This is stupid

[Guest Anonymous]

I was looking at Dogs Magazine (put out by Dog Fancy, aimed at new puppy buyers) and there is a big two page ad for something called "Comfort Zone," which is a plug in that releases "dog appeasing pheromone" The pictures show a before and after shot. In the first, the labrador puppy is tearing up a shoe, and the house is littered with destroyed things. In the second, the puppy is lying happily and obediently on his dog bed, in a neat and orderly house. (There is also a cat product and the cat is similarly transformed).

This is just stupid. It implies that dog behavior problems can be solved by plugging something into the wall. It will encourage people to think that they don't have to worry about training, exercise and attention for their puppies if they just get the right plug in product. And it WON'T WORK. Maybe a tiny number of dogs who have real stress related anxiety will be helped a tiny bit. But unless the plug in is releasing chloroform or something, even an unstressed lab puppy needs a huge amount of exercise and training and attention and he is going to destroy a lot of stuff unless he gets it.

I don't know much about cats, and I suspect that the cat product might have some merit, but this product will just make people who dumped their last three puppies because they "wouldn't behave" think that there is a chemical shortcut to good puppy behavior and there isn't.

Here is the website: [url]http://www.farnampet.com/behavior_info/caninetalk_dap.php[/url] Notice that the "straight talk" doesn't talk at all about how most dog destructiveness isn't due to stress and anxiety but instead to not getting enough exercise, training and attention.

[mouseatthebusstop]

I think it works like aromathepy (s/p)
some people have money to throw away

[kendalyn]

People who think something like that would work, don't understand dogs and probably weren't going to engage in proper training and socialization anyway.

[Smooshie]

:o .....Stepford Dogs !!! :lol:

[Carolk9s]

It's a shame they opted to use a deceptive ad to promote the product.
I purchased one of these to see if it would help reduce the anxiety my dogs feel during thunderstorms. I DID see some reduction in their anxiety but have gotten far better results using Melatonin and peppermint extract.

[Guest Anonymous]

I seen this ad in a different magazine before, and was equally unimpressesed.
Those magazines are (usually) chalked full of how to train your dog and/or new puppy, and then after reading about how you need to train your pup, you flip to a page with that on it :roll:

[LisaH]

Ummm...Cygnet. Have you ever posted here as Primrose by any chance? :lol:

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='Smooshie']:o .....Stepford Dogs !!! :lol:[/quote]

Exactly, Smoosh, although there is nothing [b]wrong[/b]with people wanting a Stepford Dog. I have had a few myself and loved them. Not every dog has to be a border collie or a Jack Russell or a malinois. There is lots of room for nice low key English toy spaniels. If people want a dog who will be content lying on a dog bed, adopt a middle aged one of those (or a lot of the middle aged dogs available at the shelter).
But you can't take a healthy lab puppy and turn it into a dog who doesn't need a whole lot of attention, exercise and training by plugging something into the wall and it is deceptive to pretend that you can.

For most dogs, I bet this thing wouldn't work at all. The really bad ones would pull it from the socket and use it as a chew toy.

[courtnek]

those machines emit pheromone's, specific calming ones. They are not designed to train the dog, they are designed to calm it. They are sometimes used successfully for severe seperation anxiety. This is not the same as a new puppy chewing things up. They dont affect teething or puppy boredom. They can be useful for a fearful dog too, but the basic training is still necessary. Most of the people I know who have one bought it in desperation, because their dog would howl and destroy itself (not the furniture) when they left. In those cases, sometimes they work. Not always even then, it depends on the dog.

[ellieangel]

That advertising is just ridiculous,there is no miracle cure for chewing :roll:

I have one of these diffusers and I have found that it helped Ellie somewhat with her seperation anxiety but it is only a mild soother not a miracle cure :roll: