Here are some photos of Jessica Biel out with her dogs yesterday in NYC. We’ve been getting a lot of photos of Biel and her dogs in NYC these days, so I guess she and Justin are spending their first year of marriage in the city…? Anyway, these aren’t the average celebrity-with-their-dogs photos. According to The Daily Mail, Jessica is carrying a remote control for her dogs’ shock collars. You can see more photos here.
I actually think one of the dogs might be wearing a shock collar, but not the other one. It looks like the pit bull just has a chain collar, right? And the boxer (?) or boxer-mix is wearing the shock collar. Her dogs always look exhausted, which is something that I’ve heard dog trainers tell people – if you have active, even aggressive dogs, take them for long walks to exhaust them and sap their excess energy. It’s possible that Jessica thinks only one of her dogs has aggression issues, and that’s the one with the shock collar.
Earlier this year, Eva Mendes also talked about shock-collaring her big, beautiful Belgian Malinois too – go here to read the older story. This is my problem with the situation: why get these giant, protective, guard/attack dogs if you have to shock-collar them to run errands? It’s ridiculous. Although now that I’m looking at those photos of Eva Mendes again, I realize that she’s holding the shock collar remote in several photos too. WHY? Why are you taking your dogs out in public to run errands if you’re so concerned they’ll hurt someone?
Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.
The real question here is what the hell is she wearing?
Lol it looks horrible. Anyway, maybe she’s just worried the dog will cause a disturbance…I’ve seen shock collars used mainly for barking dogs, not aggressive dogs. I’m neither for or against them, I think it depends on the situation/owner/whatever. I do think it’s weird she’d bring a dog with a shock collar in public, should’ve left him at home
Oh please I have worn worse running out to the supermarket or bank.
As much as some people might not realize it, celebrities are humans too; why do they have to be on all the time. This is NY and that’s how a lot of us dress at times.
You do know we are having a beastly heatwave here in NY? I’d say she’s dressed appropriately. It’s horrible outside. All credit to her for taking the time to walk her dogs in the abysmal weather.
I was thinking that she looks good, and fine for dog walking. It looks like she threw the cardigan over her house/lounging outfit…except, that she has her hair and makeup done.
I would totally wear that outfit except for the cardigan (isn’t she hot?). I have always thought Jessica has great casual style.
Whats wrong with what she is wearing? Is very casual chic. Geesh! Should she be wearing a Dior gown?
Boo! The first thing I thought was “what a nice-looking casual outfit”. She looks comfy and nice. You guys would probably skewer me if you saw the junk I wear when trolling around the city.
..and second thing I thought was: DOGGIES!!! 😀
It is waaaayyy too hot in NYC to wear long anything. I’m sweating just looking at her.
she’s hipster gandhi damnit!
Maybe she’s trying to better socialize her pets so they won’t always have to wear shock collars? Just a guess.
Yes, exactly. I highly doubt Jessica and Eva got big, scary dogs to guard them. They are all rescue dogs and they probably just fell in love with them at the shelter. No doubt, unlike many adopters, they were willing to put in the work to train these dogs to be sociable. It is far more humane to train the dogs properly so they can lead loving happy lives than to leave them in the shelter because they are not easily adopted out. If the price one pays for this type of dedication to an animal is judicious use of a shock collar (for emergency situations) then that is well worth it.
+1 well said!
+2. It’s also more likely that one of the dogs may have a dog aggression issue, and is not dangerous to people at all.
While I hate shock collars, I agree far better to have one on reserve while socializing your dog than having it languish in shelter and be euthanized.
Great points Decloo!
Just a thought – maybe its not aggression issues at all… perhaps something else that requires reminders of behavior. I had a pit bull mix who was NOT AGGRESSIVE at all (I had her 10 years and she never displayed even an ounce of aggression to anyone or anything). But she pulled incessantly on a leash. To the point that she would hurt herself before she would quit. She would start out okay but gradually get tighter and tighter as she lost her focus. We tried working with a trainer to no avail. A shock collar set to VIBRATION as a reminder did the trick.
+100000
Well said.
I have to be honest, I’m more concerned about the use of the choke chain collar than the dogtra e collar. I don’t understand why they even sell those things when a regular martingale can function the same way but is much safer to use
Why is she listening to music while out with the dogs? I mean it’s not like she’s jogging or something.
You are either concentrating on your dog or you don’t care and then it’s no surprise that the dog doesn’t listen to her.
^^^^ This! If you have an unpredictable dog you need to be aware of your surroundngs 100 per cent of the time! Lose the earbuds, Jessica!
Maybe she wears buds in her ears so no one talks to her…. I do that at the gym all the time.
uh it’s new york…unless you’re walking with a friend the majority of people have headphones in when they’re walking. Also she could be on the phone.
That’s right. I have an aggressive dog, a “rescue” Chow/Shar pei who wore a shock collar for a year or so, and it was needed about 3 times before he learned how to act around people. Yes, we tried other things first. He’s a very good boy now!
(I don’t say _I_ rescued the dog because I just adopted him from a no-kill shelter when he was already an adult. But he was abandoned and neglected before I got him.)
