An anti bark collar is something many dog owners have quite recently become interested in. Over the last five years these items have grown exponentially in popularity.
Why?
To make a long story short, they work. If you are a person who is tired of hearing your dog yap all day, no matter who cute he or she is, then you need to purchase one of these devices. There is not another training device that I know which has proven more effective than anti bark collars. Time and time again they have shown to be the quickest way of stopping excessive barking.
Dogs bark. That is not expected nor is that something new. Nobody gets new puppies expecting them to never bark. What is not expected is constant non stop barking that seems to never end! There are some breeds out there who will bark at just about anything and depending on where you live (like in a busy neighborhood) it can last seemingly all day long.
What does an anti bark collar do?
It administers a safe form of punishment to your dog whenever their barking is deemed out of control. This can be via tiny shock, citronella spray, or an ultrasonic wave that only they can hear.
Do these bark collars work? Absolutely.
You will see results from using them in less than two days. Quickly your dogs will find out that they cannot bark loud and non stop as they are used to. True, they might be depressed at first. Who likes not being able to do whatever they want?? But, they will quickly get over it and adjust.
I promise that almost any anti bark collar you see on the market (in the US) have been tested and approved. If they were a safety threat to your dog then they would be banned. These items are sold at every major national pet retail store and would be promptly taken down if they were defective or it was proved they “hurt” your dog.
Getting and Using Dog Barking Collars
People who own dogs that bark a lot can find themselves, rather quickly, at their wits end. There are tons of ideas and methods out there on how to stop excessive barking. Its funny because they are always advertised as “full proof” or guaranteed to work by so called “certified dog trainers.” They sound good but I doubt many of these things will work on stubborn dogs like a terrier, pug, or various types of hounds.
It can really make confused about what to do because on one hand most owners love their dogs but one the other hand they find themselves at times wanted to remove their dogs voice or put it to sleep at some moments. When you get to this point you need a tool that will deliver results. You need a tried and tested tool.
The device you need is an anti bark collar. Contrary to what certain animal lovers say these no barking shock collars are not inhumane.
I have never seen an instance where these collars have failed when you use them as directed. As easy as this sounds the majority of the people who buy these fail to do just that.
Fit the collar correctly around your dogs neck. Make it snug but not tight. You do not want to choke your dog. The sensors need to lie under the neck. Its even better if you can place it directly in the center of the voice box.
Try to spin the collar and see if it spins easily or not. If it does not than you have it on tight enough. Remember, while you do not want to put it on overly tight if it is not snug enough the sensors will not be able to hear the bark.
Be sure to take this device off right before bed or it can leave a rash.
Get into a daily routine when it comes to using the anti bark collar. Put into practice putting this on your dog the first thing in the morning. Do not skip days. I repeat, do not skip one day, out it on him the next, forget two more days, and then put it on him again.
Consistency is what will make this collar work the way it is meant to. Use it properly for at least a week and you will notice immediate results. Dogs are smarter than you think and if you do not use it everyday they will learn the collar and find a way to beat it. They will only not bark when the anti bark collar is on and when it is not on they will revert back to their old ways.
After a while the collar will train your pet not to zap all the time and he will get the message. He will not need it after more than two weeks. Every once and a while after that you may need it but not likely. When you used the anti bark collar the way you should your dog will begin to associate the bad sensation he gets from the shock with the act of barking. This is what you want! When not used the right way they only associate the unpleasant feeling with the actual collar. Bad news!
A good anti dog barking or citronella spray collar will cost $100-$130 so you want to make certain you use it wisely to get your money’s worth.
Best Collar To Stop Dog Barking
Excessive barking is a trait found in many dogs, especially small ones, and can be extremely frustrating. We all love our dogs and would do just about anything for them but the constant yapping at times can be too much to bear.
Luckily there is a special collar that has introduced to the market years ago that helps individuals solve this problem.
They are called “anti bark collars” and they can effectively stop your dog from barking. There are three kinds and they each work a little different but the result is the same.
Each of them work by inflicting some sort of physical, though totally harmless, punishment on your dog when he barks out of control. It psychologically teaches him or her that the action they are doing is bad and gives a negative feeling to them for doing it.
If used correcting the collar can stop your dog’s excessive barking within a week. If you use it consistently for two weeks then you might be able to permanently stop your dog from going bonkers and barking excessively.
Here are the three types of collars for you to pick from starting with the most popular.
Shock Collar
These devices give your dog a small shock when they bark. It is not a large shock but just enough so that they immediately feel a slight sting when they bark more than three times and over a certain decimal.
Spray Collar
I am not a huge fan of these collars but the have become fairly popular for people who just cannot stand the whole “shock” process. I have written several articles about why bark collars are not inhumane but some people still just cannot do it.
The citronella bark collar works a little bit different and for some dog owners may be a little more palatable. This particular spray works on four out of the five important senses: the dogs hear it, see it, feel it, and smell it.
Basically the premise behind this training device is to spray a burst of citronella spay into the dogs face every time he barks. Some people think that releasing a spritz of this very powerful fragrance under a dog’s chin is more effective than a collar that releases an electric shock. I beg to differ but I think this device does work as well and can be used as a successful alternative.
