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OBEDIENCE CLASSES:
The Maui Humane Society (877-3680) conducts obedience classes using humane, motivational training techniques. Although basic cues and behaviors are taught in these 9 week classes, the emphasis is on learning to communicate with and thereby increasing the ond between you and your dog. his can be an invaluable tool for any dog owner and a great counterpart to you barking solutions.
THE CITRONELLA COLLAR
The citronella collar is a humane and effective barking collar that combines high tech electronics with proven Pavlovian behavioral modification principles. Each time your dog barks, the sound sensing unit in the collar delivers a brisk citronella spray in front of your dog's snout. Citronella is a natural, effective and painless deterrent that is safe for pets, peopl and the environment. These collars have been proven more effective than the traditional "shock" type barking collar. Beware, these collars have 2 drawbacks:
- The dog may learn simply not to bark when the collar is on but will easily be able to tell when the collar is off (the collars are a little bulky, especially for smaller dogs and although they don't seem to mind wearing them, they can easily tell when it is not on!).
- If underlying problems are not addressed, these collars are so effective that the dog may be "forced" to display other unwanted behaviors as outlined previously.
To counteract these drawbacks, I highly recommend combinf this tool with a training program aimed at both addressing the underlying cause of the barking and working with the dog to modify it's barking habit. Use the citronella collar as a tool to give you and your neighbors some peace and quiet while you work to address the causes of barking.
FINAL WORDS
Dogs are living creatures with feelings and individual personalities just like us. As such, there are no "quick fixes" or guarantees when it comes to teaching new behaviors or extinguishing old ones. Only your time and patience, combined with understanding and loving guidance will make a difference. If you have made it this far in the web site, then you are obviously willing to spend some extra effort to reach a resolution that will benefit all concerned.
Remember, in exchange for your patience and understanding, you will be rewarded with your dog's unconditional love. Take a good look into their eyes, and tell me that's not worth it!
Contact the Maui Humane Society (877-3680) if you have any further questions or need any more guidance with this or any other behavioral problems.
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