Not all dogs who bark need bark collars or other anti-barking solutions. Before rushing out to purchase an anti-barking item, you first need to find out why your dog is so loud. Most of the times dogs have real reasons to bark. They might be irritated by something, lonely for too long, hungry or thirsty. Dog may bark simply because they are curious about what is happening on the other side of the fence.
For some dogs it’s actually a learned behavior which is negatively reinforced by giving the dogs extra attention with doggie treats or extra TLC in hopes of pacifying and quieting them down, when what is really happening is that it is teaching the dogs that this is indeed a good behavior and that if they want more attention, all they need to do is to continue barking all the more.
A bark collar is often regarded as something similar to a regular dog collar, that might hurt the dog by subjecting it to uncomfortable pressure. As I learned more and more about the variety of bark collar choices I began to breathe a bit easier when I discovered there were actually a few different types of bark collars and not all had even the slightest amount of “zap” to it. If you own a dog that barks too much or too loud, you probably consider all anti-barking options you’ve heard about. You might want to know that bark collars do not have to be worn all the time and they are a less painful alternative to, let’s say, a debarking surgery.
This kind of medical intervention is rather invasive and consists of cutting off a part of the dog’s larynx that is responsible for creating the barking sound. After the operation, your dog will barely be able to produce a vague barking, which will not be loud anymore. Even though you might be tempted to consider this solution, take a few minutes to think about it. The barking of a dog is not always useless. Sometimes dangerous situations might require your dog’s intervention. When attacked by other animals, like a pack of aggressive dogs, your pet uses barking as a warning signal. Since the surgery is often unsatisfactory as some or even all of the bark comes back within months, and many believe this surgery is indeed cruel, veterinarians rarely suggest this as a solution to barking issues.
On the other hand, anti-bark collars come in more varieties and you can find one that fits your preferences. This one does not zap your pet when he barks but rather releases a gentle light mist of a citronella scented spray right in front of his nose that dogs just don’t like. There are citronella collars that make a “hiss” before spraying. Most dogs get the picture rather quickly and quit the annoying incessant barking. University studies have shown that citrus collars are much more effective than regular shock ones. You decide which is better. a zap or a sniff?!.
There are situations where dogs use their barking as a defensive strategy. If you are annoyed by your dog’s constant barking, there are plenty of bark collar varieties you can choose from. Please click this link for emore information on bark collar models.
