Yes, I would

 

Yes, i would too ,,,

 

Depends on how it came up in the conversation….did you see a prod and ask about it? Or did he bring it up as a point of pride….another depends with the information given.


FWIW….most cattle prods are not recommended for use on small calves. I personally would never use a cattle prod on a dog for any reason.

 

Yes I have some years ago. No after effects. Cured the problem.

 

Yep, cured the problem two winter trips in a row. Now we need to keep it that way.
________
GM HIGH FEATURE ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS

 

excessive barking (excessive activity, that is) in a kennel or in any space for that matter can be very taxing on the dog, and therefore may warrant 'alternative' measures to ultimately protect the dog from himself. For example, a dog barking nonstop getting himself in a frenzy in 90 degree heat coupled with high humidity can be outright dangerous. i would jolt a dog rather than letting him overheat.

I think the real question is: would i trust my trainer with a cattle prod?

With some trainers- NO!.... with some YES!

 

I think the real question is: would i trust my trainer with a cattle prod?

Also, cattle prods come in different powers (strength). The trainer has to know what he is doing!

 

Yes you must trust your trainer. Of course you can also put bark collars on and it works. However the prod corrects the barking on the spot.

 

And sometimes the dog turns on you. I've seen that reaction to a cattle prod.

 

Boot, shoot and electracute.....ahhh retriever training at it's finest !!!!!

JK

 

Maybe it works. I personally find it reprehensible but that's just me I guess.

 

while prods were used back in the day
today it is rarely used
and then only as a last resort
in fact, barking is about the only thing I can think it is used for any more
I rarely even see prods now-a-days

with todays training methods
training with out using a prod is far more effective than training with one

bottom line...
if a pro tells you he has a prod for barking control
and he has a truck full of barking dogs
I might think about looking for another pro

D

 

bottom line...
if a pro tells you he has a prod for barking control
and he has a truck full of barking dogs
I might think about looking for another pro

D

Yep….if you have too many dogs to control barking without a prod you probably have too many dogs to train properly. You can get a good bark collar for $80 and they work like a charm.


For those who advocates of the cattle prod I have a deal for them. I will let you hit me with your training collar but I get to nail you with a Hot Shot…Deal or No Deal?



Give you a hint….I know two things going in:

1) I know who is going to hurt worse.
2) I know who is going to have more fun watching the other wince in pain.

 

Reading this it would appear several pros use cattle prods. So the prods work to correct barkers. Are we then planning to breed these barkers??

I'd never be comfortable with anyone using a cattle prod...guess my feelings for the dogs run too deep.

 

I'd never be comfortable with anyone using a cattle prod...guess my feelings for the dogs run too deep.

That's how I feel. I am mushy like that....

 

I wonder just how great the difference is, if any, between a cattle prod and a high 6?

 

I worked on a farm when I was a kid and there was always one in the glove box of the truck. Mind you it wasn't one of those super size one's. It never failed, one of my other friends and I would start screwing around and yep somebody would get juiced.

It hurts like hell and scares the crap out of you. Now over time, I have "tested a buddies dog's Invisible fence collar, my dog's tritronics bark collar, e collar, and a few electric fences just to see "how bad" it really was and what I was doing to my dog. Ok, the invisible fence collar, bark collar, and electric fence were dares.

As I recall the cattle prod hurts a lot more. It makes sense if you think about it, an electrical stim device designed for a 1500 lb plus animal with a tough ass hide is just a wee bit different than a 90 lab or Suzy Smith's standard poodle. (I don't know any Suzy Smith). I don't have any hard facts here and I'm sure on this site there is someone with all the facts and could shed some light on the relative differences between what is accepted as normal training methods and what some may find to be too extreme. I realize there are different camps with strong opinions about e collars themselves.


So if I knew somebody was going to stick my dog with a cattle prod for training / control purposes, I would take my dog elsware. If I found this out after the fact, I'd be pissed.

I've always contended if people are new to ecollars they should be required to strap up and get a little sample of the red and black buttons at a few different levels just to see what they have the capability to do. Think about it, that is not that far fetched, the police departments make it part of their training with their tasers.

Just my two cents.

 

Another one of the "ancient history" tools that worked......but we are better than that today.I don't condem anyone that chooses to still use them with their dogs but I dropped them a long time ago.I have been asked by friends to go fire up a dog on their truck,and have respectfully refused to.

 

Jay

You nailed it! I totally agree. Training philosophy and techniques have changed over time and more importantly, so has the technology. Ecollars are nothing more than scaled down cattle prods that can deliver the reinforcement at appropriate times and levels.

Before the advent of the e-collar trainers had cattle prods, slingshots and BB guns as their training aids. I'm sure I've missed a few there.

