Quote Originally Posted by JRedig View Post

Why do these discussions always degrade into those of you with a very in depth understanding telling everyone else what's right and wrong? It's hard to want to read any of these topics...
I agree with you here Jeff. I consider myself "in the know" on this topic. Notice how a few were jumped all over and then no one else weighed in.

I have been professionally training animals long enough now to realize that it is an art, as much as a science. Shoot in the last year I've been informed by a psych professor, who is on this forum, that OC is out dated and discounted in a lot of psych these days in favor of more modern thoughts on learning. I use and have used "clicker training" techniques every single day for over 15 years now. I know the advantages and the disadvantages.

How many of those giving the advice though have had a dog running for the highway, full speed chasing a jack rabbit, with 30 mph hour winds and is a 1/4 mile away. How are you going to stop that dog? Yell at it, whistle, air horn, push it off the couch? The E-collar will stop that dog. There are practical applications for everything.

I got spanked as a kid. Not beaten but a swat on the butt and I turned out fine, with my kids they get rewards for good behavior and time outs, time ins, love and logic, etc and never a swat. Yet they do the same things I did as a kid, and get in trouble no more or no less.

The point is the longer I train animals, people, etc, the more new best-est training studies come out, and the more I realize that training comes down to what you are comfortable with and what works for you.

There will always be some that are good at training and some that aren't, and of the ones that are good; some are naturals and some must be taught.

So to answer the question of the thread....yes people have thought to use an e-collar on birds, I dont think anyone has actually done it. Its effectiveness on training birds I feel would be low. Dogs have been bred for thousands of years to bend to our will. Raptors are mainly working with us for an easy meal, a shock or two and they might just prefer to work a little harder to hunt on their own.