Shock Collars: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Shock collars are used to train dogs to stay in or out of a certain area, as in electric fencing; or to dissuade them from certain unwanted behaviors. Shock training can be a very hot topic within the dog community. Many swear by its efficacy, while others denounce it as cruel and abusive.
Proponents of shock collars say that the jolt the dog receives from a collar is not painful at all. It merely grabs their attention so that a behavioral correction can be made. Those who oppose their use feel that the shock can be very painful, and is actually counterproductive to training because of the additional anxiety to the dog.
When it comes to your dogs, the way you train them is your choice to make. So to help you decide, here is the good, the bad, and the ugly on shock collars.
The Good:
Speed of training
Because the shock is something that your dog has never experienced before, he will likely learn very quickly that a jolt means he should stop what he’s doing and look to you for instruction. In theory, he will quickly come to associate the warning beep or vibration that comes before a shock with the unwanted behavior you are trying to correct.
The Intensity Can Be Controlled
Modern shock collars have several settings for controlling the jolt that your dog receives. In the early phases of training you should learn how strong of a shock is required to get your dog to stop what he’s doing and focus. After that, the intensity can be lowered or even turned off in favor of a warning beep or vibration only.
You Don’t Have To Be Present For The Collar To Do Its Job
Shock collars that work in association with electric fencing are designed to function even when you aren’t around. If the dog gets too close to the boundary in the yard, he will get the initial warning signal. A shock will only be administered if he continues heading towards and past the boundary. Remember, though, a shock collar may keep your dog from leaving the yard, but it will not stop humans or other animals from entering.
Shock Collars Are Relatively Inexpensive
Hiring a dog trainer or behaviorist can be a large expense for some people. On the other hand, shock collars can be as cheap as $25 depending on features such as range of use, remote control, and levels of adjustability. Electric fencing units can start as little as $200 if you install them yourself.

The Bad:
You May Be Causing Your Dog Pain
For many of us, the idea of purposely inflicting pain on our dogs is outrageous when there are so many positive reinforcement training techniques available. For others, a small shock to ensure their pet’s safety is worth it. It all comes down to a personal choice.
You Are Not A Dog Trainer
While it is perfectly acceptable for dog owners to take on the challenge of training rather than hiring a professional, there can be danger in inexperience. Professional trainers who use shock collars know the apparatus inside and out. They know just how much jolt to use and when for maximum efficacy. The average dog owner will likely misuse the collar in one way or another due to lack of experience. This can mean additional shocks and confusion for the dog.
Shock Collars Simply Aren’t The Answer For Every Dog
Some dogs are more timid and fearful than others. Some may even have pre-existing fears and anxieties that would make the use of a shock collar counterproductive. The last thing you want to do is to accidentally reinforce fear in your dog. Most dogs who bite do so out of fear, not aggression. It is important to be able to recognize whether a certain training method may do more harm than good.
The Ugly:
Your Dog May Associate The Shock With Something Besides His Behavior
A study conducted by Richard Polsky found that if the shock is poorly timed or inconsistent, your dog may make an incorrect association with the correction. For example, he may come to fear your presence since the shock has always come when you were present. Or, he may refuse to go into the yard, associating it with the shocks he was given when being trained to stay in a certain area.
Shock Collars May Actually Cause Aggressive Behavior
Polsky’s major finding and greatest cause for concern was the tendency of some dogs to react aggressively to shock training. The anxiety caused by the collar can lead to misplaced aggression towards people, other dogs, etc. Some dogs will attack any person or animal who comes close to the barrier of the electric fence.
Dogs Who Are Bold Enough To Test The Boundary May Escape And Be Injured Or Lost
Some hardheaded pups just refuse to fall in line with the whole electric fence thing. Even turned up to full intensity, the shock only lasts for the period of time it takes the dog to exit the boundary area. If your dog learns that all it takes is a brief moment of pain to achieve sweet freedom, the fence could be useless. Worse still, your dog could develop negative associations with your yard, and frequently attempt to escape.
The Collars Can Malfunction
No piece of technology is perfect. Although not common in modern collars, cases of dogs being continuously shocked for up to 12 seconds before the emergency override kicked in have been reported. A painful stimulus being applied for 12 seconds to a dog who has no idea what he’s being punished for can certainly be confusing and scary!

