Bark control collars were created to control dogs that bark excessively/incessantly. They work differently depending on the type of collar chosen. Generally, barking collars detect vibration in a dog’s vocal cords and this activates a stimulus that warns the dog that there are negative consequences for barking.
These collars must be fitted correctly and snugly against the dog’s neck so that they can sense vibrations and give the appropriate response. It is crucial that the fitting be done by an experienced owner, or take your dog to the store when buying the collar so that it can be professionally fitted. This will ensure safety and proper work, both for the dog and its owner.
There are three types of collars, namely citronella spray collar, static collar and ultrasonic collar. All three types of barking collars Brisbane have a nylon collar just like the regular dog collar. The front is a device which detects barking and releases the deterrent of choice, i.e. safe but irritating citrus spray, static electric current or sonic tones (out of people’s hearing range) respectively.
How no-bark collars work
There are several variations of the bark collars today, with different stimulation levels depending on the dog’s speed or training, i.e. the collar is programmed to be able to provide increasing levels of stimulation (not beyond safe levels) until the dog responds in the desired way. They are engaged in such a way as to discourage improper behavior, incessant barking in this case, without harming the dog.
The following is a description of the common types of bark collars:
- Static electronic collar – This collar sits on the dog’s neck and emits a small static shock through two tiny metal prongs in direct contact with the dog’s neck. There are manual and automatic variations, which advance through various shock levels depending on the dog’s response or your settings respectively. If you’re worried about the intensity of the shock-wave received, you can test the device on your own hand.
- Citronella spray collar – This collar sprays safe, citronella (citrus) scented fumes onto the dog’s face when he/she starts barking excessively. This scent is unpleasant for the dog, but not harmful, and will deter him/her from barking further.
- Ultrasonic collar – Once this collar detects barking, it emits a very high pitched and unpleasant sound wave that’s irritating to the dog but inaudible to humans. The sound wave increases in intensity if barking does not stop.
Are bark collars safe?
Bark collars do not cause any physical harm to the dog, but it’s obvious that they apply stimuli that are unpleasant to the dog. In the same way that children are punished to understand the difference between good and bad behavior, bark collars teach dogs not to bark unnecessarily.
Nevertheless, before fitting a barking collar for your dog, it is recommended that you make a visit to your veterinarian and discuss which option will be best suited for retraining your dog. Also bear in mind that you may need to retrain the dog once the collar has been withdrawn, especially for sensitive dogs which can learn to stop barking altogether.
It may be better to use manual collars on sensitive dogs, which means that a trainer will be present to determine whether barking in the situation is warranted or unwarranted. Automatic collars will punish all forms of barking, and this may end up being counterproductive in the end, since the bark is an important communication tool for the dog.