Pet corrector spray

Discussion of useful training and pet care tools.

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Desiree
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:57 pm

Pet corrector spray

Post by Desiree »

So I got an email the other day selling pet stuff and the were advertising this "pet corrector" which is basically a can of air that you spray when you want your dogs to stop doing something. Im reading this and it says it was even used on VictoriaStilwells "Its me or the dog". I kind of thought this was an adversive method. Am I wrong and it ok to use? Or were they lying?
Erica
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by Erica »

I think Victoria used to use it, but has moved away from these methods since.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
doggiedad
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by doggiedad »

i like teaching "no" or "leave it" rather than depending on a gadget.
dontpugme
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by dontpugme »

Victoria used it on an episode or two of It's Me or the Dog (the Teddy Pom Pom one comes to mind). She has said that in the past, she used sort of a mix of positive reinforcement and some aversion. She doesn't use sound aversion anymore because she has moved more towards positive training.

If I don't like something my dog is doing, I say "Ah" and then redirect him onto something I do want him to do, then praise him when he does it.


I'm assuming that that was what the advertisement was for. They do make cans of compressed air that are made just in case a dog attacks you. I don't know much about them or whether they are effective or humane.
--dontpugme
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Nettle
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by Nettle »

The only justifiable use of this is if being attacked. There is NO place for it in positive dog-training. Much better to make it easy for the dog to do what we want and then fix the behaviour by rewarding it, while at the same time making it difficult/impossible for the dog to do what we don't want by manipulating circumstances (management).

Honestly, there is no reason EVER to 'correct' a dog. The dog never does anything wrong. Sometimes they do stuff we don't want, but they aren't doing it to annoy us - they do it because it seems a good idea to them. So we teach a better behaviour instead. :)
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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Desiree
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by Desiree »

Thanks guys. It was advertised on petadvisor.com i think as a training aid. Get your dog to stop barking kind of thing. I guess it seems less harsh than the sonic noise thing. I just happened to look at it b/c my pom is a barking fool even tho he has a trach problem so it makes him cough more. Its the only thing i haven't had ANY sucess with, and since i have a 4 month old its really more annoying than it ever used to be, on top of it being bad for him. I have put black out curtains on all the windows that he would look out of and bark to try to keep him from having anything to bark at. I should add that he has gotten worse about it since the baby like he feels he needs to alert us to every possible noise now. I can't consistently offer treats as soon as he is quiet b/c I often have a nursing/sleeping baby on my lap. I can't lock him in the room with me w/ a baby gate cause he will jump it as soon as he hears something and I am trying to keep him from doing that cause he has luxating patellas too. Now his thing seems to be to stick his snout out the mail slot and bark at stuff. I obviously cant cover that up and the city won't let us put a box at the curb or on the porch. So that is why I was looking at other training methods. Do you guys have any other ideas? I should also add that I am mostly here alone so there isn't someone else who can go give him treats when he stops barking. That was the only way I could think to train him, but since I couldn't do it everytime it wasn't working
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Nettle
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by Nettle »

Put a box over the mail flap on the inside so pom can't stick his snout through it.

Have a read through our pinned thread Exercise the Mind for lots of fun stuff you can do with your dog or leave him to do on his own when you are busy. These things will tire him out because they are mental work.

What is his daily schedule like, especially regarding exercise? Tired dogs are much les likely to woof to entertain themselves. :)
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
jacksdad
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by jacksdad »

dorindahd wrote:I used the can / Pet Corrector spray to train my 70 lb dog to stop jumping out at Trucks when i walked her. ..... She doesn't like that noise! i used it 2 - 4 times and she actually started looking at me first when she heard the trucks coming up the street. It totally cured her of that behavior and it got so that all i had to do was pull the can out of my pocket or make a loud hiss myself, and I got her attention immediately. Obviously, i like it! I found the Pet Corrector to be very useful and have recommended it to several of my friends. Not perfect, i wish my dog was well trained and would just walk nicely all the time, but when she doesn't, at least i have a solution that works for us.
The part of your post that I put into bold is a clear indication of what was going on with your dog. she was uncomfortable with and maybe even fearful of the trucks and the noise they make. using a punishment tool in this situation is completely inappropriate and despite appearances does not "cure" the underlining problem. your dog has learned to avoid punishment, not that trucks are not to be feared. learning that trucks aren't to be feared would be the cure and can be achieved.

It is also the policy of this forum to not recommend or encourage the use of punishment based training, please see the guidelines posted by Victoria her self here viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1341
bendog
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by bendog »

Just to add my pup tries to lunge at and bark at tricks and motorbikes and I have been successfully solving this problem using treats and she now looks to me for a treat when a truck goes past (and we are almost there with motorbikes) might take longer but I'd rather have that than scare her on purpose with a pet corrector
Suzette
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by Suzette »

Yeah, live and learn dorindahd - most of us here have done/used something with our dogs in the past that we regret now that we have learned a healthier, positive way to train. It's been said twice, but it does bear repeating. . . it's much better to treat the cause of the dog's issue than to try and just simply stop it. This way you build a bond with your dog while dealing with the issue from the inside out. :wink: :)
My avatar is Piper, my sweet Pembroke Corgi. b. 5/11/11
ladybug1802
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by ladybug1802 »

In addition dorindhad, the pet corrector spray can cause increased anxiety, because the dog doesnt know necessarily why the noise is happening or when it will happen. It can also, in the same way as shock collars/spray collars, redirected aggression...so for example if you spray at the split second your dog isnt actually looking at the truck, but moves his attention to briefly look at a passer by, a bird, an aeroplane in the sky, it can associate the noise with that stimuli, and increase agggression to that stimuli.

As Jacksdad says, the noise 'works' because the dog doesnt like the noise and it shocks it....but it doesnt address the reason for the behaviour. Your dog is scared of the trucks hence why he reacts....the spray wont address or deal with the fear, it will have only suppressed the behaviour, which means it isnt 'fixed' and can rear its head again at any time. It does give a 'quick fix' to stop the behaviour in that instance in a lot of cases, but it hasnt truly sorted it and also has the ability to make it worse.
danastinson
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by danastinson »

I think my Pit was trained with something like this because if she hears a hissing noise she trys to attack it. I found this out by playing Donky Kong on my surround sound. I litteraly had to mute my tv to jump on a snake. I would deffinatly not use this.
Koda
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by Koda »

I'm glad Jacksdad is the perfect trainer, but for those of us who aren't, and have difficult dogs with undesirable
behaviors, Pet Corrector is an answer to our prayers. After numerous dogs who were apparently easily trained, I now have an Airedale mix of whom professional trainers have said, "she's here to teach you patience." After almost 4 years, 3 professional training classes, much work, and even more frustration, I had been unable to get her to stop jumping up, barking, (sometimes jumping off the bed at 2:00 am and barking at me for no reason), butting in anytime I gave attention to one of my other 6 dogs, getting up every time I do and charging ahead of me, and numerous other annoying behaviors, I have today had the most peaceful day since she joined my household.
Yesterday I got Pet Corrector in the mail. If you're at your wits end, or want to do something with your dog's behavior before you get there, get this product! I used it once last night when Koda joined the others barking at nothing. Instant stop. I used it again when she tried to push her 50 lbs. onto my lap and one of the little dogs off, she stopped. The next time she started I showed her the can and when she got down, I praised her and gave her a scratch. She didn't run from it like she was scared, more curious. She just 'took note' of it and stopped what she was doing. If you hate using a shock collar, which I'd finally been driven to, and hate some behaviors of a dog you love but don't always like, you may be like me, happy to spray a little harmless compressed air, and stop the behavior, no matter what the cause.
Sarah83
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by Sarah83 »

I tried both air and water sprays with my collie, not something I'd try again personally since he immediately turned and attacked the source of the noise/spray. All the ads for things like Pet Correctors go on about how this product will stop your dog doing X, Y or Z but they don't tell you that some dogs will react to it with aggression. I know for a fact my collie hasn't been the only one to do so.
emmabeth
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Re: Pet corrector spray

Post by emmabeth »

Koda - this forum like all forums, has rules and one of those rules is that no one here promotes the use of aversive gadgets or methods.

The pet corrector spray is an aversive - it works by scaring your dog into stopping whatever they were doing at the time - if you continue to use it and you don't address the cause of the behaviour, then eventually you will find the corrector spray does not work, your dog may begin to redirect aggressively onto you, or they may develop other behavioural problems which will almost certainly be harder to fix than the original issues.

If you continue to advise aversive tools or techniques then you will be removed from the forum.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
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