Post by RealPitBull on Jul 12, 2008 6:22:57 GMT -5
Shelter's dog-training methods under fire
Society officials defend use of collars, sprays called outdated by other
groups
By RANDI ROSSMANN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Sunday, July 8, 2007 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, July 8, 2007 at 2:19 a.m.
External Links:
* _Today's Humane Society is a whole new animal_
(http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070708/NEWS/707080318/1033/NEWS01)
* _Officials monitor mobile neutering van_
(http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070708/NEWS/707080356/1033/NEWS01)
* _How much is that doggy (or kitten) at the shelter?_
(http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070708/NEWS/707080367/1033/NEWS01)
Prong collars, vinegar sprays and choke chains are standard canine behavior
tools at the Humane Society of Sonoma County.
Society officials say the corrective methods, coupled with rewards, create
better trained and more adoptable dogs.
Such methods, however, are considered outdated and potentially abusive by
many local animal agencies, trainers and some county residents who've adopted
dogs from the Humane Society.
No other animal shelter in Sonoma County, nor the Marin County Humane
Society or the Humane Society of the United States condones the training methods
used by the Sonoma County Humane Society. All are advocates of
positive-reinforcement training.
"We don't use prong collars or choke chains. We don't use any sort of spray
bottles in the kennels and don't recommend that to our adopters," said Dori
Villalon, head of the Sonoma County Animal Shelter and former Humane Society
director in Fort Collins, Colo.
"We want them to use positive reinforcement training. We want to set the dog
up to succeed and reward him for doing the right behavior versus a
correction-type approach," Villalon said.
At the Marin County Humane Society, trainer Trish King said there are better
options than punitively forcing a dog to learn. "If you don't have to do it,
why do that? Why cause an animal pain?" asked King, who lectures on positive
training.
It's a matter of differing philosophies, both sides acknowledge.
Sonoma County Humane Society officials cite their handling of animals as a
positive guideline for the public. "We're trying to lead by example, the way
we treat our shelter animals. It sets an example of care and attention that
should be given to their pets," said Angie Bonnert, Humane Society spokeswoman.
A prong collar consists of interlocking metal links with blunt prongs that
pinch the dog's skin when it pulls or the owner pulls on the leash. The spray
is a half-and-half mixture of white vinegar and water. It is squirted into
the face of a disobedient pet.
The organization adopted the methods three years ago when it started a new
training program to coincide with the opening of its new building on Highway
12 west of Santa Rosa. The program provides training for dogs at the center
and classes for the public.
The training, plus a revised effort at matching dogs with the prospective
owners, has resulted in a drop in the rate of dogs being returned from 16
percent to 3 percent, Bonnert said.
The program was developed by head trainer Julee Fullenwider, hired by the
Humane Society three years ago. She has been training dogs for 25 years and
previously taught classes at the old facility.
Fullenwider said she and her staff use a combination of reward and
correction -- typically the prong collar and vinegar -- to stop a dog from jumping,
barking, pulling on leashes and dashing outdoors.
"We monitor the system to make sure it is humane and effective, and not
causing harm to the animal," said Scott Anderson, the Humane Society director.
"By utilizing several methods and systems, we are able to improve the dog's
behavior at a faster rate and with greater long-term success," he said.
While Fullenwider said she also uses flat collars and lead halters, she
primarily uses a prong, or pinch collar, on the shelter dogs during training. The
society recommends prong collars in its training classes for the public,
including for young, small dogs. It also sells the devices at its shop.
The vinegar spray is used routinely at the shelter. "A lot of vets recommend
it. I've been using it for 25 years. It's not harmful at all," Fullenwider
said.
Officials at several other local shelters said they worry about the acidic
effects of vinegar and one Santa Rosa vet said she wouldn't recommend it. "I
certainly wouldn't want vinegar spray in my eyes, so I wouldn't want vinegar
sprayed in my dog's eyes," said Sue Boynton of the Laguna Veterinary
Hospital.
Santa Rosan Mike Campbell said he recently brought his family dog to the
Humane Society to meet a dog he was considering adopting. As the two dogs
mingled in a play area, "the trainer squirted our dog in the eye with vinegar
water because he was barking," said Campbell, who runs a doggy day care in Santa
Rosa. "This is the Humane Society?" he said.
Occidental resident Sue Maguire volunteered to work with dogs at the shelter
for about six months in 2005.
"If you open a door to take a dog out for a walk, you're not allowed to open
a door unless you have your vinegar water spray at the ready. The second you
open the door you spray the dog in the face so it'll back away," Maguire
said.
"It bothered me. They never gave the dog a chance. The first thing out the
door is punishment," she said.
Fullenwider said it's often the owner's sensibilities that are offended by
the methods. "It is uncomfortable (for the dog.) That's what a correction is.
I don't believe that we hurt the dogs," she said.
