Dogs usually bark for a legitimate reason. There are situations though when dogs make a lot of noise due to stimuli people don’t always detect. Among the most common situations (and the hardest on neighbors) are dogs that suffer from separation anxiety and bark nearly constantly while alone.
Since the owner isn’t at home, it is very difficult for him to be able to control his dog’s behavior. At one time, this usually led to a difficult decision: have the dog de-barked, or send the dog away. Of course, these are rushed decisions which should only be used as a last resort. Yet, if neighbors complain constantly, there’s not much the owner can do.
Fortunately for both the dog and the owner, anti-bark collars were invented for these situations. First bark collars were not flawless. They often reacted to the barking of another dog, and could not differentiate between the types of barks, so would correct the dog when it was responding as any dog would; and did not necessarily have a safety cut-off in case the dog was hurt or panicked.
bark collars have been constantly upgraded since they were invented. For instance, you can find them in three different types – the citrus spray, ultrasonic and static collars. All three types are based on the same idea. When the dog produces sounds and vibrations within a certain range or frequencies, the collar starts functioning. The combination of vibration and barking makes the collar react only to the dog’s noise. Also having a volume and frequency requirement helps prevent the collar from being triggered by fear, pain, or other vocalizations not tied to problem barking.
Spray bark collars work by releasing a strong scented fluid such as citronella (not recommended for scent hounds such as bloodhounds or beagles); sonic collars emit a sound too high for human ears, but audible to dogs; static collars use an electrical discharge to ‘shock’ the dog. None of these devices can seriously harm the animal. The static versions can be adjusted according to the intensity and frequence of barking; if the dog does not bark for a longer period of time, they will automatically shut down. They can also be switched to lower settings if the dog barks less often than before. This reduction reinforces the idea that being quiet has benefits.
However, even if you buy a bark collar, this does not mean you should not train your dog as well. It should not be left on all the time, and initial sessions with it should be monitored. If your pet only barks when you are away and there’s no possible means for you to control his training, ask for a neighbor’s help. He will probably be glad to be of assistance since he’s the most affected by your dog’s noise. Choose a person whom your dog trusts already.
Keeping the pet under constant supervision is meant to record whether it has a normal reaction to the collar. Again, do not use the collars alone, without combining them with training. Use the training system based on rewards, rather than on force and constraint.
Instead of resorting to extreme solutions, consider purchasing bark collars instead. These devices can prove to be very efficient in educating your dog. If you want to know more details about these devices and the mechanisms they use, read more about bark collars here.
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