For the past month or so, the talk around the clinic (which sounds funny because there's pretty much only three of us) is that we need to get Tad under control.
He is extremely intelligent, and general obedience is not the issue. The puppy gate idea is working well, as long as everyone remembers to keep it shut. If the puppy gate is not shut, and the front doors open setting off the little bell...Tad goes nuts and charges the front doors barking, yowling, and having a great time. He then proceeds to jump on the clients. If he gets to the front before they come in, they won't come in because he sounds so scary. This is completely and 100% unacceptable. He is on the verge of having to be kenneled in the back all day. I don't want to do that, and so we're working on him all day every day.
If the puppy gate remains shut, we're fine. However, if I go to the other side of the puppy gate without him, he goes ape-crazy. He starts barking non-stop, and it's not an 'easy to tune out' bark. He learned that the barking device, which sits on the floor next to the puppy gate, only picks up his deep barks, so he barks in a higher pitch. He is no longer affected by that little bark-box-thing.
The only other two options we can think of are a shock collar that is controlled by a human,which I'd rather not...or a citronella collar. I've not experience with either other than the injuries from shock collars from people who use them incorrectly on their dogs.
I'm leaning more towards a citronella collar...it's pain free, that's my goal. However, if another dog is barking (we are in a veterinary clinic) will it spray Tad? Or does it only pick up on the vibrations of Tad's throat...? If Tad is playing, and his neck vibrates...is it going to squirt him?
I guess we could potentially only put the collar on him when I got to the other side of the gate...that may be a good possibility, and take it back off when I come back across the gate.
Opinions? ...or, opinions without stone throwing would be most helpful. ;)
