Says that 100 training together with assuming the ammonite way friend they are supposed to be. I have done some studies with a reputable behavioural school and all studies have shown that this causes a dog more anxiety than anything we could imagine. If a dog gets a shock at the wrong time, you are teaching it to be scared of all the wrong things. A dog has to be taught no within 3 seconds, you can not possibly get that right. How would like this treatment? Can you imagine every time you did something wrong at work for instance and your boss pressed the button, what would your reaction be? the things, a nation of animal lovers, I 't think Dear K9 Magazine Anything that causes pain to animal should be outlawed! Would we use the same device to get children to do as we want? I 't think somehow! Kind regards -Jones Dear Sir Madam I read the last edition of K9 magazine and was pleased that the topic of electric collars has come up for debate having been avid user for a number of years now. Whilst acknowledging that there is element of concern over the use of anything electrical, this debate really stems from people not properly understanding on how it operates. At no time when using our remote trainer have we caused our dog any distress, to the contrary it has saved our Labrador's life. He had taken to worrying sheep down on Common Land and was liable to be shot if we did not immediately take corrective measures. We did seek advice, train him and follow guidelines along traditional lines however this proved ineffective and the sheep far more interesting. We were then recommended a remote trainer by a friend, and indeed we only used the electric collar once accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines and Wellington has never chased sheep again. This device was used to safeguard our pet within his home environment and has most definitely enhanced his enjoyment of being part of our family. I have recommended these devices to a lot of people since first using it and the results are astounding. Yours faithfully Brown I read with interest your request for comments regarding electric collars. Although your magazine is aimed at dog owners it was passed to me by a friend as we use such a product with our cats. We live a semi-rural area on the edge of town, a reasonable distance from the main road. Several years ago we rescued three cats from a local centre all of who became much loved, and very settled members of our family. However one always had a tendency to wander, and frequently crossed the main road to go into the fields beyond. We always had a strong belief that cats being very independent creatures should not be restrained, however earlier this year husband went out to work early one morning only to find our beloved wanderer dead by the side of the road having been hit by a vehicle on his way home for breakfast. We were devastated. Since then we re-considered that possibility of some sort of device to restrict their wanderings a little. After much consideration we opted to install a radio fence and have the cats wear electric collars. This has successfully prevented them from leaving our reasonably sized garden and has given us much more peace of mind. The thought of another member of our family such a horrible way was just too much to bear, and I am glad we have taken this decision. The cats were carefully trained accordance with the manufacturers advice, and after having received one or two corrections the early days now accept their collars and the limitations to their wanderings. They are still well-adjusted, and very contented pets. I do understand the other side of the electric collar debate, but feel very strongly that the right hands and used correctly and responsibly they are a huge asset from several points of view the animal's safety, the owner's peace of mind, and reducing the possibility of causing a major road accident. Regards, SL Dear K9 Magazine, There has been a lot of controversy about electronic dog collars and restraints the press and government recently. I write as a very happy user of such a system. We live on a couple of acres a village Leicestershire A couple of years ago we had problems with our Retriever bitch escaping and wandering when on heat, causing a bother to our neighbours. We then also got a Ridgeback dog who when 8 months old escaped and was hit by a car the road outside. Luckily, neither dog nor car occupants suffered serious harm. However, there remained the risk of nuisance to other people and dogs. At the recommendation of some friends, we had a Freedom Fence system installed around our boundary. We adjusted the levels that the dogs received the minimum prompt they recognised. Our dogs took 2 days to learn where the boundaries are.