[jas'smom]

Wanted to put in a quick word on the e collar thread. My cattle dog Anya is totally deaf and has been from birth. I got her as 3 year old rescue who was about to be euthinized because she was deaf and uncontrollable. All anyone ever did was keep the poor thing in a cage :( :( I was told that I could never have her off leash, that was fine as I could let her run in the fenced in paddock at my parents. Well, I could not find a fence that would keep this Houdini in!! It was either take up marathon running or find a solution that would allow this dog to expend all her pent up energy. This is getting a bit wordy so I will cut to the chase. After discussing this with several trainers I came up with someone in my area that taught the use of these collars. To make a long story short after months of training and work to include hand signals Anya is now a well behaved and happy dog. She is able to go on hour long hikes with me, competes in frisbee contests and is able to expend all that energy and then come home to obedience work. I will be competiting her in the spring. I think that with professional training and work the e collar can be a humane solution to what could have been a death sentenance for Anya. I do not recommed the use of these collars for casual training or without the instruction of a professional who is experienced in the use of them. But for me and Anya they litterly saved a life.