Chows are so cute but I always heard they’re a bit wily.
Oh he’s super cute, but wily. Well, he was. He’s 13 now so he doesn’t move around much or have the energy to get agro. Actually, I didn’t know WTF he was until I got him tested, he looks like a wrinkled up old red Basenji! Ahh, my dog. I wuv him so.
My Mum has just introduced shock collar training to her rescue dog – apparently these type often have ‘issues’ with socialising with other dogs (not usually humans) as they want to protect their ‘forever mum’ more than the average hound.
He’s a week in, and doing really well; it sounds horrible in principle but all it does is check them when they misbehave for a while, until it becomes habit to behave well.
So, good for her for being a responsible dog owner, rather than allowing his naughty habits to alienate, and possible harm, other dogs.
Has no one ever heard the rumblings about Jessica and her dogs? Lainey flat out called her out on the fact that one of Jessica’s dogs killed the other when Jessica wasnt paying attention. Not exactly the picture of the most responsible dog owner (if your dog is THAT aggressive, you know it).
I disagree. Couple of my friends had two very gentle, very well trained bull-mastiffs. The older dog was the mother of the younger one. For four years there was never any sign of aggression between them. Then one day they came home and found that the older dog had killed the younger one.
There was absolutely no warning. It is something that can happen completely out of the blue.
I think that her dogs might try to protect her if paparazzi or a fan got too close or too aggressive, and she doesn’t want a lawsuit.
I hate shock collars they are very mean and inhumane, she has money hire Cesar Milan to train ur dogs.
My god, I wish I had the money to just hire that man. Hell, I’d just like to go talk to him. We’re getting a puppy in September, and I’ve been googling non-stop, trying to get the best amount of knowledge that I can get beforehand.
Congrats on the new puppy! Best advice I’ve ever got (and didn’t follow Lol!) is don’t let them sleep with you. My 2 year old Pug Bruno sleeps under the covers with me every night and he is a gassy little dude. Lol! What kind are u getting?
I have a 20 week old labradoodle – my suggestion? Puppy socialisation (10 weeks) followed by puppy obedience (5 weeks).
Dogs have problems when they aren’t socialised with other dogs and/or people!
LOL Cesar Milan SELLS shock collars so he would approve
Yes he does – he recommends them for short-term training, especially for rescue dogs.
I think she’s being very responsible, to other dogs and also to her own, who will grow into well-behaved ‘pack ‘members.
He is NOT a good guy or a good dog trainer. His techniques may make animals obedient, but at a price. There are better ways.
Caesar Milan actually recommends the use of “shock” collars to some of his clients in certain situations that necessitate it.
I think you (and MANY people in general) might be a little thrown off by the name “shock collar” – which I admit is an absolutely horrible name, and actually a misnomer. This is no electrocution here! The collar uses vibrations to redirect a dog’s attention, not electric shocks. You can put the collar on your arm up to full blast and feel what the vibrations are like and it’s really not that bad at all. Mind you, in my experience 99.99999% of all owners usually keep their collar settings on the lowest levels possible. I think it might be good if you went to a pet store to check them out. They really aren’t inhumane.
I’m not that familiar with shock collars so I tried reading it up to get an idea. There was a caution about shock collars stating that it can cause irritation or inflammation to a dog’s skin. Can a vibration do that?
It’s not a big deal, just a safeguard and the more of those the better when you’re walking beasts like that among the public. Face it – these dogs have good lives, even great in fact, the best of health care, plentiful food, regular walks. It seems theres always something to find fault with, though.
Although this analogy doesn’t exactly apply, being that there are major differences between animals and humans, I’m going to go ahead with it. Just FYI. You say that these dogs have “good lives, even great in fact”. For one, just because one is rich, does not make them a good pet owner. For all you know, she takes her “beasts” on nice, pap-filled walks, then returns home and shoves her dogs into a cramped crate. Not saying this is true, but I would be careful making assumptions when it comes to celebrities and their lives. Secondly, what if this was a child? Say this child received the best of health care, plentiful food, and as many toys as they could ever want. Would that make it okay for the parent to smack them in the face for talking back, if the parent had not taught them that talking back was unacceptable? Unless you’re an utter moron, the answer is no. If you have a dog with aggression issues, you shouldn’t be walking them in public without a well fitted muzzle. If you have a dog with a barking issue, it can easily be corrected without the use of a shock collar. Simply put, there is NO excuse to shock your dog. Especially when this woman has the funds to hire the best dog trainers in the world, if she so wished.
I’m sorry but you are SO wrong. As someone who has worked with rescue dogs for over 10 years, there are absolutely cases when shock collars are a wonderful tool to use. I’ve worked with many dogs who just don’t respond to verbal and physical correction when they hone in on another dog, human, or prey that they want to “go after”. For someone to use the shock collar INSTEAD of trying and exhausting every other avenue of correction is just laziness, but for an unpredictable dog they are invaluable. Yes, Jessica can afford a dog trainer, and perhaps she has one that suggested using a shock collar “in the off chance” her dog was aggressive. The bigger the dog and the stronger the attack instinct, it can be very, very difficult to break its concentration and refocus its attention. So don’t judge so harshly — it’s better a dog is loved and alive than put down because no one wants to put the work in to retrain it.
