[Dailydrool] dogfights and shock collars: Caveat

[Beverly Szaton]

This is something I am sure you are all well aware of: in a dog fight, or
with multiple dogs, one or two of whom may be reactive, using a shock collar
can be exceedingly risky, since one dog may well believe the other dog is
responsible for the shock, and it may escalate the situation into a
seriously dangerous problem.

I use one on one dog at a time and none of my Bassets are reactive. I have
never use it on Cooper who, being a Belgian, is not only fairly reliable
under command but would go completely mad-- he would NEVER understand what
was happening, he would be confused and terrified. It would be cruel.

Nigel has never thought the other dogs were responsible for his very mild
shocks, even when he was in extremely close quarters with them. He MIGHT if
they were fighting over food, but for barking he simply thinks some
mysterious force (another: in his life there are many, including me) has
tapped him once again, and he moves away.

Shock collars are not for excessively nervous, reactive dogs. They are not
meant for use without someknowledge of how they work and why, and never on
an untrained dog.
Know your dog. Rescue dogs with "baggage" may not be good candidates. These
dogs I have I have known virtually all their lives.

I have a friend who used a shock collar on her unmentioned breed of dog for
getting into the garbage. Unfortunately she did not really know how the
collar worked, and when she used it her Beagle was nearby and the first dog
instantly turned and killed the Beagle.

MomPerson from Nigel, Llewis, Mitchell and Cooper
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