Day 7: Never Shock a Puppy

In week 7 of the 2010 Never Shock a Puppy dog blog campaign, we discuss whether or not snake aversion training is the one “acceptable” use of shock collars.  Personally, my answer is no, but there are many people I like and respect who believe otherwise.

Since Lilly has survived TWO rattlesnake bites in TWO years, I like to think we know a bit about this particular subject.

Habitat Rich With “Social” Snakes

Recently, I interviewed a snake expert during research for a major dog magazine article about dogs and snakes. I emailed him an overhead photo of our valley and asked just how many rattlesnakes likely lived on our acres.

He laughed in a distinct, “You-don’t-want-to-know” way and said, “A lot.”

It intrigued me to find out that rattlesnakes live a fairly dog-like existence. They’re much more “social” than other snakes, and that means they maintain small home ranges and even share dens at times.

Training Plan

Weather changes mean we’re likely safe until next spring. It’s probably too cold for the prairie rattlesnakes we have here. They’ve likely hunkered down in their dens for winter. We still get some very warm days, so I suppose they could be out at times, but we’ve seen no snakes of any kind for weeks now.

I’m seriously considering the non-shock snake training method for next spring, though. Essentially, you use a verbal gasp to help condition a do-not-approach response in dogs.

We’ll have to see how things go over the winter and what we feel up to next spring.

“Grand Prize”

We’re taking comments as entries for our grand prize drawing on the Never Shock a Puppy site. Our final prize package includes a bunch of great things, including a $100 gift certificate to an online dog toy store, coalition members and sponsors Best Friends General Store, and a $25 gift certificate to campaign sponsors K9Cuisine.com.

Last Chance to Donate

We have a LONG way to go to reach our goal to raise $2,500 by October 20 for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley’s No-Choke Challenge. Lilly and I are now shamelessly begging for donations.

In this final week, we need your help more than ever.

Please.

We’re even offering new donation incentives (in other words GIFTS and PRIZES) for those who are first to donate more than $50 or more than $75.

And, if that isn’t enough, we recently realized that Oct 20, the final day of the campaign, is the SIXTH Anniversary of the day we adopted Lilly from Humane Society of Boulder Valley.

So, if nothing else … consider your donation a present celebrating Lilly. She deserves it. Don’t you think?

If for some reason you cannot see or use the donation widget below, please visit the Never Shock a Puppy Donation Site instead.