Who's a Good Dog? by Jessica Pierce;

Author:Jessica Pierce; [Pierce, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SCI000000 SCIENCE / General, SCI070060 SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Zoology / Ethology (Animal Behavior), PET004020 PETS / Dogs / Training, PET004000 PETS / Dogs / General
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 2023-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

Bark Deterrents

All the technologies under discussion seek to control or modify the natural behavior of dogs. Leashes and collars inhibit dogs from freely exploring, socializing, running, roaming, chasing, and so forth. But a few technologies are specifically designed to suppress natural dog behaviors through punishment. These strike me as unfair to dogs.

Bark collars, for example, are particularly insidious because they suppress natural behavior or, in some cases where obsessive barking is a symptom of compromised mental health, they heap insult on injury. Bark collars come in many varieties, from the more to the less strongly aversive (electric shock, ultrasonic beeping, a spray in the face with citronella oil or water), but they all do the same thing: punish a dog for engaging in normal dog behavior. The suppression of natural behavior, in turn, can lead to psychological damage that can then manifest in unwanted behaviors such as . . . compulsive barking. The human guardian, growing more and more frustrated by the fractious and “stubborn” dog, may up the ante and increase the level of punishment. Ultrasonic bark deterrents, which detect and deter barking from roughly seventy-five feet, can be purchased and installed by people other than a dog’s guardian, such as a neighbor who is annoyed by a dog incessantly barking in an adjoining backyard. This may be a godsend for someone whose neighbors are inconsiderate. I’ve received emails from people who, although sympathetic to the harm caused to dogs by these devices, are desperate for some peace and quiet. One elderly gentleman described how his quality of life has deteriorated because of the incessant barking of the neighbors’ dogs. He can’t sleep, can’t concentrate. The neighbors, he says, are rude and refuse to talk about the barking issue. I’ve also had emails from people whose dogs are being impacted by a neighbor’s bark-deterring device. A woman described how her once gregarious, happy dog completely shut down after the neighbors installed an ultrasonic bark deterrent. He will no longer go outside, refuses to go on walks, won’t eat, and is listless and depressed. The potential welfare problems of sound-based deterrents are even more acute for the many dogs who experience sensitivities to noise.

Companies that sell anti-bark collars often defend their use as a kinder and gentler alternative to surgical removal of a dog’s voice box. But the moral logic here—that the immorality of surgical “bark softening” serves as our moral defense of bark collars—is just weird. As with other remote technologies such as electric fences and e-collars, the marketing of bark deterrents is highly misleading and unethical. Almost without exception, potential buyers are told that the devices are completely humane and won’t inflict any discomfort on anybody. Indeed, one website went so far as to describe a dog silencer as a device that uses ultrasonic technology “to emit waves that calm your dog.” Really?

This is not to say that dog barking isn’t problematic for humans—it can be. But what needs to change is what we expect from dogs and how we work with them to negotiate compromises (more on this in chapter 7).

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.