anastasia:

SPEAKING AS A PROFESSIONAL HERE, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE
WITH YOU, ANASTASIA!

THE USE OF SHOCK COLLARS, OR
"E-COLLARS" AS THE YUPPIES LIKE TO REFER TO THEM, IS ENTIRELY TOO MUCH OVER-USED AND NOT FOR THE APPROPRIATE REASONS EITHER!

MANY DOG OWNERS THESE DAYS THINK (OR WANT TO THINK!) THAT THEY CAN TRAIN THEIR DOG IN A VERY SHORT TIME! PUPPIES ARE LIKE BABIES.... IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, PATIENCE AND MOST OF ALL PERSEVERANCE IN TRAINING A DOG PROPERLY! UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE DOG, THOSE WHO DO NOT LEARN QUICKLY ENOUGH TO SUIT THEIR
OWNERS OFTEN WIND UP IN THE DOG POUND OR THE ANIMAL SHELTER.

THE USE OF A SHOCK COLLAR MAY BE NECESSARY IN APPROPRIATE CASES. BUT THAT BEING SAID, I
HAVE TO AGREE WITH ANASTASIA THAT IT SHOULD ONLY EVER BE USED AS A TOOL OF "LAST RESORT"
THOUGH! IT IS A CRUEL METHOD OF TRAINING AND REALLY NOT AT ALL NECESSARY EXCEPT IN THE MOST EXTREME CASES.

AND SPEAKING OF WHY ANIMALS END UP IN POUNDS AND SHELTERS....
ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS FOR ANIMALS LANDING IN SUCH AWFUL PLACES WHERE MANY ULTIMATELY WIND UP BEING EUTHANIZED THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN
IS OWNERS WHO CANNOT OR WILL NOT TAKE PROPER CARE OF THEIR PETS. THEY DENY THEM PROPER VETERINARY CARE AND DO NOT PROVIDE PROPER FOOD AND SHELTER
OR TRAINING AND SOCIALIZATION.
THE USE OF SHOCK COLLARS TO TRAIN A DOG IN THIS KIND OF A SITUATION IS UTTERLY USELESS.

ANOTHER CAUSE FOR ANIMALS THAT WIND UP IN THE POUNDS AND SHELTERS IS PEOPLE WHO DO NOT
CHOOSE THEIR PETS WISELY! THEY
GET THEM ON "IMPULSE" BECAUSE THE ANIMAL IS "CUTE" AS A PUPPY OR A KITTEN ALWAYS IS, AND THEN WHEN IT GROWS UP AND TURNS INTO
AN ADULT THE "CUTE FACTOR" IS NO LONGER THERE. THOSE POOR ANIMALS WIND UP IN THE SHELTERS
THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN!

IF ONLY PEOPLE WOULD RESEARCH THE BREEDS THEY ARE INTERESTED IN MORE CAREFULLY BEFORE TAKING
A NEW PET HOME THEY WOULD FIND
THAT CERTAIN BREEDS, NO MATTER HOW "CUTE" OR "PRETTY" THEY ARE, SIMPLY DO NOT SUIT THEIR FAMILY'S "LIFESTYLE" AND A LOT
OF "UNHAPPY ENDINGS" COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN AVOIDED. SADLY, IT IS ALWAYS THE ANIMALS THAT PAY FOR THE MISTAKES OF THEIR "UNINFORMED" OWNERS.

THAT IS WHY I WORK VERY HARD WITH MY DOG CLUBS' BREED RESCUE TO PLACE "SECOND HAND" DOGS IN PROPER HOMES SO THAT THEY DON'T KEEP WINDING UP IN SHELTERS OR ON DEATH ROW AT THE LOCAL DOG POUND THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. 99% OF THE TIME IT'S NOT THE DOG THAT'S THE REAL PROBLEM
IT'S THE OWNER! BUT IT IS ALWAYS THE DOG THAT PAYS FOR THE IGNORANCE OF THE OWNER, AND I FIND THAT UTTERAL ABHORRENT AND INEXCUSABLE.

I PITY THE CHILD WHO COMES FROM A HOME WHERE THE PARENTS CAN'T TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL PROPERLY
AS IT IS AN INDICATION OF JUST HOW MUCH EFFORT THEY WOULD PUT INTO RAISING THEIR CHILDREN TOO! NOT TO MENTION WHAT THEY'D BE TEACHING THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT HOW TO TREAT ANIMALS AS WELL!!