heyo, about the shock/prong collars! this isnt to debate, but theres a man who goes to my dog park with two deaf dogs (a white pit bull and a white aussie shep). he uses chock collars on them to get their attention when they just arent looking in his direction since he cant call out their names. he uses them on the lowest setting, and even tried them out on himself to make sure it wouldnt hurt his dogs. this is just something i found interesting and worth mentioning since you got on the topic!
Hi! This is an interesting one.
Firstly, just because he tried the shock on himself and it didn’t hurt does not mean it won’t be unpleasant for the dog. Dogs do not know where the shock is coming from, and it can be startling for them. The experience can still be aversive for the dog, even if you don’t intend it to be, and even if you use it on the lowest setting.
Generally, people who say they are just getting their dogs attention with an aversive, aren’t actually thinking about how the tool is modifying their dog’s behaviour. It is rare that we are only asking for our dog’s attention. Eileenanddogs has a good article on this topic here, but this quotation is particularly relevant:
“If someone says that Tool A, B, or C is designed to “get the dog’s attention,” ask them what happens next. Once they get the dog’s attention, how do they actually get the dog to do something or stop doing something? Also ask them what happens if the “painless” tool fails to get the dog’s attention.”
While it sounds like he has tried his best to minimise discomfort for his dogs, it is likely that the dogs are still avoidant of the shock. I am not a fan of shock collars for deaf dogs, just as much as I’m not a fan of them for hearing dogs. At best, the low-level shock is neutral to the dog; so it only means something if the dog knows that the shock can become more intense if they don’t comply, or if it has been paired with something pleasant (e.g. food).
Some people use vibration collars as a recall cue for their deaf dogs. This involves building a strong CER (conditioned emotional response) to the stimulus, by pairing the vibration with food. This needs to be done gradually, and will only work if your dog doesn’t find the vibration aversive.
BUT - it is very possible to train deaf dogs without a shock or vibration collar. You can reward offered attention, and teach your dog to check in frequently with you. Many people teach their deaf dogs to look back at them regularly when on a walk, which means you can give cues. You can use hand signals, body cues or sign language to cue behaviours. You can condition a physical signal to be a marker (like the clicker or a verbal ‘yes’) - @pinkmanthedog flashes a thumbs up at their dogs as a marker. They have a deaf dog and a deaf/blind dog, and I don’t believe they use shock or vibration to train.
Sidenote: I’m half awake, so hopefully this makes sense. I have a couple more to answer but I’ll get thereeeee.
