Bark Collar Guide

Barking dogs can be a nuisance and irritate your neighbors.  When do you know if a bark collar is right for your dog?  If your dog is barking out of fear or anxiety, bark collars may not be the answer for your dog. Additionally, barking in defense or for territorial reasons is a natural reaction for dogs and should not be corrected.  Separation anxiety and loneliness can be treated with correct training and attention.  However, if your dog is barking for the sake of barking, it may time to consider a bark collar. 

It should be noted that bark collars are perfectly safe.  They are an effective tool that helps control unwanted barking.  There are three different types of bark control collars: the electronic shock, the ultrasonic sound and the spray.   The first kind we’ll discuss is the electronic based bark collar.  This type of collar is activated by the vibrations from your dog’s vocal chords as it barks.  It sends a small electronic shock to the dog. The dog finds the shock uncomfortable and stops barking.  The spray system contains a spray can of citronella and a microphone to track the length of barking. After a certain point, a small amount of the citronella is squirted.  The dog associates the bad smell with the barking and stops barking.  Lastly, the least effective type of bark control is the ultrasonic sound bark collar.  It emits a sound wave only audible by the dog. Again, the theory is the dog will associate the loud noise with his barking and it will be enough for him to stop barking.  Hopefully with any of these systems, your dog will learn to avoid the bark collar’s signals and stop the irritable barking.

Many people are concerned that bark collars are harmful to their dog.  There is no evidence that the static shock is harmful to your dog.  It is simply unpleasant and startling for your pet.  It feels like the static shock you would receive when touching a wall after walking on carpet in your sock feet.

Bark collars can be used with any type of dog, but it’s recommended that your pet be at least 7 pounds and 6 months old.  One type of bark collar, by Innotek, can be used on dogs as small as 3 lbs.  Be sure to check with each manufacturer before purchasing.

Most dogs will be trained in just a few sessions, but every dog has its own personality and the amount of time to train your dog may vary. The collar will teach your dog to stop the nuisance barking when he’s wearing the bark collar. On most bark collars, the correction levels can be adjusted. You can start off on the lowest level and gradually increase the correction if your dog continues to bark. You want just enough stimulation or shock to get a reaction from your dog. It is recommended that your dog wear the collar for no more than 8 hours a day. After your dog is trained, it should be possible to remove the collar from your dog. Your dog may have to be “reminded” occasionally by wearing the collar again. Don’t attach anything to the bark collar; be sure to always use a separate collar for your dog’s leash.

Responsible owners will figure out why their dog is barking in the first place. From there, you can take corrective measures. Bark collars are considered humane but many people don’t like the idea of the electric or shock based collars. There is no pain involved with the citronella or ultrasonic types of bark collars.