Typical of a lot of dogs, Jet loves to swim and there is a lake near Ted’s house. Unfortunately, the lake is home to two alligators that would love to have a nice dog for lunch. Ted’s biggest concern is that Jet will escape and not come back when called. Being a Doberman, he is very fast and most humans can not catch him.

Electronic Dog Collar?

To help him retrieve his dog safely, Jet’s professional dog trainer recommended that Ted purchase an electronic dog collar (these used to be known as a dog shock collar) along with additional training time. This time will be spent off-leash so Jet will learn to respond to commands while being several yards away from his pack leader.

What is an electronic dog collar, and more importantly, is it dangerous? During my research, I found people with opinions both for and against the collars. Some advocates say that electronic dog collars, when used properly, are very safe.

Around 30 years ago, when the dog shock collar was introduced, they only had one setting, shock, which could only be adjusted from the collar. These original units had a controller that would shock the dog whenever a button was pressed. It was a “one shock fits all” solution regardless of the size of your dog. Of course, a small dog would feel the shock much more profoundly than a 120+ pound dog.

Like many things, the technology in an electronic dog collar has improved over the decades. Now collars have several levels of adjustment including a high-pitched beep, vibrate, and up to 100 levels of shock. According to the manufacturers, you should put the collar on your dog and start at level 0. Slowly increase the level of shock until you see some sort of response from your dog and then leave that as your maximum level. Since different sized dogs will notice more or less shock, this will allow the level to be customized for each animal.

So why doesn’t everyone use an electronic dog collar?

According to advocates, who include some professional dog trainers, they are safe when used properly. This is a matter of debate. Some trainers ask why you even need to shock a dog. If you use positive reinforcement, you will get much better results. There is also the concern of a dog owner getting angry and abusing the ability to shock their pet. This, without a doubt, is cruelty and should never be tolerated. Please note that even the advocates for these collars say they must be used properly for them to be safe.

Jet Unleashed

Let’s get back to my friend Ted for a minute. What does he want to accomplish using an electronic dog collar? I’ve known Ted for a number of years and without a doubt, he would not intentionally hurt Jet no matter how mischievous the dog is being. Ted wants to be able to spend time with his dog off-leash in open areas away from people. This way Jet can run and release some of the energy that he builds up during the day.

In order for this to happen, Ted needs to know that Jet will follow his commands while off-leash. Otherwise, there is simply too much risk that Jet will start running and get away. Like most dogs, he does not understand the dangers Ted wants to protect him from. With an electronic dog collar with a one mile radius, Ted hopes that once Jet is properly trained, a simple high-pitched beep or vibrate will be enough to get his dog to return to him.

Picture this scene for example. You are taking your faithful friend out for a walk, you have him on the lead and you may think you have him under control, but he suddenly sees a cat and pulls away from you with a sudden jerk. Because he is so powerful, unless you are pretty strong yourself, he is either going to get away from you or possibly pull your arm out of its socket, if you keep tight hold of his lead!

OK, that may be a pretty extreme example but it certainly could happen. So what is the answer? An English Bull Terrier harness of course! You may be surprised to find out that there are harnesses specifically designed for these strong, stocky dogs. They usually come in hard-wearing leather and are adjustable in a number of ways to ensure a perfect fit. An once you’ve made the necessary adjustments, it is actually very easy to slip the harness on the dog , secure it with the simple buckle and then attach the lead.

If you go shopping for such a harness, be sure to get one that is made from good quality, strong leather, but that is still supple and flexible. After all, you don’t want your pet to be in any discomfort. make sure the design is such that it restrains him not on the neck and throat but on the shoulders.

Get one of these harnesses for your dog and it will make taking him out for a walk a much more pleasurable experience and may save you from injuring your own shoulder!

When it comes to kennel training a dog, the earlier in his or her life it is done the better. However, this does not mean that one cannot kennel train an older dog, only that it may take more time. Positive reinforcement is the key to ensuring that your dog grows to love her kennel. Do not punish her for being resistant to sleeping there at first, and do not send her there as a punishment. Instead, use an encouraging tone of voice and treats to coax her in until she feels more at home.

Another way to ensure that your dog’s kennel is as serene as possible is to find a good place for it in your home. If a kennel is placed in a busy area, it will undermine the feeling of safety that it is meant to provide. Make sure that the temperature of the kennel does not fluctuate too much. Avoid putting it near windows, heaters or air conditioners. The most important thing that owners can do to prepare a kennel is to ensure that it is a stable, quiet environment.

Increasing your pet’s comfort with dog kennels should be a part of any training regimen. Not only will you dog be happier in your home, she will be better prepared for boarding or overnight stays when necessary.