 

I am appalled that such a tool is even considered on these pages. If we have not progressed any more than this in learning to communicate with these highly intelligent animals, we need to stop the game right now. If it takes this kind of brutality to achieve an end, you need another hobby or profession.

With all the issues I have with line manners, vocalization, etc. if this was what it took to correct, my pup would be retired and lay around on the couch.

I too tried the invisible fence collar and my Flyway 50 on every level on myself before I put it on the dog. I want to know exactly what I am communicating when I push that button.

I find it equally reprehensible that popular trainers today still brag of being able to rattle a chain in their pocket to handle a dog due to repeated chain whippings, or to pull out a cigarette at the line that works because of the times they have burned the dog.

I understand the theory of force and working through pressure. If we turn to these other methods, we have failed miserably, and our dogs were not given to us to endure this.

 

I am appalled that such a tool is even considered on these pages. If we have not progressed any more than this in learning to communicate with these highly intelligent animals, we need to stop the game right now. If it takes this kind of brutality to achieve an end, you need another hobby or profession.

This is the way I feel also. Whenever I have seen this tool used, it literally makes me want to throw up. Improper use of a collar can be sickening too Never owned a prod, and never will. Bark collars do work well.

 

The situation here was that he had 16 dogs on his truck and the dogs would start barking and I know mine would bark too. He said he hit one of the other ones with the prod. My dog hasn't been back since I heard that and he didn't really progress much under the trainer. If I knew he had used the prod on my dog, I would shove it up his ***!

I am training my dog myself now and he is doing really good and I am enjoying it.

 

There are a lot of older methods that people today would find reprehensible, from everything I've read on the history of retriever training.

There was a time when an E-collar wasn't what it is today either, and when whips BB guns and slingshots were used in certain phases of training.

An awful lot of dogs must have survived a cattle prod for it to have been used on such a widespread basis years ago.

Personally I would take my dog away from someone who hasn't come up the curve in terms of modern tools and practices, but I'm not going to lose my mind over someone who hasn't. Not the trainer for my dog but who am I to judge?

Can't be half a tree hugger and still shoot the flier regards,

 

I saw a guy using it after dark at a motel,and the dog tried to bite the prod.....the arcs lit up the inside of his mouth......thats where my personal decision was made.

 

As I had stated in a prior post the cattle prod and other such "old school" methods are cruel to say the least. I'm sure we have all been witness or heard stories of people using today's technology in the same such manner.

In regard to today's technology, it comes down to the human administering it. It can be just as cruel and harmful than those old school methods described. Just because it comes in a slick package with great marketing doesn't make it any less damaging in the wrong hands.

 

An old time trainer asked me to use a cattle prod on his ~13 month old pup when she jumped up on me. I don't like dogs that jump on people so I agreed. He gave me the prod and let his pup out of the truck. I hit it with the prod on the chest when it jumped up on me. Dog didn't seem to react any more than if it had been hit by the collar. Dog didn't jump on me anymore either. I haven't been around the pup much but I believe her jumping on people days are over. I expect he had several different people make the same correction on her.

Honestly, the cattle prod seemed like a good tool for that.

I don't own one, but I'm not completely condemning them either.

 

Again, the choice belongs to the owner:

• Retire the barking dog
• Use a bark collar for the long-term which irritates the dog’s neck, causes them considerable mental stress, and doesn’t teach them to be quiet
• Resort to a couple of prod corrections and end up with a quiet dog

You make it sound like a no brainer, couple of good pops, problem solved. I can only speak from our experience, and I will say that we chose option #1 for a dog that had all-age points, many people would disagree, what a waste. Every one has to make choices they can live with, and define that line which they will not cross.

 

Prods used to control bvarking do not always do so. The side effects can be anything from a general lack of trust to a dog that becomes aggressive with people about it's kennel.

Currently have 2 dogs who had a prod used by PREVIOUS trainers.
They are most likely damaged goods and will never recover.

LOTS of trainers use them.....used be surprised. Not just for barking either, returning with out bird, no go issues, steadyness issues, etc.

The use is not what I have a problem with it's the side effects.

In the 17 years I have had retrievers I used a prod once on 1 dog.
Was trying to stop barking in an outdoor kennel, Went in with the prod stuck the dog said "quiet" the dog promptly, took the juice and since he had been in this rodeo before, reached up and grabbed the shaft, not the end, ripped it from my hand, and cornered me, the stand off was on. Slowly backed out of the kennel and let him keep the prod.
That day we came to an agreement.
I would not prod him, and he would not try to kill me for it.
That was the last time I EVER used a prod on a dog, ANY dog.

John

 

This is what I mean. Not only make your own choice, but never fear to defend it. If you believe in something, don't stand by out of fear of ridicule. Walk the walk and don't be ashamed to have a strong belief.