Thanks, Laurie. I myself had NO IDEA about hounds when I took Henry on. I had been so successful in dog training in the past, had such a "way" with animals -- and I took it so PERSONALLY that Henry did not respond to ANY of the usual methods. I felt like such a failure, and it was only after doing a lot of research and talking to other hound owners that I realized that this dog needed an entirely different approach. I really learned a lot from the experience that has affected other areas of my life -- about patience and compromise, about how our emotions can interfere with effective problem solving, and about old dogs learning new tricks (the "old dog" being me, not Henry!).

I've been having a discussion about shock collars on another listserve and received the following message today from a woman who used to be opposed to them, but now appreciates that they are sometimes a necessary last resort with hounds and/or extremely difficult "alpha" dogs:

I used to think shock collars were awful. But one day when out walking my dog, a lady with a griffon vendeen hound stopped me and asked, in amazement, how I managed to have my dog NOT on a lead. It turned out that her hound was uncatchable - it took her 5 hours to catch him once and that was with a flying rugby tackle! She had tried EVERYTHING to train him, but he was incorrigible. I saw her a few months later and he was happily running free. Turned out a dog trainer recommended a shock collar and she said it was the best thing she'd done. He learnt quickly and then didnt need it any more, although she said every few months she has to put it on him to reinforce it as he starts to slip! I think that in the wrong hands shock collars could be cruelly misused. But I dont blame people like yourself who use them as a last resort.

Most people also don't realize how much shock collars have improved over the years. The "charge" they give does not actually hurt the dog, just startles him. I was told to use the collar on myself to know what it feels like, and did. The "charge" is no more than the kind of static charge you get from a carpet or TV screen.

By the way, I absolutely LOVE the name of your border collie. Do you have pics of her and your other dogs, that I can see? My friend and neighbour has a 5-month old border collie named Bear, who I frequently take out to the field with me and Henry. "Cheeky" doesn't half describe him....