Are bark collars effective

[Stickee10]

I have a year and a half year old boxer/lab mix. He is very well behaved when I am home. Very quite, never makes in the house however when I leave he become s a different animal. He barks non stop for hrs and makes in his crate (then cleans up after himself if you know what I mean). If i leave him out fo the crate he makes all over the house. I am out of ideas and am starting to consider a bark collar. i was wondering how safe they are. Is there a chance of shorting out and starting a fire and is it safe to leave him in the crate with the collar on. I always felt they were cruel howvere I am in an apt and can't have him barking anymore. Any suggestions as well as collar models would be appreciated

[tiffers]

I have seen way to many dogs with serious injuries from bark collars. I won't recommend them to anyone. Besides, it sounds like your little guy is suffering from separation anxiety, and the bark collar will only make it worse for him.

[That_girl]

How long are you leaving him crated? If he's making messes in his crate, then it sounds like you need to go back to the basics of crate training. The purpose of the crate is to be the dog's den, his home. Dogs don't mess in their home.

I think your dog thinks the crate is punishment, which it's not. That would explain the barking and messing. How long (months, years) have you been crating him?

There are many good websites on crate training out there. Google it. I think the one good one is www.inch.com or something like that. Check those out, they will help you.

Bark collars should be used as training devices, not as a way to keep your dog from barking when you're not home.

[rayter]

Bark collars are ONLY effective if they are used properly. They send different levels of stimulation to a dog. The design of bark collars should be based on the size and age of a dog.

[katiem]

I have a dog who wears a bark collar in his crate. For me it has worked well, but I wouldn't suggest using it until you have exhausted every other possible avenue. There are many risks, the people above me have listed them, that you need to take into consideration.

[Macawpower58]

Bark collars should be used as training devices, not as a way to keep your dog from barking when you're not home.

I know many people who use them exactly for that, or at night when the neighbors want to sleep.

Tiffers if you're seeing injuries from bark collars, then they are being mis-used.

To the OP, if you go that way, put the money into a good one, and they are not cheap. The good ones can be set for many levels of stimulation, or even just a warning sound. They will count the numbers of barks, and can be set to allow a certain amount of alert barking, before giving the warning/stimulation.

There are also citronella collars that can work very well also, but it varies dog to dog.

If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, I'm really not sure if a bark collar would hurt, or help. Most of the people I know who use them have dogs with over active alerting behaviors, or bark for the fun of it.

[tiffers]

Tiffers if you're seeing injuries from bark collars, then they are being mis-used.


I know, and that's why I don't recommend them. Too many people screw it up. :p

[FredsMom]

Tiffers, what about those new citronella bark collars? The ones taht spray vs shocking. What are your thoughts on those?

[kaitlin]

i saw an episode of "its me or the dog" and the dog actually had burn scars on her from the shock color, and the citrinella one sprays a nasty smell in their face, i just dont think that's humane at all.. maybe its just me, but if some one put a color on my neck and every time i talked it would spray crap in my face, i'd be really mad, and want feel that hurt more than helped.. hmm.. lol

[tiffers]

Tiffers, what about those new citronella bark collars? The ones taht spray vs shocking. What are your thoughts on those?

...I know a few dogs who have eaten them. :p 'Course, they were labs...so, I don't guess that counts. Other than that, I don't really have an experience with those...more people are more apt to shock the crap out of their dog than spray something in their face, I guess.

[FredsMom]

HAHAHA Omg kaitlin your response CRACKED me up.

[FredsMom]

Yea, Keeper has a barking problem, but its ONLY when she's hyped up/excited so its only a problem when we are out in public (meaning non issue in the home).

A few BC people told us about citronella so figured i'd ask while it was on topic.

We have the tourny this weekend but we're thinking of just putting a blanket over the front of the crate so she can rest when shes not practicing or participating (opf course we'll find a shady spot and put the umbrella over her too :) don't want anyone getting to hot and dehydrating!!!

[kaitlin]

haha, i dont know, isnt that citrinella stuff the stuff they use in candles to keep bugs away?? i hope that didnt make me look really stupid.. but golly, who comes up with these things!!

[FredsMom]

Yea it is. Although I wonder if its just the same company. Seems weird that they would put a toxin in a bark collar???

I thikn we'll stick with the sheet over crate idea :D

[kaitlin]

is it toxic?? wow i thought it was a nasty smell that kept the bugs away.. yikes now im even more against it!! what people will do for money.. oyy

[tiffers]

Here's the EPA website (http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/ingredients/factsheets/factsheet_021901.htm) describing Citronella. It's pretty interesting, actually.

[kaitlin]

"In studies using laboratory animals, Oil of Citronella shows little or no toxicity. The only concern is skin irritation."

