– especially electronic containment systems — is just something I don’t like to see. That makes a handful of companies really unhappy, since I won’t recommend their products to most people, including a new electronic containment system — for cats!  (Electronic collars on cats? People! Just say no!)

Good fences make good doggies, and it’s even possible to put up cat-fencing, too, if you want your indoor cat to have access to the outdoors and won’t consider adding a screened porch or cat enclosure.

Over on A Dog’s Life, dog-trainer Nancy Freedman-Smith writes about a dog who’s likely learning to be aggressive within his electronic containment system — and scaring the bejeebers out of everyone who walks down the street:

Apparently this family just lets the dog out the front door and the she runs the invisible fence line most of the day. This is a recipe for disaster. Not only is the dog practicing unwanted OCD behaviors all day, but one of these days I can guarantee she will charge the wrong dog. Dogs out walking do not understand that the other dogs have invisible boundaries. If the dog on the electric fence gets zapped, over time she will make bad associations with approaching dogs and people, and it will lead to aggression. Notice I didn’t say can, but in this case, I met a time bomb. Legally I am pretty sure that the dog is on city property and technically breaking the leash law.

To make matters worse, she lives on a corner lot!

Had we approached from the other angle and had that dog come running around the corner at us at full speed, as she always does, there may have been a serious dog fight.

Here’s the entire post. For another take on the subject, Dr. Patty Khuly offers up this article from her archives.

Over on Your Pet’s Best Friend, Dr. Everett Mobley mumbles something he regrets while with a client and then writes about it. The resulting post is yet another argument for good, real fences.

Finally, Dr. K (who also has an MBA — the girl knows business!) muses about the growing influence of chains in veterinary medicine — why it’s happening, and what it means for veterinarians, pet-owners and pets. While you’re over there, tell her congrats for providing NPR with a commentary on the Vick situation. Yay!

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