What to Do When Your Dog Won’t Eat

Dogs are usually eager eaters. So what's going on when they lose their appetite?
It may be a health problem. But it could just be about the foods you're offering.
Ask yourself these seven questions to help figure it out.

1. Is the Food Fresh?

A healthy dog may walk away from a bowl of food that's gone bad.
A large bag of kibble left open for a month will lose its appeal and could turn rancid. Canned food is only tasty and edible for three to five days after it’s opened, and you must keep it in the fridge.

2. Is He Bored?

Your pet may be getting tired of its food.
Try warming it up. Heat it slightly in the microwave to release more of its aroma and make dinner more attractive to your dog, says Tami Pierce, DVM, assistant clinical professor at University of California, Davis.
You can also liven it up with a little low-sodium broth, low-fat cottage cheese, boneless chicken, or hamburger for a few days. Don’t do this for long, though, or it can be habit forming and your dog will come to expect it, Pierce says. Once he's back to eating normally, start cutting back on the extras.
You could also give them wet canned food or make a mix of canned and dry.
“People avoid canned food because they mistakenly think it’s higher in calories and bad for the teeth, but it’s none of those things,” Pierce says.
If you do make a change, notice how your dog reacts. It could be that they don't like the new food for some reason.

3. Do You Give Too Many Treats?

You could be offering your dog so many treats that at mealtime she’s not hungry.
Pierce says this happens a lot. So cut back on treats. Dogs shouldn't get more than 10% of their calories each day from treats and snacks. If you’re not sure how much that is for your dog, ask your vet.

4. Is He Missing People Food?

Have you been mixing some of your food in with your dog’s food, and now that you’ve decided to stop that, he won’t eat?
That's common, says Evy Alloway, DVM, a veterinarian at Connecticut's Killingworth Animal Hospital.
“If they’ve been getting table food or treats with their dinner and that’s become their habit, they don’t want to go back to regular food,” she says.
Slowly cut the amount of extras in your dog’s food to start weaning them off entirely.

5. Did You Change His Feeding Schedule?

If your dog is used to a strict food schedule, and you change it, they may not be used to the new schedule yet. See if that makes a difference to his appetite.

6. Is He Sick?

If Fido is passing up his regular food, it could be a sign that he's sick.
Take your dog to the vet if he is:

• Underweight and not interested in eating
• Usually eats well but has stopped doing that
• Is a puppy or older dog that isn't eating

Your dog could have swallowed a sock or something else. Or he might have a mouth ulcer that makes eating hurt. Or it could be more serious.
Your vet will likely test your dog's blood, urine, and poop as part of the checkup. They may also recommend X-rays or ultrasound.

7. Has He Barfed Recently?

Your dog may start refusing their regular food if they have been sick lately and threw up their standard kibble. They might have linked the food with being sick and now avoid that food.
If so, mix in a different food to try to get them interested again. If that works, slowly stop mixing the new food in.