Sinndy- As someone who has worked to rehabilitate “rescue” dogs for more than fifteen years, I firmly stand by my position. I will admit that, if all other avenues have been exhausted, a shock collar *might* work. Then again, it might not. I personally have been able to correct a number of agressive dogs without the use of a shock collar, and all of these animals are now placed in loving homes. After proper training, these dogs haven’t shown the slightest bit of aggression. However, all animals are different, and perhaps I would be speaking from a different place if I had to deal with the immense level of aggression you seem to be faced with.
I am not “SO wrong”. It’s called having a stance on an issue. Just as you choose to shock an aggressive dog, I choose not to.
This issue and how it’s fanned into flames on Celebitchy (Eva Mendez, et al) drives me crazy. They aren’t SHOCK collars. They are electronic collars and they also have a VIBRATE button. Everyone is tearing Biel down for something she probably isn’t even doing! Have you ever held a phone while it vibrates instead of rings? Well, that is most likely the “horrible infliction of pain” she is using. And even if she does apply the shock “nick” it’s less than a second of electricity and can be dialed down to almost nothing. The button “nicks” the dog. It’s not as though the holder of the controller determines the length of the charge. There must be a whole lot of people here who don’t work with Germn Shepherds and other highly intelligent, highly willed, high drive, working type dogs.
These people have money and access to some of the best dog trainers in the world. Why not hire one of them to make their dog behave to where they are comfortable taking them out rather than resort to those measures? For most people that use them, I’d think they were simply trying their best, but most people can’t afford the training that the celebrities can.
I don’t recall her using the collar in other pictures. Also I’m pretty sure the dogs are used to LA life where walking down the street is not nearly as crowded as it is NYC. It’s not always so simple as get a good dog trainer each dog is different and can be extremely difficult to train
+1 It’s a dogs nature to protect their owner and the dog probably gets overwhelmed and is not used to so many people/cars constantly around if it was raised in LA. Those collars are fine as long as you don’t abuse them.
at first i thought why shock collars as she’s had those dogs for a long ass time – shouldn’t they be trained by now!!?? but i think you’re right, they’re used to LA and probably get over-excited by the loud noises and crowds in NYC.
Yeah I don’t believe in shock collars what so ever, but I also have had an agressive Boxer. Even when I would take her for walks, she was fine if someone was across the street, but if they got too close to me she would freak out. Boxers are REALLY strong, since they’re basically pure muscle. Maybe she wanted her dog to get some fresh hair, but also wanted to take precausions? I don’t know, I still don’t think shock collars really work.
the “fresh hair” typo really made me LOL!
We have employed the shock collar in the past, but only as a means to train them. We have two labs & both are trained bird dogs. It helped us break them of bad habits like jumping and eating everything and anything in the yard. Now, if we even get the collar out or they hear the beep, they’re on their very best behavior. If putting on a collar was necessary to socialize… Well, I’d never have a dog like that. Especially not with kids.
You just hit it on the head. Most dogs will fall into line after the first ever shock. After that it is often just enough for them to wear the collar to behave.
Haha although my neighbor’s dog is very smart. They installed an electric fence and the first time he got shocked instead of behaving he figured out a way to get around it. He takes a running leap and goes so fast it doesn’t shock him. So they don’t work for every dog 🙂
There is a difference between and shock collar and a remote collar. A remote collar gives off a vibration that is annoying to the dog. It doesn’t hurt them and is better than pulling them. Most dog trainers recommend using them.
I was just coming to say this. Are we just ASSUMING that it’s a shock collar? Most people are now employing the vibration collar. And for someone with a dog that is dog aggressive – it helps snap them out of it while you are trying to socialize them.
Shock or remote collars are not to use when one has no knowledge of dogs or how to handle them.
I’ve got the impression that many people have no idea what to do with their dogs and then use shock collars. That’s not the meaning of them.
I didn’t know that. Remote collars just vibrate? That’s much better.
I really, really hope you’re right. Regardless of a lot of comments here, I can’t think of a situation where an electric shock round the poor beast’s neck will improve matters.
Biel, for all of her other issues, seems like a devoted pet owner, and I trust her to make good decisions on how to handle her animals. Mendes, on the other hand, bought a dominant breed with what seems like very little dog experience or common sense, and is simply in way over her head.
+1
I’ve never seen Biel with a shock collar before while Mendes always uses it when just running errands! So stupid.
Wow! Lots of judgy mcjudgersons here. Shock collars are not in humane when used properly. They deliver a very mild shock especially to a 150lb dog. Jessica probably weighs less than the dog and wants to be sure she can absolutely control it when she’s walking around crowded NYC. It’s not as if the dog will go into seizures if she shocks it. Plus, she probably has to worry about major lawsuits if the dog gets out of her control. Bravo for being a responsible dog owner , Jessica.
