Off The Hook
Yesterday was big doings around here - boxes arrived, visitors came by and I started a new project!
V
does anyone remember that show, V, about the visitors?
Sabrina from Knit Knit came by with her photographer (I'm such a spaz - I've forgotten her name and she was so lovely!) and we chatted and took some photos. I'd cleaned the house - but also wanted it to be cheerfully messy with yarn - a fine line to walk.
What wasn't cheerful was the headless squirrel on our front porch. Apparently the kids didn't feel it merited comment as they stepped over it to the bus (with the cat we have they're practically farm kids now...) I saw it just moments before Sabrina showed up. Now THAT would have made a lovely photo for the book, huh? Ah, Spring is here...
During the interview the phone kept ringing and ringing - NON stop! Because I'm popular? No, it was all from the same number, trying to send me a fax. Remember that Seinfeld when Elaine kept getting the faxes? Well imagine it happening while someone's trying to INTERVIEW you! I cleared up that mystery today when I discovered that a new person had started at my distributors and hadn't gotten the heads up that I like to get my purchase orders via email, not fax. Life is a constant breaking in, eh?
Then a box - no TWO - of yarn arrived! How exciting is THAT? It won't be quite so exciting in a few weeks when I'm under stacks of boxes of yarn, but now it's a little like Christmas. And then the item arrived which will make some of you hate me.
The Bark Collar
I love my dog. If you know me, you KNOW I love my dog. I adore Atticus, and he's just about the perfect pooch. But he's become so BARKY that it makes us nuts. While visiting a friend I mentioned this and she showed me the bark collar her own dog had worn for a bit to train him not to bark. The idea is that the dog wears this box on his collar and when he barks loudly it zaps him with a little shock. I felt it (yes, I held the collar in my hand and BARKED at it until it zapped) and it's not something I'd like to do every day. But it also wasn't terrible - really, not awful (and I don't have a fur coat).
So I put this thing on Atticus (who had been barking at some passing dogs, a car, the garbage men, a kid with a basketball, a bird, a piece of garbage and yet another dog) and he settled back into his perch by the window. When the next dog walked by he barked - then he shuddered, looked at me VERY confused, and came over and sat by me.
Another dog, another bark, more confused looks. I was just about to take the damned thing off because I was feeling so guilty, but then the acid test arrived...
The Mail Man
The mailman is the big thorn in Atticus's side -he HATES him, he feels he's trying to invade our home with all of this junk mail, and more than once we've found our Netflix disks waiting for us with teeth marks in them (Atticus's, not the mail man).
So as the mailman approached, Atticus started his low growl, walked over and sniffed the door, looked at me, sat and watched the mail come in the slot, then went back to his perch (he "owns" one of the sofas, it's his place to be) and settled back down. Magic.
And that was enough to make me praise the collar. Usually when the mail man comes, Atticus starts barking and sort of whips himself up into a frenzy, running up and down the stairs, barking, running, slipping, barking. Today he was aware of the mailman - probably MORE aware than he usually is - but not barking.
I took the collar off a bit after that and left if off for the rest of the day. This morning I left it off until he barked at a passing dog, then after about a half an hour (during which he didn't bark) I took it off and he's been pretty quiet all day.
I know I sound like a terrible person with this shock collar thing - and it's someplace I REALLY didn't want to go. But his barking's been getting to the out of control stage. He seems to excite himself with his barking - like a kid who sobs so hard they can't stop - and this seems (at least as of day 2) to make him stop and think, "Do I really need to bark now?"
So, for now, I'm slightly more productive because it's slightly less noisy here. The Quark dilemma's been fixed, but I have to redo those 6 months plus the other months. This will never end.
V
does anyone remember that show, V, about the visitors?
Sabrina from Knit Knit came by with her photographer (I'm such a spaz - I've forgotten her name and she was so lovely!) and we chatted and took some photos. I'd cleaned the house - but also wanted it to be cheerfully messy with yarn - a fine line to walk.
What wasn't cheerful was the headless squirrel on our front porch. Apparently the kids didn't feel it merited comment as they stepped over it to the bus (with the cat we have they're practically farm kids now...) I saw it just moments before Sabrina showed up. Now THAT would have made a lovely photo for the book, huh? Ah, Spring is here...