So wouldnt this hurt the dogs eyes if it causes skin irritation?? thanks tiffers for the insight :)

[tiffers]

So wouldnt this hurt the dogs eyes if it causes skin irritation?? thanks tiffers for the insight :)

I know that people say to carry 'mace' when you're walking your dog and another dog comes up to attack or something, but holy hades...those people have never seen what mace does to a dog's eyes. I could NEVER be that mean to an animal...yes, the thing is probably going to bite me or my dog, but I think there are other means to protecting yourself other than mace. I'll get ripped apart for that statement, I'm sure. :rolleyes: That being said, I am sure citronella causes some irritation, but it's not as severe a 'concoction' and it's not sprayed as long...I may be totally off the wall with that. Like I said, I'm not too familiar with citronella other than those candles to keep the skeeter's away.

[Kkye]

Yea, Keeper has a barking problem, but its ONLY when she's hyped up/excited so its only a problem when we are out in public (meaning non issue in the home).

Kye used to bark like crazy in the house at us, because before i learned otherwise it always brought her attention. do you give Keeper heck when she barks? because it may be encouraging it, y'know? i don't know if you do or not, but (and you know this too) they can't understand what we say, and us being loud could justify her reason for barking. did that make sense?

what i did was a beer can with pennies in it. i don't know if it will work outside, but anything to distract her long enough to take a breath (that's all you need) and when she stops to take it, you can praise. i know Keeper's smart. maybe try something like that?

[Kkye]

and citronella? i wouldn't use it. Kye barks to hear herself when she's outside, and since the neighbours are quite far away, i let her. i catch her laying down flat on her side on the slanted roof of her doghouse, barking away with her tail thumping off the roof, head flat on the floor. er, roof..

goof.

[theresa92841]

So I have been using the citronella bark collar on Anisette. She knows she has it on and just that fact will mitigate the loudness of her barking. She can still bark but low. It is only when she is going crazy barking her high pitched bark that it sprays. It sprays in front of her nose. And seems to startle her more than anything.

I think it works very well for my purposes. If I am at home working, I cannot have her barking crazily. I won't be able to correct or distract her since I am tied up in a meeting or on the phone.

You are not suppose to use it for anxiety barking. Only nuisance barking. I have even used it in the car. She will see somebody walking or barking and that will be it the rest of the trip, she will start her high pitched barking at everything from then on. With the bark collar, it mitigates her and keeps her from getting to that over excited level. And she is then calm enough that I can treat her when she is being quiet. Which is hard to do when you are driving and the dog is going nutso.

So, just my opinion and experience. I hope by using this along with training at other times, I can start to eliminate some of the barking or have her stop much sooner.

[benali72]

I've found the citronella collar a wonderful tool with my dog.

He's a rescue doggie, a mini-schnauzie, and in the 4 months we've had him, we've both learned a lot about each other. I've reduced his barking a lot by getting to know and understand him.

But sometimes he'll still just decide he wants to bark between 11 and 8 am quiet hours and in the condo that's not allowed. In those (increasingly rare) cases, on goes the citronella collar.

He's learned what it is. Like Theresa's doggie, he's learned how to communicate with it on if he needs to by soft barks (not loud enough to set it off).

When it goes off, it just sprays underneath his snout (it can't get to his eyes because it's on his neck below his snout). He really dislikes it and immediately stops barking after it goes off. The sensitivity of the collar is excellent... it only goes off after a sharp loud bark (not a soft communication bark).

According to reviews on Amazon, some dogs just ignore the citronella, while with others it works wonders.

As time goes on we're using the cit collar less and less, but for us it's been an invaluable tool -- but should ONLY be applied by the owner at the right times and with proper understanding of why the dog's barking.

I should add -- use the soda pop can with coins in it if you can instead. With a previous dog that was all we needed. But this little guy just totally ignores it.

Best of luck.

[Macawpower58]

Some dogs bark to the extent they're about to lose their happy homes. Most do it when the owners are gone. If it's a choice between 'bye-bye' doggy, or bark/citronella collar. I'd most certainly opt for the collar. So many pet owners have neighbors from Hades, that they're left with little choice. Rover must be quiet. Like any training tool (even choke collars) there is the right and wrong way to use them. Because stupid people don't learn how to use them correctly, does not make them 'evil'.

[katiem]

Some dogs bark to the extent they're about to lose their happy homes. Most do it when the owners are gone. If it's a choice between 'bye-bye' doggy, or bark/citronella collar. I'd most certainly opt for the collar. So many pet owners have neighbors from Hades, that they're left with little choice. Rover must be quiet. Like any training tool (even choke collars) there is the right and wrong way to use them. Because stupid people don't learn how to use them correctly, does not make them 'evil'.

Back in the day of peaceful dogs and peaceful life I would have been one of those people who thought bark collars, prong collars and the like were evil. Its amazing how one hell beast dog can change your views.

I am in the situation that Becky talked about, the barking stops or Bram goes. Pennies is a can works great...if you are home. Like the OP, Bram only barks when I'm gone...how do you correct the behavior if you are not there?

Citronella didn't work for us, so we moved onto the second option, shock collar. Luckily, now all I have to do is put it on him and leave it turned off, he knows it means "quiet time", but it took about a month of shocks to get to that point. If there wasn't this option available both Bram and I would be in trouble. So I will say what I said in the first post, use only if absolutley needed but yes, they do work.

[tiffers]

I never said they didn't work...and I never said they were evil. I am not sure if some of the posts were directed at what I said or not...

My personal opinion...sure they work, we use pinch collars at work with some beasts, however...the shock collar bit...most of the people who come to our clinic don't and won't use them correctly. So, no...I will not recommend them unless you are 100% sure you're doing it right. Done wrong...it can kill your animal.

[katiem]

I never said they didn't work...and I never said they were evil. I am not sure if some of the posts were directed at what I said or not...

My personal opinion...sure they work, we use pinch collars at work with some beasts, however...the shock collar bit...most of the people who come to our clinic don't and won't use them correctly. So, no...I will not recommend them unless you are 100% sure you're doing it right. Done wrong...it can kill your animal.

I wasn't directing my comment at you Tiff, I was saying that prior to needing them I thought they were evil, and even now I would only recommend them as a last resort.

[tiffers]

Oh, okay...I see. But, your post wasn't the main one I was questioning. :p But, thanks for the clarification.

[FredsMom]

Madison - Yea, Keeper ONLY barks when she's over excited. From what we know she doesn't bark when we aren't home. She barks when she's out in public and she sees toys or other dogs having fun wtihout her... or hwen we bring a toy out. As long as the toys are put away, shes quiet... and if we're out in public and we walk her aournd AWAY from the action, she's quiet. She's just the fun police and gets SUPER excited w/ toys.

Thats the only time it becomes an issue (and embarrassing!!!) because she has the LOUDEST, HIGHEST PITCHED bark you'll EVER hear. I'll see if i can get some video of her barking. Its just ear splitty and impossibly to talk over. We dont mind the barking... we just want her to lern to stop when we stay stop and we dont want her doing it in public where it can be annoying to other people

[Kkye]

barking was a hard one for us. we tired ignoring her so she'd see that she got no reaction and stop, but my hunny could never tough it out long enough.

i wonder if a shaker can would work outside? people may wonder what the heck you are doing with a taped up can of some sort though!

anything that gets her attention long enough to make her take a breath.

[katiem]

Shaker worked well outside for Bram, I think its worth a try.

[Macawpower58]

Your post Tiff was not the one I was answering. Kaitlan stated she felt they were inhumane, and if someone sprayed her in the face because she talked, she'd be mad. Others also hinted in their opinion they think things of this nature inhumane.

I was really just posting because of the feeling of this whole thread being against (with a few exception) any kind of fix that suggests compulsion/unpleasantness, whether it's a shock or citronella collar.

I also have a dog that when outside barks non-stop. Just for the fun of it, I assume. He sits, and watches the desert across from my house, and will bark at phantom bunnies, blowing tumbleweeds, and dirt devils from the moment he's out, to when I call him in. It's just him, he's a very vocal dog. No amount of rattling cans (he thinks it play time), or vocal scolding ("you talking to me mom?") deter him. Thank goodness where I live he can bark at the moon til he's hoarse. A bark collar would probably be the only thing that'd quiet him (or me standing behind him 24/7 with a big stick!

Some dogs just won't stop barking with conventional "shush, you bad boy" training.

[wesavedogs]

I have one of those bark control boxes that you plug into the wall. When the dogs bark, it sends out a sound signal the dogs don't like and they typically stop right away (I can't hear it at all, so I don't even know it's working half the time).

It seems to do pretty well and is much more humane than a shock or citronella collar.

It works on neighbor's dogs too if you get the one that works outdoors. My neighbor next door has two dogs that used to bark outside all night.

[Llamalady]

I have one of those bark control boxes that you plug into the wall. When the dogs bark, it sends out a sound signal the dogs don't like and they typically stop right away (I can't hear it at all, so I don't even know it's working half the time).

It seems to do pretty well and is much more humane than a shock or citronella collar.

It works on neighbor's dogs too if you get the one that works outdoors. My neighbor next door has two dogs that used to bark outside all night.

Wow! :yikes: Where did you get it and may I ask how much it was? Our little westie Travis is getting muy annoying with the whole barking thing. Mom tries to knit, he barks. Mom tries to talk on the phone, he barks. Travis forgets he has a tail and wags it, it scares him, he barks. We would like it if he would just bark to alert us of somebody coming to the door, or bark if he needs to go potty. Is that so wrong? Every once in a while he'll bark really quietly which is kind of cute but most of the time it's earsplitting alert bark. "You can't be knitting; you have to pay attention to me. You can't talk on the phone; you should be talking to me." It's for attention I'm sure.

[morelove]

This post has been interesting for me.

I won't be using one of those collars yet, because I still have to try the 'tiring them out with walks and playtime' technique, as well as the shaking can technique.

When they are quiet, should I immediately give them treats?

I've told my family to ignore their barking and whining, instead of saying 'no' like we used to. It's not working 100%, but now I know it's better than saying 'no' whenever they bark.

[Yambasticks]

I don't know, effective or not, I shy away from them fearing that the collar hurts the dog in some way. THee has to be a different more rewarding way for the dog to stop barking.