Animal Communication with a German Shepherd
A beautiful German Shepherd client I spoke to this week had turned unexpectedly aggressive with other dogs, and her people were concerned about the behavior accelerating around their grandchildren. When I tuned into this majestic dog, she sent me confusion and sure signs of PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder).
Further investigation led to a ringing in my head and a direct question.
“Have you been using a shock collar on Sheeba?” I asked.
“Yes, we have,” Gretchen told me, “But now, it’s only on vibrate.”
I have no idea when the collar will go off, Sheeba told me, so I’m always on guard. Even if it doesn’t send a shock, I still get zapped and frightened. I’m confused and hurting.
I explained to Gretchen that PTSD was not necessarily logical, so it was hard for me to convince Sheeba that an electrical shock emanating from the collar to her head and body, was different from the buzz that wasn’t supposed to hurt her. Her body and psyche reacted the same to these two stimuli. And she usually got shocked in the nighttime, for barking, when she was trying to protect her people from wild animals outside, she showed me.
The collar triggered a scary event for the dog. Just feeling what it was like when the people put it on was disturbing enough. If you’ve ever been punished randomly and unjustly, you understand where the dog was coming from. But what Gretchen told me next, helped me understand why this dog was with this woman. I truly hoped she was hearing her own words.
“I’ve accidentally triggered the collar three times recently by mistake,” she said. “But I have PTSD, so I know what you mean about it not being logical.”
Here’s information from my book, Animal Whisperer: Wild Conversations, about the danger of shock collars. And some great alternatives!
Shocking Collars
A shock collar looks like a standard one with a small box outfitted with two metal electrodes. Electrodes are designed to penetrate the fur and press directly against the skin. The collar’s electrodes often burn the neck. Between 1500 to 4500 volts of electricity are delivered through a painful shock to the animal. Voltage information is often hidden or obscured so that some collars may operate at higher voltages.
Why not try the shock collar yourself before using it on an animal? Does the thought make you quiver? You can see what happens without trying it out yourself because several humans have already done that on YouTube. Check it out.
Some people who try out the collar on-camera report the pain level is an 8 out of 10. Some are left writhing on the ground at the lowest levels of electrical current from the collar. Even those who set out to prove the collar is not so bad seem traumatized and have reversed course. Trying out the electronic shock collar is an event they’ll never forget. Dogs don’t forget that kind of trauma, either.
Misuse of Shock Collars is Common
Misuse of shock collars is not uncommon, partly due to a lack of clear instructions. At a field trial event in Maine, Green Acres Kennel (greenacreskennel.com) staff witnessed a life-altering event for one particular dog. They wrote about it in their article: The Unintended Consequences of Shock Collars here: https://www.greenacreskennel.com/information/articles/ dog-behavior-and-training/689-the-unintended- consequences-of-shock-collars.
“A dog owner with two dogs was working with one of his dogs and had a second dog in its crate. The dog he was working with did not respond to a command, so the owner pressed a button on the remote to shock the dog. The dog still did not respond to the command, so the owner shocked the dog again. This happened three times. Meanwhile, the dog in the crate yelped each time the owner intended to shock the dog he was working with. It was not until our staff member pointed it out that the owner realized he was shocking his dog in the crate, not the one he was working with.” The owner was using the wrong remote unit.
Talking to the Dogs
In my practice, this might play out with folks coming to me for a session, wanting to know why their new rescue dog is paranoid about getting into a crate; why they can’t stand to have anything near their neck, why their ears are ultrasensitive; or why they shake their heads all the time. When a dog has this kind of experience, it’s not unusual for his behavior to become illogical, fearful, aggressive, or unpredictable. Dogs who are shocked often turn on the people who are shocking them, or become aggressive when they’ve never exhibited aggression before.
“A study published in 2000 looked at five dogs subjected to shock collar containment systems and who later bit people, resulting in a lawsuit. No dog had a prior history of displaying aggression towards people, and it is believed that the dogs received a shock at the time of the attack. There is no evidence to suggest that the humans bitten were acting in a threatening manner before the attack. In all cases, the dogs bit the victim repeatedly and uninhibitedly, resulting in serious bodily injury.
“Other studies on the use of electrical shock on other species, including humans, have noted the extreme viciousness and intensity of shock-elicited aggression.” 2 Polsky, Richard, (2000), Can Aggression in Dogs Be Elicited Through the Use of Electronic Pet Containment Systems? Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 3(4), 345-357,
Reward-Based Training
The good news is that studies show positive reinforcement is as effective as shock aversion. Source: https://www. companionanimalpsychology.com/2013/06/the-end-for-shock-collars.html
Alternatives to using a shock collar include a reward-based training program and more effective management of your dog. Clicker and reward-based training make for a confident working or performance dog. Take a look at the U.S. Navy for the effectiveness of positive reinforcement methods. The Navy has trained some of the most talented working animals in the world exclusively with reward-based training.
In my practice, I’ve met hundreds of dogs who have benefited from positive reinforcement or rewards-based training. #