Okay, so the collar is my absolute last resort now. I have put my puppy in puppy training classes, Had a trainer come to my home, used the spray bottle technique, the rocks in the can technique, "pretended to cry" when he "play" bites (but really hurts like hell), and so on so forth… I just ordered the collar online, and am waiting for it to get here, and now Im starting to second guess on using it. I feel like its abuse I guess. The story of my dog…. He is a 65 lb German Shepherd puppy, who is LITERALLY constantly jumping on, biting, and barking at my 8 year old daughter. He chases my other dog (a 6 pound yorkie) and cat around all day as well. Jumping on them, biting them, etc.My daughter stays in her room the whole day with the other dog and the cat on some days, because he is constantly attacking them!!! He is getting way to big to handle now, me being 9 months pregnant, and I need to zap this problem in the butt before the baby is here and he hurts the baby too. So, is the collar safe? Is it abuse? My trainer says it is definitely abuse and she is totally against it, so please tell me what your thoughts are on the shock collar. Thanks so much.
Ok, so my puppy gets LOTS of excercise! I take him to the tennis courts a couple times a day and throw the ball with him for a while, he runs around outside tons, and we go for walks 2 or 3 times a day! And i am constantly correcting his behavior and rewarding his good behavior!!! I have had large breed dogs before, he is just one of those dogs…
NO..NO..NO.
Don`t even think about using a shock collar on a 5 month old puppy.
Shock collars should only be used by experts who know how,to use them properly and only then in cases where its a choice between euthenasia or trying the shock collar. Used in cases of sheep chasing or bad aggression.
The best thing you could do for this puppy would be to find it a home with people who are experienced with German Shepherds and who have the time to train this pup properly.
He needs to be taken out every day for walks and needs to do some training every day. A tired dog is a happy dog and less likely to get up to mischief. If this gsd is from working lines he will be bored with no job to do.
You will have your hands full soon with a new baby and will have no time for this young dog.
Using an electric collar on this pup could ruin him for life.
Sorry, but thats the gist of it.
Read what most of our views are in the uk about these collars.
http://www.endangereddogs.com/EDDRElectricShockCollars.htm#Views
I am also against it. You can train him just as well without it, you just have to believe in yourself
Good luck with the baby, too
Being 9 months pregnant how much exercise does your Puppy get .Sounds to me like that puppy is getting no exercise and is bored .
A good Trainer would of helped to solve this you just have not found the right one yet.
A shock collar is not the answer and i am all for them as a tool but any tool in the wrong hands cause cause injuries ,
My advice is to send the puppy back to the reputable breeder you got him from .You are not capable of handling a Breed like that .
Do NOT use that collar – it is definitely abuse. Unfortunately you’ve got to ride out the puppy months but still keep up with constant training, which is the worst timing possible considering your pregnancy.
There’s not much you can do – your best option might be having a friend or relative look after him for however long it takes to get you and your baby settled and ready to put up with him again.
ABSOLUTELY NO. NEVER USE ELECTRICITY TO TRAIN A DOG.
Are you out of your mind. Electricity to train a dog? NO NO NO That is known as the lazy way out of actual training.
Would you put one on your child to teach it how to behave? NO!!!!!
If it was all that effective they would put them on prisoners, but it is considered inhumane. If it is inhumane for criminals then it is certainly inhumane for dogs.
Use Positive Reinforcement (+R) training; don’t use a shock collar they are horrible.
you should never EVER use shock collars, pain is not effective. german shephards are one of the smartest breeds of dogs which means if they are not stimulated mentally they will get bad habits and into mistchief. he needs to be trained by a professional since you are pregnant. i would get a relative or friend that you really trust to watch him for the time being, preferably someone willing to try to help with training too. even just teaching him simple tricks like sit, stay, come, lay down, etc.. will make him much better behaved. do not use the collar. good luck 8]
i am sure everyone will disagree but get rid of the dog, it sounds to me like you have enough to deal with as it is, think of your children you need a safe home for your baby to come into and hurting the dog is not the way forward.
Contact your puppy’s breeder and see if they can help you re-home him. Your house is NOT suited to this puppy’s temperament and exercise and training needs right now! If the breeder can’t take him, you will need to find a way to get this dog TIRED every day. We’re talking miles of jogging, not blocks of walking. Do you have any neighbors who run or who have a kid on the cross country team? If possible, it is better for him to run on grass or packed earth than on pavement, but do what you need to do.
A better, more humane collar option is a prong collar or a martingale training collar. Neither causes the trachea damage of a traditional chain training collar, and they get the point across quickly in terms he understands – a grabbing sensation on his neck is how momma used to tell him to knock it off! and that is the sensation he gets when you give it a tug. Put it on your own arm FIRST and try a couple strengths of tug so you can "say what you mean" and neither over- or under-correct.
Also look up "Nothing in Life is Free" training and start implementing it. A few highlights:
*Let him drag a leash on his normal collar around the house, correct with the leash so that you don’t have to catch him or invade his personal space to gain control.
*Use the leash to force a down (put your foot on it and pull on the loose end while standing up straight and giving the command). Down is a naturally submissive and calm posture for a dog, and so he will learn that he HAS to be submissive and calm when you tell him to.
*If the dog is being a pill, you can tie him to your belt loop or slip the loop of the leash over the doorknob of a sturdy door. He only gets released when he’s being quiet and good AND performs a command the first time that you ask – otherwise he gets to stay restricted.
Most of all this dog needs to be exercised until he is TIRED. Like, he should get home, get a big drink of water, lay down for a long nap, and be pretty quiet the rest of the day tired. Puppies that are asleep are not jumping, barking, biting, chasing, or otherwise being a nuisance. He will get in the habit of being calm in the house and will be much more controllable until he is old enough to "get" more of what you are trying to teach him
Good luck!
FFS…the ignorance in here and the emotional responses without any actual answers. Yes, you can use an Electric collar on your dog, yes, I have used them on dogs as young as yours, NO, you don’t need to be a genius to use one. Find a trainer who is willing to show you how to use one and do it.
Electric collars can and have saved many dogs lives, shelters use them to rehab dogs, rescues use them to rehab dogs, I have used them for 32 years to train HUNDREDS upon HUNDREDS of dogs with never a problem. Hope I helped.
Okay….let me get this correct:
~1) You have a 5 month old 65 pound German Shepherd
~2) The dog jumps, bites and barks at your 8 year old daughter
~3) He chases your 6 pound Yorkie and the cat
~4) And on some days he is constantly attacking them
~5) You are 9 months pregnant & about to give birth
~6) You are afraid the dog is going to hurt the baby
~7) Your daughter stays in her room all day with the other dog and cat
~8) The puppy gets LOTS of exercise
~10) You take the dog out to tennis courts a couple of times a day and throw the ball
~11) You take him for walks 2 or 3 times a day
~12) You are constantly correcting & rewarding
I think it is absolutely amazing that at 9 months pregnant you can go out 4 to 6 times a day with this puppy. And walking a 65 pound dog as pregnant as you are is incredible!
If ANY of this is true, you do NOT need a shock collar. You need to re-home this pup to someone who knows the breed and how to handle it.
You are risking your daughter’s safety and your unborn child. Not to mention the poor Yorkie and the cat.
Get rid of the puppy.
The pet needs to know that these actions are NOT tolerable. I use the bark shock collar for my 20lb jack russell and after about a month of using it consistently, now when he barks I just show it to him and he stops. It is not abuse otherwise they would not sell them. If you have time, Petsmart training classes ARE AMAZING. One hour session for 6 weeks and your pet will be more obedient than you could have imagined.