Both of those dogs are somewhat stocky, and even then I would say they are both no more than 70 pounds or so. 150 pounds? She’s walking a boxer, not a mastiff.
Thank god for the people with common sense around here!
Whilst they probably aren’t the same weight…I agree with the principle!
I’m awful with guessing weight, especially with the muscular breeds. If I’d have to guess, I’d say the boxer is roughly 70 pounds and the pit bull maybe 60.
Even so, principle stands. No where near 150, even combined.
Didn’t read if someone wrote this above, but she’s wise – her potential liability is through the roof and everyone knows it. She and her husband are worth many millions. Many would sue her at the drop of a hat.
Zzzzzzzz….
Just having that type of dog is a liability. I used to have a german shepherd….sweetest girl in the world – a model dog at the dog park with other dogs, great with all people, seemingly perfect. I have an electric fence that kept her in the yard at all times. One day I was talking to my neighbor with her little poodle at our feet. My shepherd ran through the electric fence and killed the poodle with one bite. I immediately gave the dog back to the rescue (my county would have put her down), and paid my neighbor fees encumbered from disposing of her dog’s remains. And that’s the only reason she didn’t sue me. And she would have won.
Which is exactly why I don’t like electric fences. I know they can be great for people with large yards and give the dog freedom, but a large, stubborn dog will often take the momentary shock and not even be phased by it if they want on the other side badly enough. It also doesn’t protect your dog from an aggressive animal coming into your yard.
I knew a rat terrier who’d steel himself for the shock and take it to go chase a squirrel.
I was walking my GSD and maltipoo this morning in my neighborhood. Low and behold, someone’s unleashed dog made a beeline for my GSD. My GSD, while sweet to me and my other dogs, is aggressive towards other dogs, which is why he is never off leash if he is outside. And it sucks when people think that their dogs are so trustworthy that they can be off leash outside. No dog is 100% trustworthy. And if they are outside, should always always be on a leash. I now have three huge scratches down my thigh from breaking the fight up.
Ditto on the “please leash your dog!” sentiment.
I just got home from walking my maltipoo. In that 15 minute walk, 2 separate un-leashed large dogs bailed us up. My maltipoo loves large dogs, and these two were both friendly, so nothing bad actually happened.
But when your giant beast runs at me and my tiny fluff-ball, I don’t know what its intentions are. By the time you wander up saying, “oh don’t worry, he’s really friendly” it’s too late, I’ve already had my heart leap into my throat.
@ maggiegrace That is so sad about your GSD! We rescued a white GSD and he is an absolute angel… The sweetest dog ever. He weighs 105 and is incredibly well behaved. We are looking for another one to rescue. Here I was sitting here thinking, well GSD are such good, loyal well behaved dogs I would never have to use any of these tools. I guess it depends on the dog. Thank you for your story and I’m so sorry you had to go through that.
That’s an awful story and you have my sympathy (and so does your neighbor). I’d like to piggy back on your comment as an anti breed specific legislation advocate, and point out that this is not typical behavior for German sheps or any other dog. I’m grateful that you adopted a rescue dog (i foster rescues and have three rescues myself, a golden, a pittie/lab and a border collie/aussie shepard mix) but they often have issues, especially if they have been through the wringer before they were adopted into loving homes.
If my dog weighed more than 4 lbs I would use a shock collar to stop him from trying to kill my neighbor. As it stands her ankle has received no injuries.
All dogs are different can be very hard to train hence the need for some to use a shock collar. Kaiser the WRONG thing to do is to keep the dog locked in the house they need to socialize and be in an environment with other dogs.If you look at her twitter all she talks about are her dogs. This seems like a precautionary. Yes you get big dogs to protect you in cases of home invasion but you dont want them snapping at people on a simple walk. Also all shock collars have different settings like a simple beep to a vibration.
I use a shock collar for one of my dogs. I’ve never actually shocked him, but I put it on him whenever we are in a public space as a precaution. He’s an absolutely lovely dog and other than a bit of growling and snapping at the air before he realized I wasn’t going to hurt him (rescue dog), he’s never been aggressive. But he’s so, so strong, pure muscle, and if he ever did try to attack someone or something I wouldn’t be able to physically restrain him, he’d dislocate my shoulder with one big lunge. His breed doesn’t faff about with mauling limbs when they attack, they go straight for the throat. So I’m not going to risk it, even though he’s an incredibly cuddly and stranger friendly animal these days.
I’m sure we’ve all experienced an animal reacting to something in a crazy way eg. the time one of my dogs had a 3 day long nervous breakdown upon seeing the (apparently terrifying) sight of my cat sitting in a box. Animals are unpredictable, no matter how much well they’re trained, and I feel like it’s my responsibility to have a back-up plan since I couldn’t physically prevent the dog from doing damage. I doubt I’ll ever use the collar, but if I didn’t have it I’d be getting up at 3am to walk him when no one else is around because as lovely as he is, he could easily kill someone or something.
You are a responsible dog owner and should be commended.
