August 16, 2009

Bark Control Collars – Which Type Is Best?

Filed under: Pets — Guest Author @ 3:07 am

by Gail Rich

If your dog barks too much – and you’re ready to do something about it – you probably should get a bark control collar. Yes, there are other options, but will they work for you? It depends on the situation.

Why So Much Barking?

Before using a bark control dog collar, you should figure out why your dog is barking. Some dogs bark out of fear, aggression, or loneliness. If your dog is barking because of one of these, then the bark control collar isn’t the answer. These things can be dealt with other ways, like proper training and attention. But for dogs that bark just because they are bored, the bark control collar can help them break the barking habit

Choosing A Bark Control Collar

Bark control collars come in three different types. And there are even some bark control collars that belong to more than one category.

The citronella collar emits a strong citronella (citrus) smell when the dog barks. Dogs don’t like this smell, and, over time, the dog will avoid having the smell around them. Some citronella collars will also give a warning “hiss” sound so that the dog can learn to stop barking sooner.

Electronic collars will shock the dog when it barks. The shock is mild – about like we humans getting a static shock – but it is enough to deter the barking dog. Most of these also have a failsafe mechanism to shut off after a certain amount of time.

Then, there is the sonic collar, which emits a high pitched sound that humans can’t hear but dogs can. This sound is activated whenever the dog barks, so as to make the dog stop barking.

One of the biggest benefits of a bark control collar is that the dog will be being trained all the time, not just when the owners are around. This helps with dogs that are alone while the owners are away at work, or even just asleep.

If your dog barks because it’s ill or lonely, then a bark control collar is not advisable. bark control dog collars should only be used when the dog is bored or spoiled. You can choose between spray collars, sonic collars, or shock collars.

About the Author:
bark control dog collars are a good option for teaching your dog to behave. Provided, of course, that your dog isn’t trying to communicate a problem to you through barking. Otherwise, bark control dog collars are a cost effective way of training your dog not to bark excessively.