Dogs hate citronella and its no wonder why. Citronella oil is a type of plant based, non toxic, inspect repellent that is used to repel mosquitoes.
The make up is from cymbopogon, a mixture of grasses that are commonly found in warm tropical regions. It has been checked by the EPA extensively and it has been found to be safe for the environment and its safe for humans and animals. What is interesting about citronella is that it is a substance that is used for several applications, not just dog training collars. The citronella chemicals are utilized to make perfumery soap, big repellent candles, repel body and head lice, and of course the excessive “barking dog” problem.
The substance is really strong smelling and I believe this is why dogs cannot stand it. A canine’s noise is very sensitive and that strong of an odor so close is really bothersome.
So when you have a dog that is barking so much he or she is causing a nuisance to yourself or your neighbors this device can really help you.
Again, to clarify, the way it works is this way. There is a little microphone which picks up or senses loud barks and sets off a spray of citronella under the dog’s chin. Some people think it sprays it into his or her eyes but this is not true. The smell of the fragrance is not pleasant and really annoying to the dogs. I repeat that it is absolutely not harmful in anyway. But dogs HATE it and will do anything not to trigger that scent. There is something about this smell that creates a very negative stimulus in them. Whoever came up with it is a genius because of all the smells dogs do not like this is in the top five.
Some negative comments I heard was the collar going off even when the dog did not bark (which is very bad and can send the wrong message) and some dogs getting used to the smell.
These citronella anti bark collars are expensive, costing over $100 for the good ones but, from what I have seen and heard, extremely useful and worth the costs. Like I have with my anti barking collars I would suggest a group of friends going in on the purchase together and taking turns using it.
These collars work by spraying citronella (an insect repellent) into your dog’s face when the barking gets too loud. Canines have a strong sense of smell and this scent irritates their nose to no end (does not cause any damage though!!). Some people feel this collar is more humane to use than the “shock” or “zap” collar mentioned previously.
Ultrasonic Collar
There are three types of collars used for training a dog to stop barking. All three choices have their pros and their cons. The three options you have are a shock collar, a citronella collar, or an ultra sonic collar.
This particular collar trains a dog by releasing a high pitched sound in the air when the dog starts yelping out of control. Humans cannot hear it because the tone is too high for our ears but dogs can. Like the citronella it annoys them getting them to stop barking immediately. You can actually purchase this device to go around a dog’s neck or it can be a stand alone product that goes in a middle of a house or even in your front yard. This is probably the least evasive collar out of the three yet it is still effective.
Unlike the other collars which administer a punishment on your dog via a shock, or burst of concentrated spray, these collars are primarily sound based.
As you probably know a dog’s sense of smell is extremely sensitive and thousands of times better than humans. What you may not know is that a dog’s sense of hearing (sound) is also very acute and frequencies that we as humans cannot hear can bother them.
When an ultra sonic bark collar detects your dog barking too loud or excessively it sends out an extremely high pitched sound frequency. It is a tone that most dogs just cannot stand. It does not hurt them in any way but it annoys them to no end.
Your dog will get this high pitched noise (which they find unbearable) every time they bark over what is considered acceptable and will start to associate their barking with the negative response they get. As with anything that causes pain (as for humans) behavior patterns are modified to avoid it.
Again, this frequency does not harm your dog. Personally I do not think anti bark collars that operate on shock and spray mechanisms hurt your dog but obviously there is a difference of opinion on that with some people. This collars causes no pain whatsoever.
Keep in mind this also. You can buy ultra sonic devices in not only collar form that go around a dog’s neck but also ones that do not. They have for sale stand alone ultra sonic units that you can set up and make go off my remote.
You can have the unit in your living room and when your dog starts barking you press a button and it goes off. You would be surprised by the results you get. You can also use it for other neighborhood dogs. Some of the more higher quality models have a very high range.
These anti bark collars that train a dog off high pitched sound cost $100 or more. There are some that are less than that amount but they work poorly. The stand alone units are a little more.
No matter which anti bark collar you choose consistent use is key. You want to make sure you take it off a night and put it back on first thing in the morning.
Also keep in mind that different dogs will respond to different collars. You might have to test them and see which one you like best. No matter which route you go make sure you that you follow the owner’s manual and buy an extra set of batteries. The juice runs out quick.
I first used an anti bark collar back in January 2011. It was on a recommendation of a good friend. It was for my pug and lasso whom I loved but drove me crazy due to their excessive barking.
My friend and I took a trip to Petsmart and bought two deluxe bark collars. They were the ones that gave a dog a small shock once they barked over a certain decimal.
It worked the first day I used it. Oh course the kids thought I was mean but I was at the last straw. I work from home and sometimes I could not hear myself think amidst all the barking especially when kids were getting home for school.
There are three main anti bark collars and you should use the one that you feel more comfortable with. The shock collar will get quicker results but some feel that the spray and ultrasonic bark collar are more humane. Regardless, hopefully my blog helps you in your decision.