During the interview the phone kept ringing and ringing - NON stop! Because I'm popular? No, it was all from the same number, trying to send me a fax. Remember that Seinfeld when Elaine kept getting the faxes? Well imagine it happening while someone's trying to INTERVIEW you! I cleared up that mystery today when I discovered that a new person had started at my distributors and hadn't gotten the heads up that I like to get my purchase orders via email, not fax. Life is a constant breaking in, eh?
Then a box - no TWO - of yarn arrived! How exciting is THAT? It won't be quite so exciting in a few weeks when I'm under stacks of boxes of yarn, but now it's a little like Christmas. And then the item arrived which will make some of you hate me.
The Bark Collar
I love my dog. If you know me, you KNOW I love my dog. I adore Atticus, and he's just about the perfect pooch. But he's become so BARKY that it makes us nuts. While visiting a friend I mentioned this and she showed me the bark collar her own dog had worn for a bit to train him not to bark. The idea is that the dog wears this box on his collar and when he barks loudly it zaps him with a little shock. I felt it (yes, I held the collar in my hand and BARKED at it until it zapped) and it's not something I'd like to do every day. But it also wasn't terrible - really, not awful (and I don't have a fur coat).
So I put this thing on Atticus (who had been barking at some passing dogs, a car, the garbage men, a kid with a basketball, a bird, a piece of garbage and yet another dog) and he settled back into his perch by the window. When the next dog walked by he barked - then he shuddered, looked at me VERY confused, and came over and sat by me.
Another dog, another bark, more confused looks. I was just about to take the damned thing off because I was feeling so guilty, but then the acid test arrived...
The Mail Man
The mailman is the big thorn in Atticus's side -he HATES him, he feels he's trying to invade our home with all of this junk mail, and more than once we've found our Netflix disks waiting for us with teeth marks in them (Atticus's, not the mail man).
So as the mailman approached, Atticus started his low growl, walked over and sniffed the door, looked at me, sat and watched the mail come in the slot, then went back to his perch (he "owns" one of the sofas, it's his place to be) and settled back down. Magic.
And that was enough to make me praise the collar. Usually when the mail man comes, Atticus starts barking and sort of whips himself up into a frenzy, running up and down the stairs, barking, running, slipping, barking. Today he was aware of the mailman - probably MORE aware than he usually is - but not barking.
I took the collar off a bit after that and left if off for the rest of the day. This morning I left it off until he barked at a passing dog, then after about a half an hour (during which he didn't bark) I took it off and he's been pretty quiet all day.
I know I sound like a terrible person with this shock collar thing - and it's someplace I REALLY didn't want to go. But his barking's been getting to the out of control stage. He seems to excite himself with his barking - like a kid who sobs so hard they can't stop - and this seems (at least as of day 2) to make him stop and think, "Do I really need to bark now?"
So, for now, I'm slightly more productive because it's slightly less noisy here. The Quark dilemma's been fixed, but I have to redo those 6 months plus the other months. This will never end.
33 Comments:
I remember V-I watched religiously! If you tell me where to buy one of those dog collars you will be my husband's hero-little Bubbles never stops barking!
One of my friends from college was on V (he played Kyle, the drug manufacturer's kid) and come to think of it he was on an episode of Seinfeld later (Mr. Hot & Heavy).
If you click on the Bark Collar words, it should take you to the place where I bought it...
Is this the UK series? That only lasted one season but I loved it. I don't know about any other one.
You have no reason to feel bad about using a training tool with your dog. it sounds like he learned from it quickly and painlessly. He didn't yelp and pee himself, so he obviously wasn't traumatized. i think you did the right thing.
Hey, I'm a big softie for my puppy, so I'm not a heartless evil person. My best friend is a dog trainer and I know she'd think you did everything just right. You tried the collar for yourself, you use it only when necessary and you take it off when your dog appears to have responded properly.
Ok, well, she's a dog trainer and she loves dogs, but she did put ducky slippers on a pomeranian
http://www.marniemaclean.com/words/2006/04/i_would_never_d_1.html
So you might disagree with her code of dog ethics ;)
So anyway, horray for yarn. I hope it's lots of yummy goodness.
