Page 21 - Chow Life - Spring 2016

immediately put a small squirt of say “quiet,” and if the dog doesn’t best for correcting all dogs. But
concentrated lemon juice in his comply, they can then hold up the by adopting an upping-the-stakes
mouth. He still persisted. Next, we Husher and get the result they want approach, which starts by soliciting
tried lime juice squirted from one without having to put on the device. cooperation and progresses through
of those plastic limes you get in Bark collars are another tool different levels of discouragement,
the grocery store. At first the lime used to control barking. The most you will have better luck changing
juice made Gizmo reconsider his common are activated by noise or behaviors with the least amount of
barking, but after few moments damage to the canine-human bond.
he resumed. He
received more lime
juice, but ignored
the unpleasant
taste. The final step Finding the specific corrective technique that works for a
was to spray a very
small amount of particular dog depends on the dog’s emotional investment
Binaca down his
throat. That did it. in the unwanted behavior and his individual personality.
He finally learned
he had to comply
when he was told
to be quiet, even
if another dog was
running agility at the time. by vibration and deliver a painful
Why not just go for the Binaca electric shock. There are also Peggy Swager works with people to
first? I believe that upping the ultrasonic collars, which are not reform problem dogs. Her book Training
the Hard to Train Dog will be published
stakes helps resolve problems with as severe as the shock collar, and this fall.
a more insistent dog as greater citronella collars. Citronella collars
discouragement is used each time. use a nontoxic spray so that the dog This article first appeared in the August
Some of the more tenacious dogs is subjected to both an unpleasant 2008 issue of the AKC GAZETTE and is
finally reform if the consequences spraying action and a scent that reprinted with permission.
keep rising. Had we used Binaca dogs dislike. Although many people
first, Gizmo may have decided to would expect more success from
tough it out. But since the stakes the shock type of barking-control
were progressively increasing, the collar, a report in the Journal of
dog finally gave in. the American Animal Hospital
Some people find that no amount Association (Vol. 32, May–June
of discouragement helps, or that 1996) found that the citronella
the unwanted behavior occurs only collar worked much better.
after they crate their dog and leave Sometimes investigating why
the area, when they can’t address a dog barks can help solve the
the problem in person. In such problem. One woman who bred
cases, there are devices that can and showed Belgian Tervuren had a
help stop unwanted barking. One 7-month-old male who would bark
such apparatus is called a Husher. in his crate at shows. First she tried
It looks like a muzzle, but prevents spraying the dog with water, then
the dog from barking. Some people she tried a citronella collar. Both
have used the Husher employing failed. Finally, after watching the
the same technique as for spraying dog for a while, she discovered he It’s important to employ the
water from a bottle. The dog is was barking defensively. She started spray bottle correctly
told “quiet.” When the dog doesn’t using distractions for the dog when
comply, the Husher is put on. The he barked, getting him to look at
next time the dog is barking, the her, then rewarding him with a treat
Husher is shown to the dog, and for being quiet. That solved the
then the quiet command is given. If problem.
the dog doesn’t comply, the device Whether it’s excessive barking or
is put on again. Some people have any other unwanted behavior, there
found that after a while they can is no one technique that works
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