Post provided by Dog Kennels Co

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There are three types of anti bark collars you can choose from.  One shocks your dog, the second sprays citronella into your dog’s face, and the third emits an ultrasonic noise.

We are going to talk about the third one.

This ultrasonic emits a high pitched noise that humans cannot hear but dogs can.  It is really annoying and can get them to stop their excessive barking immediately.

You can get them attached to a collar or by themselves.  The ones that you can buy stand alone, look kind of like a small birdhouse you can place in the middle of your home.  They even make ones you can place outside to stop your neighbors dog from barking (love this!).

The ones that come attached to the collar are able to be purchased with two features.

You can buy one with noise detection and one with remote controlled access.

The collar with the noise detection released the ultrasonic pitch as soon as it detects sustained barking over a certain noise decimal.

If you buy the one with remote controlled access then you decide when the sound is emitted.

Personally, I like the remote one the best.  Quite frankly, sometimes I do not mind when my dog barks and sometimes I do.  I would like to have control when the machine is activated.

You know the machine is working because it will either start beeping or a light will come on.  You need to check the batteries weekly because they do run out and unlike the other two bark collars it is not always apparent when it has run out of juice.

These ultrasonic bark control collars are indeed humane and are used by many dog trainers.  They pose no threat to your dog and will not him or her in anyway.

Keep in mind though that some dogs can get used to the noise and it will become ineffective after using it for several months.  If you do notice this you might have to change to another type of anti barking collar.

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Hi, Shadow again. Why do dogs bark, because they want to of course! Thomas wrote this article a few months ago and Chris removed it from the site. I really have to keep his paws off the keyboard. I think this is the last of the old articles to repost.

Shadow the Alpha Dog

Why Dogs Bark

By Thomas Hardee

Dogs bark for many different reasons. For example, a dog that wants to go outside may emit a short, high pitched bark.

Why do dogs bark when a stranger goes by? It’s because it is guarding its territory. It could also be a scared dog.

The truth is, we wanted dogs to bark. Whether it was to help herd animals or to scare off strangers, we bred them to bark. Without dogs barking, how would we know if they had to go out? Dogs bark when they’re happy, sad, in pain, and even when they want attention.

A dog’s relationship with its owner may be ended prematurely because of the dog’s barking. This may result in the dog being sent to a shelter or even abandoned. Eighty percent of dogs bark for some reason and 47 percent of those are sent to shelters for barking at excessively at night. In conclusion, dogs may bark for many different reasons, so don’t get mad just because your dogs barks it could partially be your fault.
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I started digging through the archives (I love the feel of soft dirt in my claws) and found this old article written by Chris. I remember this night well. That Husky is SO lucky he didn’t mess with me! Anyways, it appears that this one, and a few others, were removed a while back by mistake. While I chew a good bone, enjoy the article!

Shadow the Fearless

The lone dog.. The scared dog.. Will he attack?

A few nights ago, Shadow and I went on our evening walk before bed. About halfway through our walk, we spotted a Siberian Husky about 30 feet away from us in the middle of the road. Fortunately, it was late and there weren’t any cars, so the dog was not in danger of being run over. The Husky simply stared at us and didn’t move. I had never seen this dog in our neighborhood and wasn’t sure how he would react. Over the years, I’ve learned a few of the visual cues that people can use to tell if a dog is likely to be friendly, but while this dog did not show aggression, it wasn’t being very friendly either.

As we kept walking, I tried not to stare directly at the dog, because I didn’t want to be outwardly aggressive toward it.  However, I wanted to keep it in sight. When we passed the dog, he started to follow us.

Shadow is an 11 month-old lab that weighs around 50 pounds. He’s very friendly with other dogs, but I wasn’t sure what the Husky would do once our backs were turned.

After we turned a dark corner, the Husky was gone. This, however, made me start wondering what I would have done if the Husky had been aggressive. Would I have stepped between the dogs or let them work it out between themselves? My wife and I have had to pull fighting dogs apart before and it took both of us to do it.

Body Language

In hindsight, did I read the situation wrong? According to Paws Across America’s article on “How To Interpret Your Dog’s Body Language, Facial Expressions, and Vocalizations, the Husky appeared to be in an anxious state with its ears partially back and tail lowered. He was completely silent , but was watching us intently. I could see tags on the dog, but didn’t want to approach it in fear of scaring the animal or causing it to be aggressive.

How do you know if a dog may be aggressive?

The Dog Owner’s Guide has an excellent page on types of dog aggression and how to prevent it. According to their site, I was fortunate and did the correct things:

• Stay on the road to avoid invading the dog’s territory.

• Keep an eye on the dog, but not make direct eye contact.

• Keep still and remain calm.

I was lucky because, while I believe this was a scared dog, he did not appear to be aggressive. I hope his owner was able to find him and return him to his home.