"You get a lot of people that they come from a gut level and not an
educational place," Fullenwider said.
Society officials defend use of collars, sprays called outdated by other
groups
By RANDI ROSSMANN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Sunday, July 8, 2007 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, July 8, 2007 at 2:19 a.m.
External Links:
* _Today's Humane Society is a whole new animal_
(http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070708/NEWS/707080318/1033/NEWS01)
* _Officials monitor mobile neutering van_
(http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070708/NEWS/707080356/1033/NEWS01)
* _How much is that doggy (or kitten) at the shelter?_
(http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20070708/NEWS/707080367/1033/NEWS01)
Prong collars, vinegar sprays and choke chains are standard canine behavior
tools at the Humane Society of Sonoma County.
Society officials say the corrective methods, coupled with rewards, create
better trained and more adoptable dogs.
Such methods, however, are considered outdated and potentially abusive by
many local animal agencies, trainers and some county residents who've adopted
dogs from the Humane Society.
No other animal shelter in Sonoma County, nor the Marin County Humane
Society or the Humane Society of the United States condones the training methods
used by the Sonoma County Humane Society. All are advocates of
positive-reinforcement training.
"We don't use prong collars or choke chains. We don't use any sort of spray
bottles in the kennels and don't recommend that to our adopters," said Dori
Villalon, head of the Sonoma County Animal Shelter and former Humane Society
director in Fort Collins, Colo.
"We want them to use positive reinforcement training. We want to set the dog
up to succeed and reward him for doing the right behavior versus a
correction-type approach," Villalon said.
At the Marin County Humane Society, trainer Trish King said there are better
options than punitively forcing a dog to learn. "If you don't have to do it,
why do that? Why cause an animal pain?" asked King, who lectures on positive
training.
It's a matter of differing philosophies, both sides acknowledge.
Sonoma County Humane Society officials cite their handling of animals as a
positive guideline for the public. "We're trying to lead by example, the way
we treat our shelter animals. It sets an example of care and attention that
should be given to their pets," said Angie Bonnert, Humane Society spokeswoman.
A prong collar consists of interlocking metal links with blunt prongs that
pinch the dog's skin when it pulls or the owner pulls on the leash. The spray
is a half-and-half mixture of white vinegar and water. It is squirted into
the face of a disobedient pet.
The organization adopted the methods three years ago when it started a new
training program to coincide with the opening of its new building on Highway
12 west of Santa Rosa. The program provides training for dogs at the center
and classes for the public.
The training, plus a revised effort at matching dogs with the prospective
owners, has resulted in a drop in the rate of dogs being returned from 16
percent to 3 percent, Bonnert said.
The program was developed by head trainer Julee Fullenwider, hired by the
Humane Society three years ago. She has been training dogs for 25 years and
previously taught classes at the old facility.
Fullenwider said she and her staff use a combination of reward and
correction -- typically the prong collar and vinegar -- to stop a dog from jumping,
barking, pulling on leashes and dashing outdoors.
"We monitor the system to make sure it is humane and effective, and not
causing harm to the animal," said Scott Anderson, the Humane Society director.
"By utilizing several methods and systems, we are able to improve the dog's
behavior at a faster rate and with greater long-term success," he said.
While Fullenwider said she also uses flat collars and lead halters, she
primarily uses a prong, or pinch collar, on the shelter dogs during training. The
society recommends prong collars in its training classes for the public,
including for young, small dogs. It also sells the devices at its shop.
The vinegar spray is used routinely at the shelter. "A lot of vets recommend
it. I've been using it for 25 years. It's not harmful at all," Fullenwider
said.
Officials at several other local shelters said they worry about the acidic
effects of vinegar and one Santa Rosa vet said she wouldn't recommend it. "I
certainly wouldn't want vinegar spray in my eyes, so I wouldn't want vinegar
sprayed in my dog's eyes," said Sue Boynton of the Laguna Veterinary
Hospital.
Santa Rosan Mike Campbell said he recently brought his family dog to the
Humane Society to meet a dog he was considering adopting. As the two dogs
mingled in a play area, "the trainer squirted our dog in the eye with vinegar
water because he was barking," said Campbell, who runs a doggy day care in Santa
Rosa. "This is the Humane Society?" he said.
Occidental resident Sue Maguire volunteered to work with dogs at the shelter
for about six months in 2005.
"If you open a door to take a dog out for a walk, you're not allowed to open
a door unless you have your vinegar water spray at the ready. The second you
open the door you spray the dog in the face so it'll back away," Maguire
said.
"It bothered me. They never gave the dog a chance. The first thing out the
door is punishment," she said.
Fullenwider said it's often the owner's sensibilities that are offended by
the methods. "It is uncomfortable (for the dog.) That's what a correction is.
I don't believe that we hurt the dogs," she said.
"You get a lot of people that they come from a gut level and not an
educational place," Fullenwider said.