[J. Walker]

This one seems like a major gray area so I was just wondering what people thought about it. I've seen it at a number of events so it's not specific to anyone or any event. A handler takes a dog out of the box and removes a bark collar. He airs the dog, puts the lead on, and walks to the blind. The dog gets on line and is a little vocal but the judges on that particular day let it go. My question is if the bark collar is being used more as a courtesy by the handler to other dogs and handlers to help keep the dog quiet, as a training aid to help reduce the vocal nature of the dog right before running to hopefully not get DQ'd or both? If it's the second one, wouldn't that seem to indicate that the bark collar is in essence being used to train/correct the dog for being vocal right up until he goes to the holding blind? I don't know if or how this has ever been handled at an event so I'm just wondering.

 

[FOM]

I have used and will continue to use a bark collar at events while my dog(s) are on my truck if they wish to be jerks and bark...I do not consider it training.

 

[John Robinson]

Ditto what Lainee said, either of my dogs can be a jerk when I pull the other off the truck to run. I'm sure the other competitors appreciate a quiet truck over barking madness. I also wouldn't expect a bark collar left on while in the truck to have any positive effect on a dog on line who is vocal.

John

 

[tim1980]

I have several dogs that will bark on the truck, but are not vocal on the line.

 

[DoubleHaul]

One of mine in particular will go nuts when I take the other one off the truck. It may take him a while to calm down. The other mostly just whines, but will bark. I keep a bark collar in my truck to use at events as a courtesy to others--one barking can set off others in the next truck. Neither are ever vocal at the line--they are just jealous of each other.

 

[John Robinson]

One of mine in particular will go nuts when I take the other one off the truck. It may take him a while to calm down. The other mostly just whines, but will bark. I keep a bark collar in my truck to use at events as a courtesy to others--one barking can set off others in the next truck. Neither are ever vocal at the line--they are just jealous of each other.

Thats my situation exactly...

 

[WRL]

This was addressed in several Judges seminars. Bark collars used on the truck to keep dogs quiet is not training on the grounds nor considered as using training aids.

WRL

 

[J. Walker]

That clears it up for me then. As I said, I was just wondering as I could see how it could be construed as training with a dog that is vocal at the line.

 

[Good Dogs]

AKC rules prohibit the use of any collar which requires a transmitter. So bark collars are, by the rules, OK.