nice dog...big dog...barks a lot..he has separation anxiety if he can't actually see and touch a person.
here is the thing with training collars...shock or citronella...you absolutely CANNOT under any circumstances EVER use them on a dog who excessively barks from deep seeded anxiety. these collars totally mess them up even more...they are barking to express and release how unsure and how unsafe they feel and then suddenly they have this awful thing on their neck that does something unpleasant to painful when they are in the midst of an anxiety attack. it reinforces and increases their feelings of fear and anxiety....totally counter productive...and totally unfair. it is the proverbial kicking the dog when they are down or scaring an already upset and terrified baby.
and it is not the general publics fault that in desperation they use them...because someone who appears knowledgable about barking in dogs told them it was a good idea and an easy solution to their problem...sorry...many times it simply is not. i have used citronella collars but never on an anxiety reactive dog...they do not work, they make the problem worse and they increase anxiety in anxious dogs...so why would i use them just to freak out the dog even more?
honestly in the long run? if you just cannot modify the behavior with gentler means and the only other solution is ditching the dog? i think even debarking is in the long run kinder. i don't advocate for de-barking either cuz if i did....i would personally have several quieter dogs! but i sure hate training collars on anxious dogs..it is like poking the overly sensitive thing inside them that hurts them the very most...it just feels plain mean.
anyway...luckily for bear his family saw this and how much it was upsetting him. once he settles, bear will be fine here...he won't feel alone because he will be always surrounded by good company. once his heart gets over being broken, i think he will like it here.
soooo...saints welcomes bear...he is a real (noisy!) sweetie!
(maybe jenn will post a pic of him..she took some today.)
haha ok i figured youd have one kicking around somewhere...thanks! see ya in the morn!