Deaf Dogs, Vibration Collars and More

This post has been sponsored by PetSafe. I have been compensated for this and future educational content, product testing and reviews as well as product giveaways. I will always disclose to you when a post is sponsored. PetSafe is not responsible for the following content. I only share products that I use or think will be useful to my readers and their pets.

Some very cool things happened at the BlogPaws conference in Nashville which I haven’t been able to discuss. But today, I have some pretty cool news that I’m super stoked to share with you!

While at the conference, I was selected as a VIB (Very Important Blogger) by PetSafe. I was invited to attend a private luncheon sponsored by PetSafe with a handful of other bloggers, all of whom I respect and admire greatly. To be included in their company was humbling.

Today, I can tell you that PetSafe and I have formed a partnership! As a longtime PetSafe customer, I am thrilled to be able to share this company and its well-respected training devices, toys and other products with you. For years now, I have used the Gentle Leaders and Easy Walk harnesses with my deaf dogs (and hearing ones too!).

In fact, when I am starting to work with a new deaf dog or helping a shelter, rescue or new adopter with a deaf dog, a Gentle Leader and a tether are two training devices I always ask them to get. A Gentle Leader is a fantastic tool to help train a deaf dog to “watch me”, which is a foundation skill that must be mastered early in deaf dog training.

Who Is PetSafe?

PetSafe is one of the most innovative developers and manufacturers of pet products in the industry. They hire pet lovers and talented engineers to create pet-friendly products. They hire and work with accomplished veterinarians, behaviorists and trainers when developing their products. In addition to following ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 standards for product development, manufacturing, testing and inspection, PetSafe products also undergo extensive in-home testing to ensure quality products in real-life scenarios.

Plus, they really want to support and reach the deaf dog community. How could I argue with that?

You can learn more about the PetSafe philosophy here.

What Does This Partnership Mean?

As part of my partnership with PetSafe, I will be doing a series of posts on the use of vibration collars for recall of deaf dogs. Though I am quite familiar with the proper and humane use of vibration collars, I personally have not used them.My series will start with an educational introduction to the use of vibration collars for recall of deaf dogs, including very important safety considerations especially when using them on an unleashed dog. As I’ve never used them personally, I will be exploring this training device as a novice and sharing my thoughts and experiences with you, including photographs and videos of the collar, introducing my deaf dogs, Edison and Foster, to it and training them on recall.I will be using the Rechargeable Remote Trainer with Vibration (shown above) with the optional Vibration Add-A-Dog® Collar (shown below). This way I can train and demonstrate with two deaf dogs at one time!

The goal, in the end, is to train Edison and Foster on recall using a safe vibration collar utilizing only humane techniques adapted to the unique needs and experiences of deaf dogs.

I will also be reviewing some other PetSafe products and toys as part of our partnership. As well, I will have the opportunity to be one of several voices in specific animal health and wellness campaigns, such as the upcoming National Pet Hydration Month.

This particular campaign kicks off in July and I’m excited to be able to help bring awareness to hot weather safety and share some helpful tips to keep your fuzzy buddy happy yet cool and hydrated at the same time. I live in Florida, so you know this topic is very important to me. There will be a super cool giveaway during this campaign, so please stay tuned and spread the word!