relax outside!

Bark collars are specially designed to discourage a dog’s excessive or inappropriate barking. Since they rely on negative reinforcement, they should only be used under certain circumstances. A dog bark collar doesn’t address the underlying cause of the barking, so it should be used with other training methods to insure the behavior change is permanent. Otherwise your dog may revert to old habits when the collar is removed, or adopt other undesirable habits such as digging, or become destructive or even aggressive.

Dogs bark for a number of reasons - territorial invasion by other dogs or animals, fear, separation anxiety, etc. This behavior is instinctual and shouldn’t be completely ‘trained out’. However, when your dog’s barking creates friction with neighbors because of night-time barking or excessive barking for little reason, you may need to resort to this sort of device to keep the dog’s barking under control.

Never use a bark collar on your dog if his barking is the result of separation anxiety, or other fears or phobias. Punishment will only make these behaviors worse.

There are several different kinds of anti-bark collars, but the best of each type consists of a collar fitted with a battery powered unit containing a small microphone. The microphone (possibly in conjunction with a device to detect vibration from your dog’s throat) activates the device and provides immediate negative feedback:

Citronella Bark Collar: This bark collar is considered the most humane, and contains a spray can filled with a citronella solution that sprays into your dog’s face every time he barks. The citronella bark collar is also reported to be the most successful type of anti-bark collar. Dogs find the scent of citronella very unpleasant, but the spray won’t reach their eyes or burn their skin. Dogs wearing a citronella-based bark collar soon make the connection between loud barking and a dose of foul-smelling spray.

Make sure you refill the citronella reservoir every time you put the collar on your dog. Some dogs are smart enough to realize when the citronella reservoir is empty and will resume barking.

Ultrasonic Bark Collar: This collar emits a high-frequency sound when your dog barks. To the dog, this is similar to you shouting at your dog for correction. Unfortunately, dogs can become accustomed to extraneous sounds and simply ignore it. Of the three most common bark collar methods, ultrasonic sound is considered to be the least effective.

Electric Shock Bark Collar: This is probably the most controversial form of bark collar sold today, and we don’t recommend it to control your dog’s barking. An electrical charge is led to a set of metal probes on the collar itself. You can adjust the level of stimulus from 1 to 10, starting with the lowest setting that your dog will respond to. The shock is about the equivalent of a human touching a doorknob after walking across a carpet. The electricity stings momentarily, stopping the unwanted barking and conditioning the dog to modify their behavior. The electric shock is painful to your dog but many dogs will choose to endure the pain and continue barking.

No anti-bark collar should cause permanent pain or injury to a pet, and should never be used if the barking is a symptom of fear or separation anxiety. Bark collars shouldn’t be used on puppies or dogs weighing less than two or three pounds. If the barking is triggered by genuine fear or anxiety, other corrective methods should be explored. Dogs should learn to ignore routine territorial invasions and common noises.

If a bark collar becomes necessary for the sake of other humans, it should never be used for more than eight hours at a time.