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| Electronic training collars make for happy and loved dogs. |
UK Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, has told Parliament his office recognizes the benefits of electronic collars used in boundary fence systems, noting that “containment fences can play a valuable part in making sure that individual animals – dogs and cats – roam free in the domestic environment in which they are loved and cared for”.
No word yet on electronic training collars, but since modern dog training collars do NOT deliver high-volt "hot shocks" like those used in boundary containment systems, there is some reason to expect that tapping e-collars for training purposes will get the green light as well.
Far more dogs are harmed from the improper use of leashes, and no training at all, than by modern e-collars which cost $200 and up, and which attract the more serious and committed dog owners.
I find most people know little or nothing about the various kinds of e-collars that are used, and what they are used for.
A small education can be had for free, however, by reading 10 Quick Notes for the E-Collar Curious. Suffice it to say that the modern e-collars are not the cheap Chinese-made collars found on eBay or on Amazon for $45 or less!
A reminder that sheep worrying in the UK is punishable by death to the dog. About 40,000 sheep a year are killed in the UK every year by dogs. Prey drive is a very difficult thing to reign in with some breeds such as collies, lurchers, and terriers. For instructions on how to do that (and please note that an e-collar is used for proofing) see this piece.
In my opinion, the modern tapping e-collar is the most important tool since the creation of the leash, and its proper use can greatly benefit dogs, owners, wildlife, and farm stock alike.
3 comments:
What a great pic!
I see some scrapes on your hands - keep that tetanus shot up to date. Ladies who garden, digging in the dirt, are the big tetanus sufferers according to a doctor I know. Terrier digging may be a similar thing!
One you have gone through the childhood rounds, tetanus vaccines are minimally good for 10 years assuming your body is never challenged. If you are challenging your system all the time, by working in dirt and with hands, the T1 cells are routinely being reactivated which is like getting a new vaccine. It’s why tetanus shots in adults are rare and in men even rarer.
To say nothing of the harm done by dog garrottes (choker chains and snake chain show collars).
Never overestimate the wisdom of government (or any large institution). IMO invisible fence is the worst of the e-tools for dogs. But it's a move in the right direction.
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