5 steps to correct inappropriate dog chewing

Here are the five steps you should take to correct inappropriate dog chewing before it becomes a problem:
1. Rule out medical problems. The first step is to make sure that your puppy does not have any serious medical problems. Nutritional deficiencies caused by poor diet and/or intestinal parasitism can lead to pica which may be misconstrued as inappropriate chewing. Gastrointestinal problems may cause nausea which can trigger chewing as a coping mechanism. Therefore it is important to make an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out an underlying medical condition that may be causing or contributing to the dog chewing.
2. Puppy proofing. Look around your environment for possible dangers to your inquisitive puppy. Place household cleaners and chemicals out of reach along with potentially toxic plants. Electrical cords should be covered or made inaccessible to prevent chewing on them resulting in electrocution. Remove objects of curiosity that might appeal to your puppy such as shoes and socks, children’s toys and the like. Block access to rooms that have not been puppy proofed and consider crate training your dog for the times when he cannot be supervised.
3. Encourage appropriate chewing. Provide appropriate chew toys for your dog to enjoy. Each dog will have their own personal preference as to what they prefer to chew and play with. Be careful with rawhide and beef bones as determined chewers can whittle them down to smaller pieces that can be swallowed. They can end up becoming lodged in the esophagus or small intestine so supervision is recommended when giving these treats and be sure to take away any small pieces that might be swallowed. Avoid chicken bones since they splinter easily creating sharp fragments that can easily puncture your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. I prefer nylabones, greenies and dental chewsticks since they encourage appropriate chewing while combating dental disease. Dog toys such as balls and kongs may appeal to your dog, just be sure to select a size that is appropriate for your dog. They should be able to pick it up and carry it but it should be of sufficient bulk that it cannot be swallowed. If you buy your dog a kong type toy check, make sure the hole in the toy is not so big that the dog can get his lower jaw stuck in it.I have seen several emergency cases where a dog comes in with a toy stuck in his mouth. Do not give toys that resemble inappropriate items; for example do not give your dog an old shoe to chew on because he will not know the difference between the old chew shoe and a brand new pair.
4. Discourage inappropriate chewing. By following step two you will have already minimized the amount of mischief your young dog can get into. If you do find your dog chewing on something inappropriate correct the dog by taking the object away and scolding him. Direct his attentions to an appropriate chew object and give praise when he chews on said object. Gradually, your dog will learn what objects are his and which are not. Sometimes it can be difficult to discourage chewing if the pattern is already established. Taste deterrents such as bitter apple can applied to the object, the noxious taste will hopefully deter the determined chewer and he will learn to leave the object alone.
5. Engage in playtime with your dog. A tired dog is a good dog! Spend time playing and exercising with your dog on a regular basis. This not only reinforces the human-animal bond but expends energy that your dog might be otherwise directed to inappropriate chewing and behaviors.

Who Let the Dogs Out?!

It’s almost summer and a tired dog is a good dog. No matter the size of the dog, every pup needs a physical outlet to expend extra energy and maintain health and fitness. Regular exercise can improve your dog’s mental health and reduce some behaviors done out of anxiety or boredom.

Physical activities: There are a variety of different ways to wear out the over-energized dog. Fetch is a fabulous way to exhaust a dog with minimal output of your own energy and using a tennis racket gets even greater canine wear down. Swimming is a fantastic way to reap the benefits of exercise without the dangers of repetitive impact. You may also want to start out with a dog life vest, especially if you are far from shore, it is important to always use a vest when boating with your dog.

Shiba Inu Dog Breed

The shiba inu is moderately compact, being slightly longer than it is tall. It has typical traits of dogs from Northern heritage: small erect ears, thick fur, powerful body and curled tail. Its expression is bold, spirited and good-natured. The gait is light, quick and agile, with an effortless, smooth stride. The double coat consists of a strong straight outer coat with a soft undercoat, imparting great insulation. These traits enabled the shiba to hunt small game through dense cover.

Bold, independent and headstrong, the shiba is brimming with self-confidence. It is lively outdoors, yet calm indoors, as long as it gets daily exercise. It may be aggressive with strange dogs of the same sex and may chase small animals. It is a hardy breed, ready for adventure. Some tend to be headstrong and domineering. It is territorial, alert and reserved with strangers — ingredients making for an excellent watchdog. It is quite vocal; some bark a lot.   (source: Animal Planet)       

Dog Training vs. Dog Behavior

It is common for an owner or trainer to address each individual behavior at a time instead of looking into the "why." Often there are deeper rooted issues which are causing the dog to do the bad behavior; its instincts are not being met. When the owner satisfies these missing instincts the behavior issues disappear on their own. For example, one friend who was having issues with her dog found that the peeing on the floor and barking at her while she was getting her daughter ready for school completely stopped on its own when she started making the dog heel on the leash and began to show the dog leadership.

