The Great Escape Artist (gets a shock collar)

I think it was the day after bringing Kaytu home that she escaped for the first time. She slipped out between Husband's legs when the door was opened for the UPS man. I went after her, sweet talking and kissing and calling her by her old name even. She didn't even notice me. She ran across the street, went a couple houses down, then ran inside someone's home. The people were very nice and very understanding, and we took her home. She was in heat when found in LA so I think with her hormones still raging that her urge to get out was especially strong, and had absolutely no impulse control which was making our job even tougher. I did the "umbilical cord" method of attaching her leash to my belt for a couple days after that escape.

A few days after that, my husband and I were upstairs organizing. We realized we weren't paying attention to Kaytu's whereabouts. We called for her. Nothing. I ran downstairs and didn't see her. As I turned around, I saw her through the front window. She was across the street, happily smelling the grass. I yelled for Husband and went out to get her. She immediately ran the other way. I followed her as she went into a cul-de-sac. Husband had not shown up yet so I called him. He hadn't heard me yell as I ran out the door. He came running out to help. Kaytu slipped by both of us. We followed/chased her for about 10 minutes until she cornered herself in someone's yard.

At this point we briefly discussed getting a shock collar for her safety. I am strongly against using them, but the safety of the pet must come first. A painful zap that stops her from being smashed by a car is well worth it. But we decided to hold off. I wanted to do more training. A shock collar has its place as a valuable tool, but I feel it is a last resort in most cases. I'd much rather train with positive reinforcement (giving something the dog likes) than positive punishment (adding something the dog does not like), and we hadn't had her long enough or worked with her hard enough and consistently enough for the training to set in.

A couple weeks later and after only a few training sessions (described below) she was doing much better. Then relatives came to visit and the door was left wide open. She bolted out. We managed to catch her in the cul-de-sac and she was then leashed almost the entire time we had the relatives here. Three escape attempts in just over a month!

"Hi! I like to be outside!!!"

Every time I leave the house, I have Kaytu (and Denali, though she won't run out without being invited to do so) sit at the corner where the couch and recliner meet. I did several training sessions in which I gradually trained Kaytu to "wait" while I left her there, walked to the door, opened it and closed it, and even with a knock on the door. If she ever stands up or scoots forward, I say "ah ah" and walk back to her place and reset her. When she does it right I release her with "ok!" and toss her (and Denali) a treat. She's been doing great. I have a chance to practice just about every day. When I leave for work I have her sit and wait while I walk to the door and open it. I step outside, start to close the door, say "ok!" and toss treats.

It's been going great. She will usually hold the sit-stay though sometimes will break it once if she is very excited. She hasn't ran out in two months.

Today when I was leaving for agility with Denali, she slipped out. My hands were full, carrying the crate and bag and water and I couldn't drop it in time. She ran around the cul-de-sac as usual. We thought we'd get her there. She slipped by us. Instead of running back down the street she went the other way toward the main road which has 2 lanes of traffic on each side and a large median. After running down it a ways, she crossed it. I was so panicked seeing her cross that I started crying. I was waiting for the sound of yelping and screeching tires which seemed inevitable. She was now running in the direction of traffic, running in the shoulder along the curb. I was running down the shoulder next to the median and waving my arms to get people to slow down. I'm so glad they did, I am very thankful for those people who slowed to nearly a stop.

By now my energy was draining a little. I am a fast sprinter but I have little endurance. Running isn't my thing and my lungs were burning trying to keep up. Fortunately Husband is fast enough and has enough endurance to keep up with her. Kaytu ran back across the main road and down the next street back into the neighborhood. I was jogging down the main road still. A man coming from across the intersection was also jogging and I asked him if a dog had run by him. He said no, which is when I learned that she must have turned back into the neighborhood. I breathed a small sigh of relief. She wasn't headed toward the major road, which is 3 lanes on each side with a speed limit of 50 mph- so the people drive nearly 60 mph. I turned down the street and saw two boys. Again I asked if a dog had run by. They said yes, and that my husband had caught her. YES!!!!