I have a Pitbull mix, I do not have a shock collar or prong collar but a regular choke collar; it’s not about aggressiveness. The majority of the time it’s that big dogs when they pull a bit hard when they are excited or get outside or want to say “hi” to another dog they will pull you; you have to check that. If a little Yorkie pulls you, you won’t even feel it.
My dog would not harm a fly and he’s over 100 lbs of pure muscle and he’s strong so I have to reign him in with the collar. She may just be doing the same. It’s not a question of aggression. If they are aggressive no shock collar will hold them back.
+1 to this
The shock collar would not hold them if they get aggressive. It’s not about that. It’s about other things.
Have you ever tried a Gentle Leader? I prefer those over choke collars by a mile. My pittie mix will pull on a neck collar until she barfs, but the GL keeps all my dogs in line (they are all leash pullers). I highly recommend them as a very effective alternative.
I tried the gentle leader so many times because I would prefer that verus anything chocking around the neck however, my boy will not walk when I put it on him. I mean he literally plops down on the floor and refuses to get up. I try to pull him and he starts whining. I had a trainer try to do this as well thinking that maybe I put it on wrong and the same thing happened. So I gave up. Thankfully, I just tug a little bit when he pulls and he falls back in line.
She looks like SUCH a bitch.
omg every time I see a picture of her I think the same thing- someone finally said it! Thanks Tony.
Wonder what the dogs think.
I applaud her use of a control device. Any dog can misbehave. Large & perhaps aggressive dogs can do so much damage to humans & other animals that this is very responsible.
Particularly with rescued animals, we don’t know what random thing or incident might trigger aggressive behavior. Better safe than sorry & sued.
I think she has the dogs to ward off paparazzi or crazed fans. She has the shock collars so she can control the situation if need be – the dogs are just aggressive enough that people won’t get too close to her, but they’re still controlled with a shock collar in case they need a fail safe (like if a small child runs up)
I live in NYC and have a small dog and kids. If (and that’s an if) she is employing a shock collar on her dogs to keep them in check, then that dog has no business being in a crowded city. That’s an accident waiting to happen.
Maybe the remote is for Justin’s shock collar?
If she’s programmed it to buzz every time he’s a douche, I’ll look forward to seeing pictures of him vibrating his way down the street.
Reminds me of the Cheers episode where Cliffy had a guy following him around shocking him every time he was obnoxious.
j.eyre and T.fanty: I ♥ you two. 😉
I just have this stereotype that “glamorous” girls who own pitbulls are probably good & loving dog owners.
Pits so often get adopted or bred by a-holes who treat them like shit. If a girl falls in love with the breed, then she probably coddles them. Again, I have no real factual basis for this, just the impression I get..
Also J Eyre-Hernandez got released from Pats, didja hear? Sketchy McGee.
Agreed 100%.
I live in the city, too, and have a 65-pound dog (harness lead) and I see many dog owners out and about with zero control of their dogs. I’m disturbed by the fact that she allegedly needs multiple devices for control, when she has two large, powerful dogs on crowded sidewalks.
Something’s not right with her, but I’ve also always had some disdain for her after reading that one of her dogs killed another of the dogs, and yet as we see, there’s no muzzle or other truly protective device in play. I am totally unsurprised that whiny ‘too beautiful to be hired’ and her crybaby ‘it’s all Janet’s fault!’ sack of a husband have ‘tough’ looking dogs….while Channing Tatum walks a teensy-weensy one, no biggie.
On a tangent: Sometimes the lack of dog-owner responsibility astounds me – particularly in the city. I love animals, and used to work with them, and ultimately, they are unpredictable, particularly when subject to stress (say, a busy street and people they don’t know). It enrages me when someone walks their dog up to mine, or my kids, telling me that their dog is friendly and wants to say hi – and this is often people with big dogs. Your point is exactly right. If she can’t control the dogs, they need to be off the street. If she can’t give the dogs adequate exersise, then maybe the the dogs should be somewhere more comfortable for them.
On the flip side, if nobody is hiring her, at least she has the time to take them for loooooong walks.
When I look at this photo, I see two relaxed well behaved dogs, walking with their relaxed owner. They are not in front of her, they are at her side. She is clearly their alpha and she is being a responsible owner by having a shock collar on one of them that perhaps needs more correction than she can give with the leash alone. HER dogs are not a problem. I wish everyone was that in control of their dogs.
Don’t get me started, T. Fanty…So dangerous for other city dwellers AND for the unleashed pup.
T.fanty – I’m with you on your frustration with clueless dog owners. I used to have a breed that was born to be dog aggressive. I worked hard with him from day one to be a safe dog while out and about with me, and that included outfitting him with a shock collar because animals are ruled by instinct. If he ever decided one day to get aggressive, I wanted to be sure I could shut him down, no question, and you can do that with a good shock collar. But I was amazed at the number of people who let their dogs off or on leash, just run right up to him. Very frustrating. He never did develop any aggression while I had him. I was forced to adopt him to another couple when my living situation changed, and they report needing to work with him a bit on it. Honestly, if he had ever shown himself dangerous to another dog, I would have probably put him down. We don’t need dog aggressive genes IMO, though some claim you can’t have the breed without the aggression.
