Dog owners question

What????!!??? That is disgusting! I would be absolutely furious. I've never used a BK for my dogs but when I do I'm going to get some recommendations and make sure they are accredited. Surely you can lay a formal complaint? Maybe call the SPCA and ask their advice.

Little_Red - here is a website to find an accredited BK in your area.

www.petboarding.co.nz

I would be furious also, I can't believe they don't think they should tell you something like that!

That's terrible, I'd be upset too

I would be really upset about them not asking you first. That is completely not on. I have used a barking collar on my dog when it came to the point of the neighbours laying a complaint with the council. Not something that I really liked doing. But came down to not upsetting the neighbous and not getting rid of the dog. Surely a boarding kennel is expected to be noisy and not a quiet place. Any dog person would expect noise at a boarding kennel so I would definately look around for somewhere else.

I would be upset too, and my understanding of bark collars is that you are suppose to be present when they are used they are not designed to be left o the dog only to be used for training purposes.
I have used one that makes a high pitch sound and a remote control shock one when she was getting really persistently naughty with barking through the fence at next doors dog but only for a short time and only with me around (obviously as I had to press the button to zap her).

I would not be happy at all with anyone else putting one on my dog and certainly not if it was for the duration of a kennel stay, how upsetting will that be for the dogs? get put in a strange place and zapped when they bark (which is only natural for them to do in a strange environment).

I also think the SPCA should be contacted about this and naming and shaming them on your facebook status (if you're on facebook) would probably be a good idea as then all your friends will know not to use them.

I am waiting to hear back from the SPCA after calling them this morning. While they don't condone the use of electronic collars, it's potentially not an offence to do what the kennel woman has done.

I use to work at a BK but we never used bark collars on any of the dogs. We'd squirt them with water from time to time if they were really causing a raucus but at the end of the day, you can't run any kind of animal facility and expect silence.

I also think it's disgusting that any facility like this can trade without being accredited.

I'd be furious if they did that to my dog. Did they give a reason for why they were doing it? Dogs don't usually bark for no reason. I've volunteered at my dogs kennel for uni work experience and the dogs bark all the time but it's usually either when someone arrives/leaves, food time or when they're allowed out for exercise. All the collar will do will be to teach your dog that the BK isn't a good place to go to, especially if they're doing it for virtually no reason. I'd get a new kennel for my dog if I were you.