Everything You Need to Know About Anti-Bark Collars

Dogs bark for a lot of reason. But generally, dog barks as he responses to stimuli such as a stranger passing by your front porch or an animal in the area where your dog is located. You dog also barks when he hears other dogs are barking. While barking can be useful for you, as the owner to be notified when someone or something is in your territory, there might also be other reasons why your dog bark that could be a negative connotation. Your dog may bark in response to anxiety that he feels whenever you are not around. Dogs also experience anxiety due to separation. With this, some dog owners try to look for ways on how they can prevent these causes. One of those is through anti-bark collars. But the question is, does an anti-bark collar truly work?

Basically, anti-bark collars are made in order to lessen any excessive barking through deliveration of something that catches the dog’s attention as a response to behavior that is unwanted. According to Meetyourdog, there are lots of testimonies claiming that majority of anti-bark collars are successful in minimizing barking of dogs than traditional method and techniques of behavior modification. There are various types of anti-bark collars but the most common and popular type is the one that produces a small electricity bark to the neck of the dog right after barking. Another popular anti-bark collar is the one that emits a citronella spray mist to the face of the dog immediately after barking. There are also types of anti bark collars that use sound as a deterring factor. Other collars emit ultrasonic sound and a loud sound immediately after barking. But according to reviews and feedback from dog owners, anti-bark collars that emit sounds tend to be less functional than citronella mist and shock collars.

Now, the next thing that you might want to know is how exactly anti-bark collars work. Technically speaking, for this device to work, it needs to produce the deterrent stimulus accordingly and timely. Thus, the anti-bark collar should be able to detect the bark of the dog. Most of the anti-bark collars are designed with sensors that detect the vibration of the bark of the dog and trigger in order to send the negative stimulus. Other collars are designed with microphones that capture the sound of the bark of the dog. Furthermore, in order to increase the effectiveness of the device, some collars use both microphones and sensors to easily and immediately sense the dog’s barking. 

When choosing the right anti-bark collar for your dog, it is important to consider lots of factors. As recommended by experts, it is important to know that most of the anti-bark collars will be more efficient when utilized in association with more traditional behavior modification methods. Using anti-bark devices is not advisable for use in several dog households due to the fact that most devices are not able to differentiate which dog the barking is coming from. It may bring the deterrent to the wrong dog. In addition, animal experts also state that anti-bark devices tend to be inhumane and that they should also be considered as a last option in order to control or manage the behavior of your pet.

There are also some warnings that you need to pay attention to as a pet owner. Anti-bark devices should not be used continuously. It is advisable to limit the sue of this device not  over twelve consecutive hours. You should remove this device when your dog needs to participate in engaging activities. Continuous and non stop use of anti-bark collars might impose psychological trauma.