Anyhoo, I can see both sides of the issue, and if her dog really did kill another, I personally don’t think it is a safe dog to own. Although she looks to be in complete control of her dogs here, I still think the chances are too high that the dog will kill again.
Bitch face! Her dogs look friendlier.
Oh jeez, this is not the first article written here about shock collars, you seem to feel the need to keep bringing them up. Our dog trainer is one of the finest in the country, routinely training dogs for many law enforcement agencies, caregiver organizations, service dogs and pets. All of their big dogs are trained on leash and off leash. When going off leash, a large dog should always have a electronic collar, and even on leash it’s a good idea. Our dog is a large black German shepherd. He is as sweet as can be, but he’s protective. At 90 lbs I want to make sure I can control him and not have him running
down the street to chase a squirrel or run after an errant ball or other “toy like object”. An electronic collar on a large muscular dog that weighs 80 or more pounds is just prudent. While the collar can be used to provide an electronic shock, most dog owners use the vibrate button, which simply vibrates the collar much like the vibrate setting on your phone. It’s enough to get the dogs attention and redirect them.
Well Put. PEOPLE WHO DON’T OWN A LARGE BREED DOG! They are strong! Epecially when they are young and learning to be trained you need a means of controlling them. They are probably well socialized and friendly but if they get excited and want to jump, run or pull using a vibrate, a low shock so you can control them is not going to hurt them. If you want to socialize them and are not strong enough to hold them if they are excited there is nothing wrong with having a way to control/train them.
As I understood it, one of her dogs killed the other. Some have accused of neglecting them, and others criticized her for not putting it down. She apparently left the dogs unattended. Lainey put her on blast for moving in JT’s house that was home to his two dogs already. I have never owned a dog, so I don’t know what the protocol is. If your dog is aggressive or hurts the other, what do you do? Are shock collars inhumane?
Links: http://jjb.yuku.com/topic/667850
I posted about this a bit upthread: I don’t know what the protocol should be for the areas she can control, like in her own apartment — but to have an animal-aggressive animal in tight, public quarters without a muzzle is IMO egregiously, unforgivably selfish.
I think she’s really, really trashy, and think the same of JT. The extremely expensive clothes, wedding, homes don’t change that they seem incredibly low-rent in their philosophies – aggro dogs. Friends making fun of homeless people at their wedding. Bitching about being too good to get jobs. Etc.
They do have a history of behaving like assh*les. I agree muzzles seems like the prudent thing to do. Even though I’m deathly afraid of dogs, the idea of animal abuse/neglect breaks my heart.
There should be a test for pet ownership, I swear. Some people are unbelievably irresponsible.
Muzzles make it hard for the dog to pant which in a city sweltering like NYC is in the summer, you don’t want the dog to be unable to pant while walking….. That would be abusive unlike the judicial use of an electronic collar to ensure good behaviour of her dogs.
Certified dog trainer here. Years of experience.
If you learn how to use them correctly, shock collars act as markers, aka things that signal good things or bad things are coming. For example, I would use a positive marker like “yes” to mark when a dogs buns were on the floor to mark a “sit” behavior. I would use a negative marker like “eh eh” to mark a behavior I didn’t want.
shock collars act as that negative marker, but most people use it for positive punishment, aka adding something to decrease the likelihood of a behavior happening.
I usually don’t recommend them because people aren’t willing to use them the correct manner but what can you do. Biel is probably using it as a negative marker though.
The same can be done with verbal commands. 30 years plus of certified dog training and ive NEVER had to use a shock collar. Animals are animals and we cant say they will never bite or jump or maul, with or without using a shock collar. Shock collars have not been proven to be more effective at eliminating above-fact.
Even the gentlest dogs can become aggressive under certain circumstances. My neighbour’s sweet-tempered and ancient lab/Rottweiler mix suddenly got the energy to dig through a fence and nearly kill another neighbour’s Shih Tzu. Apparently Jessica had a dog tragedy a few years ago where one of her dogs killed the other even though they’d been getting along fine. I’m sure that shocked her into use of controlling collars as big dogs like that can become dangerous very quickly.
In my experience, dogs of that breed/size are fine with humans, children, and small dogs and trained and socialized dogs. The problem is encountering dogs off their leashes (I hate this on walks and parks!)who are not trained and socialized. The scariest thing that’s ever happened to me with my pit bull was when I encountered an aggressive doberman, off leash and he attacked me. My sweet baby boy, Sancho, leapt to my defense and had the doberman down in one bite. Then, the doberman’s owner came out of nowhere and started to beat my dog for biting – and not letting go – of his dog. I beat him off my dog, but still could not get Sancho to let go of the doberman, who was at this point scared and whining. I think a shock collar would have helped at that moment, just to help Sancho break that intense focus. When I saw that cops came and was about to taser him, I did something crazy. I stuck my hand in his mouth, between the doberman’s neck and his teeth, and to my relief, Sancho immediately let go. Gah – I still miss my sweet dog, ten years later.
FYI, an effective way of breaking up a fight is to grab the back legs of one or both dogs. You are less likely to get bitten than were you to try to grab a collar. Most dogs will let go immediately when they lose their balance.
