[Dailydrool] Shock collars

[dpmcquade at juno.com]

I had to weigh in on this topic. Please be aware that not all hounds are the same. Some hounds simply will not deal well with shock collars, even on a very low dose. If I used a shock collar on our Abner, I would destroy him psychologically. He's a very tender soul, and even a bottle of water sprayed at him is too much. He becomes deeply offended very easily. 

Abner has had his aggression issues since his back surgery. We have dealt lovingly with them, and he has improved greatly. Just recently I had to give him eye and ear medication, and I was really fearful. At first, he would not let me. But when the pain got bad enough and I found the right way to deal with him, he gave in. He got to the point where I could do it, if not with ease, without danger. Now that I've learned the trick, I should be able to do it when I need to. And the experience has also made Abner trust me more, improving things in general.

I think a lot of dealing with an aggressive dog is finding the thing that works. To me, it must be gentle, especially if you have a dog who has been through a lot emotionally. The human must be firm, but not harmful. And if you have to handle a dog, it has to be very quickly, if a bite is a possibility. You also have to know when to back off. Some days, I'm just not up for all that. But on my brave days, I have found methods that really work. And one of them, for Abner, has been treats as a distraction.

Though I don't like it, Abner still wears a leash at all times. He does not like having a leash attached to his harness, and I do not want more bites. Our behaviorist didn't have a solution for this problem. Right now I'm not sure Abner would bite, since he has made such progress, but I am not taking a chance either. The only time I can change his leash without trouble is when he's going down the ramp to our front yard. But we don't have a fence and I can't risk his escaping, so he cannot go leashless yet. (But I would definitely think twice about leaving a leash on a young dog, especially one with a collar on.)

Balance gentleness and care with firmness, and I believe there are many creative solutions. I'm still looking for one on the leash situation. I know it's out there. I just haven't found it.

I have only one caveat. Abner is not as seriously aggressive as some dogs. Now that he's completely healed from his surgery, he does not attack without warning. Before his surgery he was very sweet. I think how you deal with things depends on how much innate aggressiveness you have to deal with and what causes it. All kinds of problems can cause aggression, and it's best to become aware of what triggers it. For example, if it is behavioral, you may be able to change things with training, especially if you've already figured out how the hound's mind works. But if it's a physical problem, that could require medical care, and all the training in the world will not sway it. Abner only gets aggressive about things that relate to his surgery--he had serious problems being handled, because he felt as if the folks who dealt with him after the surgery had abused him (I'm not saying they did, but that's the way he felt). His tender spirit was deeply offended at any pain, so after he came home from the vets' he would not let me handle him, especially in areas he associated with the surgery. He was just afraid of pain.

It's been a year and a half, and I think Abner's finally beginning to feel loved again. So he's now willing to let me touch him more. Security (or lack of it) may be a big factor in aggression.

If you pay attention to a rescue dog's aggression patterns, you may be able to learn what happened. I've had our dogs' behavior tell me the most amazing things about their former lives, to the point where I feel as if I know quite a bit of what went on.

Of course, especially if children are involved, slaves need to be very careful. When kids are around, I am always right on top of Abner. They do not get to touch him, even if he seems friendly. Caution is a good thing that will not hurt man or beast.

I understand that some aggression issues might lead one to use a shock collar, but I think it should be a last option, not the first. Before I recommended that, I would recommend time with a good behaviorist who uses gentle methods. Abner made great strides when we followed a behaviorist's advice. It was well worth the money. And I would rather use medication than a shock collar.

I understand what Bev said about not regretting losing her aggressive dog. I've felt that way with Abner. I think people take it very personally when a dog bites, especially if they are the the one bitten. We tend to feel that we treat this dog well, and we're being betrayed. If we can get beyond that and work with the dog successfully, we can turn those feelings around, but it can be a long, difficult road. And I recognize that for some dogs, like Bev's, even with best efforts, it may never happen.

But the situation that first brought up this issue did not seem to me serious enough to require a shock collar. There are many methods that are gentler, and I'm sure Droolers have privately recommended some.

I don't pretend to have answers to all aggression issues, but these are a few ideas that have helped me. I hope they help a few folks out there in Drool Land too.
Pam, with Drew, food slave to the Dashing Bassets
 
_____________________________________________________________
Win the battle of the bulge with great liposuction solutions. Click now!
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2121/fc/Ioyw6i3nELSepIYt0thLAFQy5jV4lFlp3y5HGboahBEMoIENT71YKE/?count=1234567890