A lot of owners and even some trainers do not have the experience to understand exactly how to change a dog’s behavior because they see the dog as a little, fuzzy human instead of a canine animal. They do not consider the dog’s instincts and the effects that not satisfying them will have on their dog’s overall behavior.

Sometimes when a person’s dog has a behavior issue they search the internet for breed(s) information to find the solution, but really they need to be looking for "canine or dog behavior" information in general. While each dog is a breed or mix of breeds and knowing its traits is useful when dealing with a dog (knowing that your Australian Cattle Dog likes to herd, is extremely smart, needs lots of exercise and mind challenges helps you to understand it better), most behavior problems are canine issues, not "breed" issues.

Dog behavior and dog training are two different things.

Dog training consists of cues and activities like sit, roll over, fetch, close the refrigerator, open the door with a string, agility, retrieving, hunting trials, herding trials, and so on. When teaching tricks, positive reinforcement is the way to go. Fetch my shoes, roll the ball with your nose, catch the biscuit from your nose and you get a treat, belly rub, verbal praise or pet on the head, ”good dog.” These activities challenge the mind and provide great bonding time.

Dog behavior is discipline. Heel on the leash, stay, don't bolt out the door, wait at the door until I pass, come when called, stop when told, drop that object, no jumping on humans, stay out of this room, don't cross this line and so on, are all rules that provide leadership and structure. Dogs crave leadership because their instinct tells them they need rules and structure to survive; the pack’s life depends on it. There must be a leader and the followers must obey the leader. Dogs constantly challenge the order; they test and expect to be tested. The order is not set in stone; it is an ongoing test. If the pack leader shows weakness in any way the next highest member will challenge that dog for the position. If the leader loses the challenge the pack will rearrange the order. Structure, discipline, boundaries, leadership... dogs should not get a cookie for respecting these. It's the same with human kids; they don't get a cookie every time they come home for not smacking their teacher at school because their respect is expected. Your dog needs this same type of structure.

If you have more than one dog, be sure to consider the dynamics of all of your dogs. I run into a lot of cases where an owner believes one particular dog has a behavior problem, when really it's one of the other dogs causing the trouble. For example, it is common for an owner to blame the big dog and try and get the big dog to behave while they ignore the bad behaviors of their small dog. Often times it is the small dog that causes the issues of the larger one. You cannot achieve a stable pack until you address all dogs. Do not play favorites and allow some dogs special privileges and not others. If you have issues with any of your dogs be sure to take a deep look into the entire pack structure to properly assess the situation.

Dogs that live with humans are much happier when someone else takes over the role as leader. It is very stressful for a canine animal to have to be pack leader to humans because the humans do not listen to everything they want. For example, kids will go to school and adults will go to work or the grocery store without the dog’s permission; pack leaders can leave their followers but followers are not allowed to leave their leader without permission. So when the humans leave without the dog’s permission, the dog will get upset and sometimes destructive. But when the humans are in charge, the dog will relax and not worry because it knows its leader will be back.

Any dog can absolutely go the wrong way in their behavior, but they can also absolutely go the right way. It's all up to the humans who live with the dog. When a dog has behavior issues it does not mean it is a reject or bad dog, just a misunderstood dog that is not getting its instincts met. Never forget that a dog is an animal with very different needs than humans. A dog does not think like humans and does not have the ability to fully learn human, but we humans do have the ability to learn dog.

When a dog’s instincts are not being met it often dominos into many other bad behaviors. If you go back to the beginning and fix the first domino often times these behaviors will disappear.

If you have dog behavior issues, be sure to seek out dog behavior information as opposed to dog training. Do not put a Band-Aid on an infection. Look deeper into the issues that you have in order to stop the behavior where it started. Source