I heard him call to me. Apparently she stopped to smell a tree. He ran full speed up to her and tackled her. I used my belt as a leash and we lead her home. The entire ordeal lasted 15 minutes.

Siberian huskies are bred to be able to run all day. Every day.

I put Kaytu in the crate and told Husband to leave her there for a few minutes after I left so she could calm down and then to let her out to get a drink. I also told him to leave her on leash the entire time I was gone, or if he was going to be in his studio then crate her. I then left for agility- to which I was late but they were understanding and it was no big deal.

The first thing I am adding to Kaytu's life (and therefore mine) is more exercise. She is doing great on bike rides and I know she loves them. Longer and more frequent rides will spend her energy in a good way, get her outside, and it also further enhances our communication. Not to mention it's great for me too!

The second thing is something I had hoped I'd never have to buy. Once home from agility I told Husband we needed a shock collar. A good one. It would be well worth the money. A couple hundred bucks vs dead dog. Or disabled dog. Or thousands of dollars in vet care. He agreed that it's worth it and necessary.

I am against shock collars in general but I do believe they have their place when the safety of the dog is in jeopardy. I know how to use one and you should NEVER use one unless you know what you are doing. You can create serious issues by creating negative associations, increasing aggression, the dog redirecting aggression, the dog only listens when the collar is worn, all kinds of things can go wrong. For what I'm using it for, if done improperly she may think that going outside at all is painful and she may become fearful or aggressive any time we take her outside. She may think approaching the door is painful. She may lash out at Denali or the cats, thinking they bit her hard. She may lash out at me or Husband. You must also raise the level of correction (shock) only to the point where the dog responds. The point is get a response, not to cause damage.

Once the collar arrives, she will wear it for at least 2 days without us even turning it on. She needs to get used to it and not create an association with it.

I will still be using mainly positive reinforcement as that is going very well. The shock collar is only a backup. I will train her with it, first to discover at what level she responds. I will also teach her that the "buzz" sounds means a shock is next if she doesn't respond. I then intend to do recall work with her, as outlined by Lou Castle. Once she understands what the stim means, I will work with her at the front door and in the neighborhood streets.

I bought the Tri-Tronics brand Sport Basic G3 EXP. The important things for me were the varying levels of stimulation, long range, the long contact points to get through her fluffy fur, it works when wet and is overall sturdy and built to last, the "buzz" feature, and the safety features such as the 8 second shutoff and No Stimulation setting to avoid accidental stim.

Product Features

• 10 levels of momentary and 10 levels of continuous stimulation
• Transmitter button remotely activates buzz sound on Receiver
• Consistent 1/2 mile range
• Waterproof Transmitter & Receiver
• Allows easy one-hand operation without taking your eyes off your dog
• Stimulation dial allows quick and easy stim level changes
• 8 second safety cutoff on all stim levels
• A no-stim setting to avoid accidental stimulation
• 1 ½" fixed Transmitter antenna with enhanced performance eliminating lost or broken antennas
• Multi-Dog selection switch colors match collar strap colors to identify dogs being stimulated
• Compact, tough, and dependable Receiver

• Easy to access Receiver on/off switch.
• Insulated contact points for reliable performance in wet conditions.
• Interchangeable long & short contact points for different coat thicknesses.
• Stainless steel contact points minimize neck irritation on the dog.
• Proprietary charging system allows indefinite charging without damage and a full charge in two hours.
• Charging Adapter eliminates need for jack or plug on Receiver.
• Lanyard for Transmitter
• Battery life indicator on Transmitter and Receiver so you know when to charge the system or replace the battery.
• Long lasting rechargeable, user replaceable, NiMH batteries for Receiver and non-rechargeable, user replaceable 9 volt battery for Transmitter.
• 2-year comprehensive warranty.