Do You Really Need A Bark Collar?If your dog is causing 'noise' problems in your neighborhood, maybe it's time you looked into getting a bark collar. Like just about everything else in life, these special collars have their good points and bad. So, which one to choose? Since every dog is different to begin with, there are several types of bark control collars available, so you should be able to find one that works for you. There are collars that will shock your dog, others that make a high-pitched sound only the dog can hear, and even others that spray a non-toxic burst of liquid to help train your dog to stop barking. The shock collar method, while not inordinately cruel, still seems somewhat nasty to me. I mean, if I were I a dog, I would rather be sprayed than hit with a burst of electricity. It is rough for those of us who like big dogs, because normally the bigger the dog, the tougher the training has to be.
Part of this has to do with the fact that bigger dogs tend to be less sensitive. A bark collar which might be shocking enough to terrorize a little dog simply won't work for our bigger dogs. And along with this inherent toughness, they can also be more stubborn. They are used to being bigger and stronger than most things (sometimes even their owners). This means that unless you show them who is boss by doing something they find unpleasant, they won't listen to you. For smaller and older dogs a spray collar may work just fine. These spray collars work by spraying a powerful jet of citronella every time the dog barks. This confuses the dog, and it is supposed to be mildly uncomfortable for them as well. For some dogs, this is an effective method of bark control training. Not only does it avoid stressing them out the way that shock collars can, but also does the job more quickly for dogs with a fragile temperament. After all, dogs can get freaked out by shock or sonic collars. Sonic collars instead of shock or spray emit a high-pitched tone that only dogs can hear. When the dog barks, the tone 'blasts' kind of a shock to the ears that will stop most dogs from barking. Of course, bark training involves a lot more than just the bark collar. Almost all dog training involves creating associations between desired behavior and rewards, or unwanted behavior and punishments. Sometimes, bark collars alone can train a dog, but more often some involvement is required by the pet owner or a suitable trainer. The dog has to associate the discomfort or pain received from the bark collar with displeasure on the part of the trainer. So which one is right for you? I think that the best idea is to start small and work your way up. Sometimes, a dog will be able to resist a minor bark collar, but will quickly understand what is going on when it is substituted for a more unpleasant one. Working with the collars in two phases like this, strangely enough, can actually speed up training.
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