Wearing headphones while walking her dogs? B*tch please. Obviously these pets are ornaments, not adopted out of real love for a living creature.
Pay attention to your pets. How hard is that, given the money she has at her disposal? And that means her Husband’s money.
she might not have the music on. it might just be to keep people from approaching her
I believe the boxer is Justin’s dog. So does she call the paps every time she walks the dogs? That’s like the only time she gets her picture taken.
How else will you train them to be non-aggressive and friendly around people unless you bring them out in people and get them familiar?
Shock collars usually have nothing to do with human aggression! They are to be able to snap your dog’s brain out of whatever he/she is focusing on that you don’t want them focusing on so they can listen/follow direction. It is a training tool not a punishment. I zap myself every morning before I put it onto lab, who is still in training. They don’t hurt whatsoever, they’re just a tool to use in training to redirect focus- you NEVER zap for punishment, that is actually the exact opposite of training. Aggressive dogs alone done need these, a lot of dogs do, my big old French Bulldog needed it to learn to come when called because he will focus so hard and be so stubborn that he won’t listen, and it helped redirect is focus. If you use them correctly, they can be the most positive tool to help you train your dog and fully enjoy their companionship.
Well said. I had a 120 lb Great Dane/Rottweiler mix who could (and did) send me flying through the air like a doll by virtue of his clumsy exuberance. His name was Crash. Heheh. I used a shock collar to teach him to lie down when he was off leash, no matter the circumstances. It came in handy when other folks would come by with smaller dogs off leash. He grew up thinking a miniature dachshund was his mama, so he LOVED little dogs, and would automatically go into crazy play mode unless I was able to redirect his attention. Then they could crawl all over him, and he wouldn’t budge an inch.
B.S.!!! Its a punishment! So you would be ok with people using shock collars on their kids? After all it is only a training tool & not a punishment. PLEASE!
I live in the city. I’m afraid of dogs. One of the reasons why is that I’ve been bitten by a LOT of them. If someone’s going to insist on owning a dangerous dog breed, i.e. pit mix, doberman, rottweiler, I’ll thank them for taking precautions so that when their ill-trained mutt clamps down on my leg with its huge teeth and 80lbs. of pressure, there’s a way to get the beast off me. It happens more frequently than you’d think.
If an individual can not control an animal they should not own that animal.
The thing is that if your dogs have aggression issues, shock collars make them worse. MUCH WORSE. Startle a dog with pain and what is it going to do? 1) snap at whatever is nearest, 2) associate those circumstances with pain and shock.
If your dog growls at a kid and you shock it, then you’ve just taught it that being around a kid means pain and shock are about to happen. Some dogs may be sensitive enough to internalise their behaviour and seem cowed (and avoid kids!), but it’s much more likely that he will react with external aggression/redirection because he doesn’t understand where the pain comes from (collar&owner) so assumes it was caused by the circumstances.
It is a lousy, lazy way of keeping dogs and has nothing to do with training
They aren’t used to startle the dog with pain. They are used as a training device and then as a way to interrupt an action and then you redirect the dog in a positive manner with associated positive cues. AND the majority of the time they are used on vibrate….. JEESH
Anne is right. Shock collars are banned in Wales and efforts are underway to ban them throughout the UK. The Humane Society has come out against them. It is established that treating aggression with aggression (aversive methods, including shock collars) exacerbates or causes displaced aggression over the long term. Try learning more about Victoria Stillwell’s methods, not Cesar Milan’s, which have drawn major criticism in the dog training world.
I don’t feel one way or another about these collars as long as it is used to protect others and the dog itself. One time my very well mannered dog (normally) had a rabbit in a bush and no matter what I did she was focused on that rabbit and the kill, so I finally had to spay some water on her to just break her focus. I then took her by the collar and brought her in until the rabbit could escape. I love dogs but I never trust any dog 100% and never will.
I can not believe the amount of assumptions, general blinkered judging and downright batty comments here regarding this.
First starting on her clothes for walking the dog…She is walking the dogs, what the hell do you expect her to wear? A ballgown.
Second, assuming because there is a shock collar that she is putting people in danger. You have no idea why she is using it. She could just be using her brain to make sure that she can remain in control should the worst happen. Bravo to her, not a reason to slag off.
Thirdly, are people looking at the same picture I am? Both the dogs looked utterly relaxed and the leads are loose which shows they are not even pulling, let alone showing aggression.
I really do think people will try to find any reason they can to take a slap at a person. Even if they have to make it up it seems!
Agree!
And don’t forget the: “Oh, she’s wearing head phones, pay attention to your dogs” stuff. Seriously, what’s wrong with that? The girl is relaxing, walking her dogs in a casual outfit, the dogs are fine, why shouldn’t she listen to music if she wants to?
According to half the posters here walking your dog while wearing earbuds is akin to animal abuse???? Cray cray
This is actually a nice casual look,what do you expect her to wear,high heels and a gown? She is not a kardashian..Dear God! Leave her alone.
