There are a lot of extreme opinions out there on this issue. I am a public adjuster by trade, I fight insurance companies for a living, this gives me a sensitive eye for bias. I read the screeds against shock collars and I tend to agree with the sentiment underlying them. However, I believe that the people who authored these papers were against them from the beginning root, tree and branch. Opinions like this are nearly worthless.
I was severely beaten as a child and it negatively impacted my life. I have a seven year old daughter who has never felt my hand. When we walk our dog I see people constantly hitting their dogs to correct them. I don't.. NOT EVER. If you are against shock collars on principle then I understand your bias.
I would love to have the luxury of the gentle art conversation to talk Pharaoh out of biting the hell out of my daughter, my wife, my guests, or the little kid at the park who ignored him. This guy can cut a squirrel in half on the run. He needs to know his limits now.
I will cheerfully employ any positive reinforcements suggested to restrain him from biting people. I intend to make this course of therapy short but effective. I do not intend to employ this technique on misdemeanors. Only biting.
However I do need a means of stopping him in the act…NOW. My research has indicted that the shortest path to stopping this behavior is the collar.
If you are reading this and are serious about stopping people from using shock collars then I would suggest you take some of your time to write a definitive guide to raising a Basenji pup that won't bite people. I searched in vain for any real solutions to this issue. This is by far the most incredible dog I have ever known. Every forum on this page that starts off about biting ends in recriminations and sniping. Good for some peoples egos.. Does nothing to stop the biting.