Shock collar in previous home?

392 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by sven100, Oct 7, 2020

sven100

Discussion Starter · Oct 6, 2020

Hi folks! I got some good feedback on another thread here, so I hope you don't mind if I ask another question. The second of many I'm sure.

I took my new 2 year old hound mix to the vet yesterday and as we were standing in the little grassy area outside the vet's office with one of the technicians my dog was crouching down and inching forward to kind of test the boundaries where the grassy area met the sidewalk. He did that on a couple of sides and the vet tech seems to think he must have had some kind of electric fencing in his previous home that gave him a shock or something when he tried to leave the yard.

He did something similar when we first brought him home. Belly crawling between each room as he explored the house. I had no idea what that indicated at the time, just thought it was some sort of submissive behavior, and maybe it is. I have no way of knowing for sure. I've also never heard the dog bark and I'm wondering now if that is why.

I'm just curious if this is something I should take into consideration as he's settling in and adjusting to his new home? Is there anything I need to do differently knowing that he might have had that experience?

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BKaymuttleycrew

· #2 · Oct 6, 2020

Aww, poor guy. I'd just keep things positive & not make a big deal over it. If he gets 'weird' about some boundary & is hesitant, just allow him to explore at his own pace & comfort level. Don't push him, or try to force him to 'get over it', but also don't make a big deal or fuss a lot about it/him either.

It would be nice if they could talk & tell us what their past experiences have been, but regardless of what has happened in the past, all you can do is support and work with the dog in front of you today. He'll probably* get over it once he realizes that scary things don't happen in those situations any more (if they ever did?)

* One of my dogs is 11 years old, adopted at the age of 7 months. He came to us with a LONG laundry list of phobias, one of which was crossing through physical thresholds like doorways. He has, for the most part, gotten over this, but! To this day he has to circle two or three times to get his courage up in order to bolt through the 5' wide opening in between our kitchen & sun room. He sometimes gets "stuck" in there & we have to remind him "The force field's down, it's safe to come through!" (sigh... dogs are weird!)

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BKaymuttleycrew

· #6 · Oct 7, 2020

3GSD4IPO said:
It is unlikely this behavior is associated with a e collar stimulus fence.

I disagree. There are MANY dogs who are permanently traumatized by having a shock collar used on them, whether hand-held or in the form of an 'underground fence'. Generalized fear of transitional boundaries are one such fallout from using such a device.

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BKaymuttleycrew

· #7 · Oct 7, 2020

sven100 said:
Yeah, he seems fine around the house. There were a couple of rooms that he took his time going into, but nothing that seemed too remarkable. We haven't ventured far from home since we got him, but eventually it will be interesting to see how he behaves in new environments. We're biding our time to take him to the beach. It's too soon right now and dogs aren't allowed anyway until later in the year. There's a pond near our house that he's keenly interested in, so it will be fun to see what he makes of the ocean.

Yes, dogs are weird, lol. You're guy sounds precious. It's puzzling though that they he holds onto his phobia like that for so many years.

I'm envious of your ability to take dogs to the beach (no matter what time of year!) We're in the mountains of NC, so a LONG way from the coast, although we do enjoy lots of stream & river hikes. I'm not sure if I remember how to include a picture... but here goes:

(Mr. Neurotic is the one on the left)

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