Monday, November 10, 2008

Soliciting doggie bark advice.

Soliciting doggie bark advice.

I got home after seeing Zack and Miri Make a Porno* Sunday night and arrived to find an anonymous note taped to my door. It was a very polite anonymous letter from one of my neighbors complaining about Betty. I'm guessing it's a new tenant and it appears they are home during the days, and Betty is still barking. She had been getting better, especially after I decided to stop crating her in hopes that would decrease her anxiety level, but I guess she's slipping again?

So I've decided that it is time to try an anti-bark shock collar. Nothing else seems to have worked, and while I've been avoiding doing something like this, maybe it's time to just give it a try. Citronella spray collars don't work -- she figured out that they run out after 12-15 blasts, so she'll just bark and suffer through those to empty the collar's canister -- so I need to try something different. Has anyone out there used an anti-bark shock collar before? If so do you have one you would recommend, or do you have a compelling argument why they should NOT be used? I've been doing some research and it doesn't seem like they actually harm your dog, they just offer a little negative reinforcement not unlike techniques you use when training your dog in a controlled class and pull on their leash to snap their training collar, right?

*I'll write about Zack and Miri Make a Porno later, by the way.

No comments: