Poison Proofing

[crazy_puppy]

Ok how many agree with poison proofing your dogs?
The training method involved IMO is very very inhumane.

Here is what is done (Taken from The Koehler Method of Dog Training, by William Koehler.)

One method of posion proofing far excels any other. It is also the easiest to use. If you follow through by applying it in every type of situation where your dog would be vulnerable to a poisoner, you will be providing your dog with certain protection.

The materials you will need are a low priced, battery operated fence charger, and enough light, insulated wire to run from where you will conceal the unit to different area's where you want to proof your dog against eating food. Regardless of the spots where you set the charger, the dog shouldnt see it or hear it and be warned that something strange is taking place. Both the fence charger and suitable wire can be obtained at a hardware store for a price that is small to one who feels the need to protect his dog.

At a place where the dog is particularly vulnerable to a poisoner, we'll make our first set-up in your yard. Lock your dog up so he cannot watch. Set the fence unit in a place of concealment, attach the ground wire to a pipe or rod in the ground, and the live wire to the place designated. Run the other end of the charged wire where you feel someone might be likely to toss a bit of poisoned food. Bare half an inch or so of the end of this wire. On the bare end stick a bit of meat, or other moist food that would appeal to your dog. Starting an inch back from the food, bend a couple of angles in the wire so that the bare part and the food will be held free of contact with the ground.Turn the fence charger on. Let your dog back into the yard.

Eventually your dog will find the food . If you are watching at his moment of discovery, you will see that his first sniff will be met with a fat spark. He'll not apt to try the second sniff, but keep some bait on the hot wire for at least 2 days. Then change the set-up to another part of your yard. If possible, conceal the wire in heavy grass or cover it with dirt, allowing the tip to protrude to hold the tid bit free of the ground. This will make the food appear as though it was tossed over the fence.

When your dog has had opportunity to develop resistance to food found in all area's a poisoner might toss it , you can supply experience that will make him form an equal aversion to any food offered by hand. You will need an outsider to help you. Possibly you can exchange services with another dog lover who might want to protect his pet. As with the case of something being found on the ground, run the bare tip of the live wire into the tid bit. Now, however, it is offered in the persons hand, insulated by a rubber glove, a bit of card board or any other non-conductive material.

Change situations and strangers until you feel that in or out of the house, no one could coax your dog to eat anything he might offer.

With sufficient follow-through in applying the above method, you can be sure your dog will decline any food that can be found or offered, and eat only out of his dish. This resistance should make him quite posion proof.

Well thats the method, what do you all think about it?

IMO it is not right and typical dog owners should not practice it. BUT for police and or military dogs I do think that it would be a valuble "lesson" to teach the dog.

Anyways I thought this might make a hefty debate......
Do share your thoughts and opinions
enjoy!!

[mrsgrubby]

Wow, I've never heard of this type of thing.

I guess I would think that the normal person would not have to do this, and should not do this. However, as you said, military, police, and speciality guard dogs would probably benefit from some sort of training.

[D.Schäferhund]

Well If I had a mean naighbour that hates dogs and tries to poisen it, hell yeah I would do it....

But other then that no not really Don't need it.
For Military or Policework, hmm i try to think when they come in contact with such a situation, but can't think of one...
maybe some help here?

[BoxersRUs]

The place where this type of training would be best used would be for guard dogs. It would seem that guard dogs would be the most vulnerable to poisoning, as someone may do this to gain access to a commercial property.

[feinwerkbau]

I'm afraid I have to tatally disagree.

Without being to fully grasp the importance of such training, it can be intepreted as being inhumane, coupled with most people's blanket fear of any kind of use of electricity. Your body, my body and our dog's bodies all function with electricity. Electrical stimulation is widely used each and every single day for recuperative theraphy, massages and electro accupuncture.

As for Koehler's method, I may be missing something but how could that be inhumane if it helps save a dog's life and where the actual set-up doesn't cause any physiological damage?

Sometimes, we have to be willing to see the forrest for the trees.