Train Not Pain

Last weekend, while I was at a pet store trying to find more squeak balls for Kino, I overheard another customer ask an employee for help.  I heard her say, "I have a German shepherd who barks all the time so I want to look at the bark collars."  I could feel myself flinch at the thought of anyone using a bark collar, knowing how painful it is for a dog and how unfair it is to try to stop them from doing what they are naturally programmed to do - to alert us to potential danger.

For the next five minutes or so, I stood there, staring at squeak balls while a debate ensued inside my head . . . Should I speak up? Should I mind my own business?  She didn't ask ME for my opinion but I feel like animals count on me to be their voice at times.  I went back and forth, back and forth and ultimately came to the conclusion that the worst thing that could happen was that I might make the customer and/or the store employee mad.  I decided it was a chance I was willing to take.

I walked over to the customer and the employee who was helping her and said, "I couldn't help overhearing that you're having a problem with your German shepherd barking a lot.  I don't mean to be intrusive but I was able to train my previous shepherd to only bark 2-3 times and then stop and I am working on training my foster dog the same way right now.  Would you be interested in hearing how I did it?"  Fortunately for me, she was very receptive and she said, "Yes, please, I'd like to know because I really don't want to resort to using a bark collar and I don't want her to feel like she can't ever bark but our neighbor keeps complaining so I have to do something."

I told her about my approach, which involved thanking Lucky each time she barked by saying, "Thank you for letting me know someone was outside" and giving her a treat when she stopped barking.  Eventually she learned that she only needed to bark 2-3 times, just to alert me to someone's presence outside.  (So far, it only works 50% of the time with Kino, but he's so smart, I know he'll get the hang of it, once he realizes that not all people who walk by our house are a potential threat to our safety and security.)  :-)

The gal at the pet store said she was anxious to get home and give my suggestion a try.  Since it was a holiday weekend, she was happy to know she had an extra day to work on it with her dog.

So, I left the pet store with several new squeak balls for Kino (which seem to bring him more joy than anything else in the world) and gratitude in my heart that I pushed myself to take the risk and speak up, and that it was received as well as it was.