Bark collars were invented to resolve a rather exasperating problem of dogs that bark all the time. Living in a neighborhood where one or more dogs display this behavior can drive you crazy in a very short amount of time.
Among the three types of bark collar, the static device was the first one to be invented. As with many new technologies, there were some unforeseen complications. They often reacted to the barking of another dog, and could not differentiate between the types of barks, so would correct the dog when it was responding as any dog would; and did not necessarily have a safety cut-off in case the dog was hurt or panicked. Some dogs that were not supervised during their first days of wearing the collar ended up with physical or psychological trauma.
technology has advanced within past years, yet the idea that led to the invention of bark collars is the same.
These collars are not dangerous and they merely annoy the dog and make it bark less often. (This also works with other behaviors, so many collars have a manual remote that will allow you to help train the dog to stay off the furniture or not dig in the garden).
There are now three types of correction available: spray, sonic, and the already mentioned static. The bark collar in the first category use a strong scented citrus spray that annoys the animal and make it stop barking. This spray is not harmful for the dog. The sonic one uses high-pitched sounds only dogs can hear. Both these options are great for dogs that are sensitive to physical stimuli (the collar using citrus smell shouldn’t be used on scent hounds, because they sense of smell is extremely well developed).
People seem to like static collars best, due to their constant innovation. Static collars can be triggered by continuous barking for a certain period of time. The system does not react to other dogs’ barking. Due to its volume and frequency settings, the collar only reacts to continuous barking, and isn’t triggered by reactions of fear, pain or stress. These devices can be adjusted manually. In addition, they have an automatic shutdown period if the dog barks for a certain period without cease. The bark collar will also reset to a lower level if the dog is silent for a preset amount of time. This will make the dog understand the benefits of barking less.
Like all training aids, a bark collar works best when owner helps the dog understand what the desired behavior is. They shouldn’t be used as a single method of training. Praise and play for good behavior, exercise to help reduce restlessness and anxiety, and activities to keep the dog occupied when alone are all positive items that can help reduce the perceived need to bark for attention.
These devices are most recommended, over their alternatives – giving the dog away to a dog shelter or subjecting it to a stressful debarking surgery that comes with high risks.
Even though the first versions of bark collar weren’t perfect, they have been improved in time. Most types of dog collars can be adjusted manually or digitally. If you want to find out more about different types of bark collar, click here.
