Dogs bark for a number of reasons, most of them legitimate. 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. In some cases, owners resort to extreme solutions to make the dog stop barking, such as surgical interventions or they even send it away. These are not inspired decisions, but dog owners see no other solution.

Fortunately for both the dog and the owner, anti-bark collars were invented for these situations. Like most new technologies, there were some unforeseen complications. Older collars reacted at any type of bark, even the barking of foregin dogs or the barking that occured as a natural reaction to stimuli.

bark collars have improved massively since their beginnings. 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. The collar is activated when it detects sounds and vibrations within certain frequencies. Requiring that both systems be activated prevents the collar from reacting to another dog barking. Having adjustable volume and frequency monitoring, these collars will not be triggered by reactions such as fear or stress.

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. No mechanism included in dog collars can harm your dog. Some of the static collars can be adjusted and they also have an automatic shutdown system if the dog barks continuously for a longer period. 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.

A bark collar is intended as an aid in training your dog not to bark inappropriately, not as replacement for training. You don’t need to let the collars on all the time. Use them only for as long as the dog needs them. If the dog literally only barks when no one is home, and you cannot instigate it by leaving the dog outside while you are inside, ask a neighbor if they would act as monitor when you are not there. 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. As with other forms of training, praise and play for correct behavior, and exercise to reduce anxiety and restlessness help achieve the desired behavior.

Resource Box

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.