The shock collar likely had nothing to do with aggression and more to do with keeping the dog from distraction while on the leash. Heck, we don’t know it’s a shock collar, could be a vibration collar.
My lord some of you are awful!! None of us even know if that is a shock collar or just one that vibrates. I used a vibrating collar on two of my dogs at my vets suggestion because of behavior issues. It doesn’t hurt them one bit, it just interrupts their train of thought so you can correct the behavior. Shame on some of you for assuming the worst. Maybe she is a real snob, maybe her husband is a nitwit but that doesn’t mean they aren’t kind to their dogs.
First World problems..
lets put a shock collar on her see how the c^nt likes it!!!
+1
she is so masculine.
The pit bull is JB’s dog… I think her name is Tina. She has had her for years prior to her relationship with JT?
JT had two Boxers yet lately all we see is JB walking one.
Coming from a huge fan and owner of several Boxers, first off, they are not known as an aggressive breed and are actually very good family dogs who never grow out of being a playful puppy. Yes, they are muscle and scary to a stranger but they are from the working class and have no idea of their size/strength.
Many times, Boxers are selected to be used as ‘bait dogs’ when training Pitts to fight as they will not fight back.
My issues with JB and her walking style… Number one as mentioned, wtf with the ear buds when walking in the crowded streets of NYC? Why are neither of these dogs in a harness instead of just a collar? Dogs are great escape artists when they want to be! The weather is way too hot and humid for that Boxer to be walking around the concrete jungle with her! Boxers are prone to over heating and can die from this! And finally, why do we never see her walking these dogs in a park where they can be in the grass?
I think breeds get a bad rap when, like people, they all have individual personalities and based on their nurturing as babies, dictate how they will be as they age.
You are SO right Cricket. Yes, shouldn’t she carry the dog in an air conditioned carrier until it reaches grass. How terrible of her to allow the dog to walk on any sidewalk in NYC. Everyone knows that there is a row of grass leading to every front door in New York City so that animal abuse can be stopped at the air conditioned door…..
what cute doggies! kiss kiss
I have trained dogs of almost every breed for over 30 years, from pugs to pit bulls, and you are a complete moron to put a shock collar a dog. Its completely inhumane and even the most aggressive dogs can learn to be social etc without ever, ever, ever having to use a shock collar. Yes it takes more time & patience and goodness knows the celebs just dont have that time for their pets! Idiots!
We had a wireless shock collar fence to keep our pit contained before we built our fence. We put it on the very lowest setting shocked ourselves theen put it on her (still on the lowest setting) and brought her to the flagged perimeter and taught her not to go past the flags. It literally took 1 time and that was it. She never went past that spot. Now she doesn’t even wear the collar and we allow her to play happily in the unfenced portion and she never strays. That has been 5 years ago. About a month ago we brought Blanche Dean (and yes, that IS her name) to the property where we are building our new home to sniff around and play and meet the neighbors and when we got there we called our usually very obedient pup to the back yard only to have her stop and cry. We called and called. Perplexed we went towards her and realized that she wouldn’t come because she saw the flags that were staked out to mark the footprint of the house. Five years of not seeing one and she still wouldn’t cross a flag. The shock collar gave her the freedom, security, and happiness of a free dog without worry.
I think it’s pretty obvious she takes the dogs out in public with her because she feels she needs them for protection. Whether that is the case or not is for her to judge, not me. Although I don’t imagine I’d like to be shocked if I got too loud or maybe too rambunctious, I do give her some props for trying to be responsible about the situation. If her dogs have proven to be aggressive or loud, it’s her responsibility to make sure that behavior doesn’t cause problems for others when she has them guarding her out in public. I suppose she could walk a docile Golden or Lab, but those types of dogs probably wouldn’t give her the type of security she seems to believe she needs. We can all scream and yell about what WE feel is good and bad treatment of dogs (animals) but the FACT of the matter is that every dog owner buys their dog and keeps their dog for their own personal reasons. Perhaps Jessica views her dogs as companions second and guard dogs first. That view would dictate how she treats and trains the dogs. Not saying it’s right, or wrong. It just is what it is.
I disagree with the collar, but after reading your post, I can appreciate the other perspective.
Thanks kiyoshigirl 🙂
I don’t see how shock collars are any different from Invisible Fence. We never had to use either with our dog because he is a little fluffball of a Bichon Frise and the only thing he will attack are bigger dogs (we don’t know why, he’s gotten crankier as he has gotten older but he is great with people). Even though he still runs away from the property on occasion (we don’t have a fence) at the age of 13, we never bothered with Invisible Fence because it is expensive.
I had a purebred boxer dog growing up and he was incredibly docile and good natured. They look fierce but they are massive, slobbering adorable sissies
I own a spitz and when I take him I put the shock collar on because he gets excited around people and feisty.. I love my baby but boy oh boy he gets a little out of hand… He’s in training now cause he is a young dog
As for the shock collar thing.. They are a great training tool for more things than just aggression – they help with teaching a simple heel command. As well most shock collars come with a sound option so after a period of time you can give the dog a friendly beep reminder vs a shock.