@tasfleur wrote:I shouldn't laugh, but it's funny to hear of a dog who likes a lemon taste ... if our 'yet to be' dog turns out like that, we still wouldn't use a 'shock collar', I guess we'd have to study up different ways via the 'Dog Whisperer'.
I don't know if he's smartened up since (I hope so) but Caeser Millian--(assuming that's who you're referring to)--was, himself, using shock collars to control not only barking, but other bad behaviour, I saw an episode of The Dog Whisperer where he put a shock collar on this poor out-of-control little mutt that some dope adopted from a shelter without even looking into its history. Turned out the dog didn't like cats and the aforementioned dope had one. He constantly kept going after the cat. So Millian put a shock collar on the dog and had the woman shock him every time he so much as looked at the cat. By the end of the episode, the dog was a cowering, traumatized mess yelping in pain.
The dope was so thrilled because now she could keep both the cat and quivering mess hiding under furniture that had started off a happy dog.
I've been ticked off at Caesar Millian ever since! 
Shock collars are very cruel. And, as others have said, there are more humane and effective ways of controlling barking.
I haven't seen CM doing that artfulcreations, not that that means he didn't do it, I have no idea about it. All I've ever seen him do is what I consider the right thing all the way through.
Shock collars are horrible, I do agree with you, an appalling way to train a dog; I see it as a punishment, not training.
Hi Jessica xx
I'm not convinced that CM methods are incorrect, he's very gentle and positive from what I have seen and I've never seen him be cruel or hurt one of his charges.
Dogs are essentially pack animals as far as their psyche/genes go, but there are as you say, many other just as successful ways of training dogs without using barbaric methods such as those ghastly collars.
With all the methods there are, I'll stay with the citronella collar if and when necessary once we get our dog.
It's up to the conscience of each dog owner as to how they would want to train their dogs, but I prefer a gentler approach, so the shock/electronic collars are out of the question.