The bark collar worked very nicely for two of my dogs...after a bit you can de-activate the zapper - put the collar on and the dog will still refrain from barking. The key is intermittent reinforcement - so every now and then you have to let him have a zap. I've also found that for my dog who is too small for a collar (9lbs) - tossing an empty soda can which has had a few conins tossed in and then had the opening taped shut extinguishes the undesriable behavior very effectively. Diet Pepsi cans work best at my house! I've given each neighbor a can to shake when the yapping becomes too much for them and I am at work and my pup quiets right down. Don't HIT the dog with the can...just startle him/her by tossing it nearby..it's best if the dog does not see you toss the can.
If only collars and cans woudl work with my two teenage children!!
Hopefully Atticus will not learn that he can bark without pain if the collar isn't on. Can you turn it off instead of taking it off?
BTW, I love the name Atticus. I planned on giving my future son Atticus as a middle name, but I never had kids. So all I have is a cat named Scout.
OMG - yes, I remember the V series - we had a friend from Austria, who was really not too fluent in English yet, and my husband and I were talking about it, and this is the reason I'll never forget the show - because when he heard us talking about it he said "v"???? As in Vomit???? and then proceded to tell us a hilarious story about how peopled always "barfed" in his office - when what he really meant was BARGED in his office, and well, that's how I remember that show. Aren't you glad you asked?
Yes, V was great. I have the whole series. I loved the frst time you saw Diana eating that rat!!
I had an Anti-Bark collar for one of my dogs years ago, but it spurted citronella which she hated. I wouldn't feel good about zapping my Labradors with electricity : a spurt of a lemony smell doesn't seem so bad. I used citronella oil in other places too, like on the rubbish bin to discourage foraging!!!
I don't know, Annie... One of the things I miss about living at home is the constant barking of the dogs. It is considered 'out of control' by human-standards, but my dogs are doing their job-- they're alerting us of intruders, or protecting us. Or saying "dad's home!" or, "let me out, I need to use the bathroom!" And my dogs are big!
What I can't stand is cat meowing.
An alternative to the shock collar is the citronella collar. It's also activated by barking, and sprays a little bit of citronella under the dogs chin.
See
http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/96/6.6.96/barking.html
i remember V. the part that freaked me out the most was when the girl had those twins, and the first baby looked normal, until she flicked her tongue at you. i felt sorriest for the second one, because it was so mixed up it couldn't live. poor little thing. definitely a freak show, though.
i wouldn't feel guilty about the dog. invisible fencing works the same way, and it keeps the dog home (unless you know a rotweiler who walks throught he damned things, i did, lol)
I've been contemplating getting a bark collar - dog, Maddie, barks at our neighbors when theyre in their own back yard. Theyre starting to complain. I've been holding out on getting the collar because I'm afraid that it will hurt her. I may have to look into it more now that it turns out it doesnt hurt that badly.
In Europe we have similar collars but they spritz water instead of an electric shock.
Oh, and a dog "hates" the mail person because it is a person that walks up to the house, does something to it and walks away. The dog does not understand he is not a threat and thus does not have to defend the house. If you hear the mail person, take the dog by his collar open the door, talk to the mail person and let the dog know that the mail person is not a threat. It may take a few days for the dog to realise that he's not a threat, but mostly it works out. That's what a TV show on animal behaviour told me a few months back. If you think about it, it is very logical :)
Cheers Eva
I adored V.
annie-
i have to triple the comment about the citronella collar - works just as well if you need another option.
look forward to meeting you on may 1 at yarnzilla in minnetonka, minnesota!
kim r.
I would have paid GOOD MONEY to see you holding the collar in your hand, barking at it.
Just sayin'.
I'd seriously looked into the citronella collar, but after talking to a few friends who'd used (and discarded) them, I came to the conclusion that they don't work for all dogs and even though the idea of shocking a dog seems mean, compelling them to smell something for an extended period that they find offensive seemed meaner.
