11/15/2020
🐕⚡️After reading a very polarizing conversation on the topic of electronic containment systems for dogs (invisible fences that give dogs a shock or vibration when they try to cross the threshold) I decided to weigh in as a professional trainer. I am very passionate about providing education on the topic and I have decided to post a copy of my comment here on my professional page so it is shareable. Knowledge is power, and I want this knowledge to be wide spread!
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“Okay, I’m a certified professional trainer, also a LIMA (Least invasive minimally aversive) trainer. That means you use the right tools on the right dogs, if no tools are needed I don’t use them. I don’t generally require tools but I also don’t rule them out as an option. That all being said I would NEVER recommend this kind of tool, man oh man can it have a horrible fall out. You don’t have control of timing so the dogs get corrected at times that can cause them to be afraid of random things. If it is used outside the dog can become dog/people/random thing aggressive or fearful. If your friendly dog sees other friendly dog approaching the property and goes to say hi he will get a shock. The basics of training and learning theory is always ABC Anticedent, behaviour, consequence. The anticedent becomes the predictor of the consequence - meaning - dog walking by = pain. The dog doesn’t have any idea why the pain is happening but knows it is always related to seeing a dog on the property, that is a strong connection your dog just made. The more it happens the more it becomes ingrained. I have also worked will a whole hell of a lot of dogs who can’t make a distinct connection to anything in the environment triggering it and they are too scared to move. Yes they stay on the property but it’s because of learned helplessness which is not something you EVER want in any dog. It’s heart breaking. Does that happen with every dog? No but it happens with a LOT of them, trust me. Now if you are thinking well I tried the shock/vibration on myself and doesn’t hurt me so the dog won’t care, NOPE if your dog didn’t care it would be absolutely useless as a containment system. Remember I am not here as a trainer condemning the use of corrections or electronic corrections, if I felt it was absolutely necessary for the well being of the dog it would be a consideration however it would be far down my list. I am not saying it is negative/aversive because I don’t approve of it, that is the scientific definition of that kind of reinforcement as it relates to learning theory (to go a step farther it is technically also called positive punishment).
There are also two types of containment systems, one that switches off when your dog crosses the threshold and one that continues to correct, both are pretty crappy options. The ones that turn off won’t contain the dog if they realize all they need to do is go farther away from the house and they can do what they want pain/aversive/correction free. The other option is far worse, the dog can go crazy trying to get the correction to stop and in that state the dog isn’t thinking about turning around to go home, they try to outrun the correction ending up so far from home. Once the dog is out of the signal zone trying to come home isn’t an option because the correction will start again, so it is in their best interest to stay away from home. I,and other trainer friends, have seen this on multiple occasions even with it on the low vibration setting. All that being said I do not mess around when it comes to containment of my (and my client’s) dogs. I don’t rely on training alone, would my dogs run off my property? 99% of the time no. Am I going to take that small 1% chance? Also no. Why risk it, absolutely any dog can do something unpredictable and I am sure as hell not going to risk it, my dogs are traditionally fenced and supervised. That is coming from someone who trains dogs for a living, high level training and doing it daily.”
