From: John De Armond Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel Subject: Re: Travel With Cats Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2004 18:53:35 -0500 Message-ID: <90l2p0d0ms8pkssluepe7t8uq3640t6rn0@4ax.com> On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 16:34:40 -0600, Don Bradner <me@privacy.net> wrote: >hhamp5246@aol.comnojunk (HHamp5246) wrote: > >>> (those anti-bark shock collars work REAL WELL) >> >>Okay. We don't that to our dogs here. I'm going to get a citronella collar for >>Teddy and see if that'll work. > >While it is nearly impossible to test a good (shock) bark collar on a >human, we routinely demonstrate radio-controlled collars with the same >device on ourselves and the prospective renters or buyers. That is >done to show them that no "shock" as one might think of it, is >involved. The current flow doesn't feel even like a static shock, it >feels like a small buzz. Tri-tronics calls it "tickle" and that is far >more descriptive of the sensation than "shock." The big brand name unit I bought from Pet Smart DOES work on humans and DOES shock. When I brought the thing into the restaurant to check it out before trying it on the mutt, I first did the test procedure they recommend. Attach the supplied neon light bulb to the prongs and then drag the sensor along the edge of a table. The bulb would fire each time the unit triggered. One of my employee's friends (whom we now refer to as 'crash test dummy') saw that and declared that it couldn't shock very much. I held it out to him and said "try it". Amazingly, he did. He strapped it around his neck and let out a little "Woof". Nothing. A louder "woof". A little beep came from the collar. A big bellow of an "arf". Knocked him backwards a couple of steps. He yelled and it nailed him again! This went on for 4 or 5 cycles until he figured out that he'd have to shut his mouth to turn off the current. We, of course, were rolling in the floor wetting ourselves as he staggered around holding his neck with a death grip! > >Some of the radio-controlled models can be turned up to an unpleasant >level - done normally in heavy brush work where the dog wouldn't >notice anything less. The bark collars cannot be turned up to those >levels. The one I have operates on a multi-step progression. The first bark sounds a beep (Pavlov training at work). The next bark in a short time results in a small shock. Subsequent barks jack up the power. It took about 2 shocks for mom's Corgie to learn that the beep meant "shut up!". We kept it on for about 2 weeks. He relapsed once. Another week took care of that. Now he only barks when someone comes around the house - just what we want. > >I am not willing to spray citronella in my face to find out the degree >of its unpleasantness. I just can't understand this lunatic fringe that seems to think any "alternative" to the mainstream is better. Kinda like all those silly experiments with household chemicals as mosquito repellants. Even though I don't particularly like mom's dog, I can't imagine spraying an irritant oil in his face either. Just plain dumb! A small shock is no worse than a swat with a paper. John |