> - Chuck Huff wrote:
>I expect however, that one of the flaws of punishment still pertains:
> it merely suppresses the behavior, rather than eliminating it. If it
> is turned off AND the dog discovers it no longer works, the previous
> behavior is likely to be reinstated. I would appreciate comment from
> others who know of evidence regarding this.
>
As a long-time Invisible Fence user, I can attest that, indeed, some dogs
frequently "test" to see if it's still working, and the minute the battery
dies, they're off in a flash. Ditto if the system fails because of power
failure, accidentally cutting the wire, etc. (Sadly, that happened to one
of our dogs who ran into the road and, well, you can figure the rest...)
Many of the systems now have alerts built in to let you know if they're not
working. And the Invisible Fence people recommend you be on a "battery
program" so that you are automatically sent a new battery for the collar
every three months or however often you need it. (They're very helpful
working with you to make sure the system works. Nice folks.)
But having the behavior (leaving the yard) be reinstated isn't a problem.
The second you put a new battery in (or fix whatever is wrong with the
system) you bring the dog back near the boundary, and he hears the signal
warning him. The dog immediately knows he's back to Square One behaviorally
speaking and doesn't really need to be retrained.
I'm a huge fan of this system, and always use it in class as an example of
conditioning.
Beth Benoit
Daniel Webster College
College for Lifelong Learning
Portsmouth NH campuses