I figured both are a way to say, "No!" - the collar seemed to be a clearer, shorter way to say it. But I can definitely see the benefits of the citronella collar. Perhaps it's because my own breathing is so bad these days that the citronella didn't seem as neutral as it might.
It's funny, our dog DOES know our mail carriers - all three of them - and he likes them! He just can't stand the thought of something coming THROUGH that mail slot. He also barks when students come to the house (although I'm not teaching as much as I was).
Hooray for boxes of yarn!
ha! i had a shock collar for one of my dogs, but it never made much of a difference-- he was VERY certain that he needed to bark, poor guy.
As for the headless squirrels-- one of my cats created like SEVEN in a 2 week period. And I just want to know-- what do they do with the heads?! Could they really eat the whole skull?
Meira
voirdire.org/subculture
Oh yeah, you MUST have love for the bark collar. We didn't have a "bark" collar but we did have a training collar for a dog that liked to run away, and they are small miracles.
V... you can get it on dvd now :) I think i remember every plot line lol. If you watch it again you will be surprised at that the men could walk wearing pants that tight!!
I so loved V. Especially Marc Singer.
Have a nice time playing with the yarn.
:)
Miera, as long as the squirrel heads don't endup someplace like my car, I wouldn't care what happened to them.
I LOVED V. I thought it was just the coolest show ever. Anyone know Marc Singer's big movie role before V? Beastmaster!
Shock collars are Not cruel. They did o.k. for my dogs, but not great. I think we need to trim their necks next time; their undercoats are really thick. If you can, try one where the shocker comes off the collar. That way he'll associate just the collar and not the box with not barking. Adding treats/extra loving everytime he decides not to bark when he normally would is good reinforcement, too. We decided against citronella b/c we have little kids, but it would be good for a mosquito filled backyard. hmmm....
V - i think i can remember every episode. You can get it on dvd. Last time we watched it i was laughing so hard at the tight pants! How'd guys move in those since it was prior to spandex still?
I spent a while yesterday listening to the knitcast - you were great! :) really inspired me
V? I don't remember the series but we had the movie on VHS and i was so mad when it got taped over.
I remember V, both mini-series and the show. I even have an autograpghed script that I bought at a Scorpio convention in Chicago.
Annie, I don't fault you at all for using an electric collar. They can be very effective. One of my grooming clients a few years ago told me that her dog got wise to the electric fence and was able to escape without setting it off. See, it gives a warning tone when the dog gets close to the fence before it shocks. Her dog would sit in that range so that the batteries would run down enough that it couldn't shock her as she crossed the fence. Too, too smart.
I loved V! Mostly because of Marc Singer who I loved from.....Beastmaster! Don't feel bad about the bark collar - barking is self stimulating for dogs, so you have to cut it off and make them think about it.
Connie
Wow - talented cats to catch a squirrel, lol...
My cat that lives at my parents (so as not to uproot her when I moved out) used to bring me "presents" all the time. She's apparently a gourmet since she'd often catch frogs from the pond, and just eat the legs, leaving the rest of the body by the door for me. *shakes head*
Ok, don't leave us out here in Blogland hanging! Whatever happened with the Snobby Yarnshop Owner Who Stops Checks saga? I hope you take her to the cleaners.
About the bark collar..... I had that same problem with my little pooch. I really didn't want to use the electronic one... so my dog trainer suggested the citronella collar. it's a little box that the dog wears and everytime she barks, it sprays citronella on her face. I think that's kinder than the shock collar. But my doggie figured the citronella collar out and barked till the sprayer was empty.
So I tried another alternative. It's a little device, only 30 bucks. Place it on your kitchen counter and everytime she barks, it emits a frequency sound that humans can't hear. It startles her and everytime she barked, she catches herself. Now I don't have that problem anymore. I don't even have to turn the device on.
It's cheaper than the shock collar I think. My 2 cents..... finally, something that I can offer my knitting goddess advice on.
Oh, and I love V!!! I have the entire collection on DVD. I used to have the biggest crush on Marc Singer when I was a little boy!
dogs, kids, cats, whatever, when you say NO mean it and continute to mean it, and reinforce a way to enforce it, that's disipline, not punishment and therefore you love your dog, kid, cat, self, whatever.
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