In a previous article, we wrote on How To Stop Barking At Night. Sometimes, I have to agree that the barks can really be nerve wrecking. This is especially so if the dog is barking so loud, that it affects the baby or even the neighbors. In this case, it will be good if there are alternatives that we can look into. This alternative is called the bark collar. There are in fact many bark collars out in the market. Then the next question is, How To Choose The Right Bark Collar? Let us look more into this in this article.
How To Choose The Right Bark Collar
First of all, before we find out How To Choose The Right Bark Collar, we will need to know the functionality of the bark collar.
For bark collar, what they do is that they will send a disruptive signal to stop the dog from barking. This signal is usually transmitted via the collars itself. Once the signals is registered with the dog, the dog will eventually relate the signal to the bark itself. They will then stop barking eventually. There are essentially four types of disruptive signal: Vibration, Electrical, Sonic and Spray.
For the Vibration signal, the bark collar will vibrate once it detects the bark. For the Electrical signal, the bark collar will issue a small static that will “zap” the dog. This small static correctional level is able to stop the bark from barking. It is completely harmless to do the dog. As for sonic collar, it will emit a supersonic sound that is only audible to the dog’s ears. The high pitched sound will irritate the dog till it stop barking totally. Last but not least, we have the spray collars. For the spray bark collars, the disruptive signal is actually the citronella smell. When the dog barks, the citronella bark collar will emit a citronella spray that is guaranteed to stop your dog from barking.
Let us now look a little deeper into the four different types of bark collars.
Vibration Bark Collar
As mentioned earlier, the vibration bark collar helps by emitting a vibration to the dog’s neck when it detects that your dog is barking. The effectiveness of the Vibration Bark Collar is pretty low as it doesn’t really stop the dog from barking. True, the vibration itself is a disruptive signal. However, the vibration of the bark collar is often not strong enough to stop the dog from barking.
Electrical Bark Collar
This is perhaps the most effective Bark Collar of all the four types. When the electrical bark collar detects that your dog is barking, it will emit a very small static pulse to your dog via probes that is touching your dog’s neck. This small static pulse is not strong enough to harm the dog, but it is good enough to irritate the dog. This irritation will eventually stop the dog from barking.
This is however pretty controversial, at least in the past. This is because some dog owners believe that the static correction is not humane as it is harming the dog. However, this is not entirely true in recent years. This is because there are several bark collars in the market nowadays that have several levels of static correction that is completely adjustable by the owner. Hence, the owner is able to adjust the level of the static correction based on the dog’s tolerance towards the static. in addition, if you test the electrical bark collars on yourself, the irritation is very similar to the shock you get when you get the random static shock.
In addition to that, there are some Electrical Bark Collar that comes with a initial vibration or deep that will warn your dog before it starts to emit the static correction. Also, some of the bark collars have a safety measure, whereby they will stop the emission of static after a period of continuous barking. This is to prevent the dog from being zapped non-stop.
Sonic Bark Collar
The sonic bark collar might not be that effective as the electrical bark collar, but at least it doesn’t emit the static correction, hence it can be used for owners who cannot even bear to have a small static correction to be applied on the dog. For the sonic bark collar, once it detects that your dog is barking, it will emit a high pitch sound that is only audible to the dog. This high pitch sound will irritate the dog, and eventually they will learn to associate the sound to their barks. Hence, they will eventually stop barking altogether.
There exists certain standalone devices that emits the high-pitched sound without the need for your dog to wear the collar too.
Spray Bark Collar
The spray bark collar is not as effective as the electrical bark collar, but it is definitely more effective than the spray and vibration bark collars. When the Spray Bark Collar detects that your dog is barking, it will emit a spray towards your dog’s snout. Usually, it is a citronella based spray. There are two camps about the effectiveness though. This is because some owners did mention that their dogs are unaffected by the spray itself. However, we have also heard of owners who solved the barking issues completely after purchasing the Spray Bark Collar!
One of the main downside of this, is that you will need to replace the spray cans often.
If you want to find out where to purchase the best bark collars for small dogs, you can read this article.
Tips On Choosing The Right Bark Collar
Now that we are identified the four different types of bark collars, then the question is How To Choose The Right Bark Collar? There are several checklist that you should have, and here is the complete guide on How To Choose The Right Bark Collar.
Dog’s Allergy
If your dog is completely allergic to Citronella, then the Spray Bark Collar will be out for you. Some dogs are allergic to the scent, and ignorance can bring extreme discomfort for your dog. So do check for your dog’s allergies before you purchase this.
Temperament
This is an important trait that is commonly ignored by many people too. When we talk about temperament, we are talking about the dog’s temper and character. For dogs that are overly aggressive, a stronger bark collar might be needed. Of course, this will also mean closer monitoring on your side too. You wouldn’t want your aggressive dog to turn on you.
If your dog is a very timid dog, then perhaps shock collars are not that suitable. The shock collars might result in your dog being more timid than usual. In these cases, a citronella bark collar will suffice in most cases.
Size Of Dog
This is actually pertaining to the dog’s neck sizes. Some collars come in only one size, and they might not fit your dog. For owners who prefer the shock collar, do note not to buy a shock collar that is too tight on your dog’s neck. To administer the static correction on your dog, the shock collar will administer the pulse via two probes that is touching your dog’s neck. If the collar is too tight, the probes will be poking your dog’s neck, causing them extreme discomfort.
When fitting the bark collar, make sure you there is a space of 2 fingers between the collar and the dog’s neck.
Levels Of Correction
This is one of the most important feature ever. Usually, I would recommend a bar collar with various levels of correction. This is important, as it really allows you to customize the correction level based on your dog’s response to the training. In for example, there are some bark collars with 3 levels of static correction. If your dog is responsive enough to the lowest level or highest level, then this collar will suffice. However, if your dog have a higher tolerance to the irritation, then the 3 levels will not be adequate. There are some bark collars with a staggering 90 plus levels of static correction. I would usually recommend those.
Also, some of the bark collars offers a progressive level of correction. It means that the level of the static correction that is administered is dependent on the amount of time into the bark itself. As the barking continues. the level of the static correction will increase. This can be a good training bark collar for your dog.
Safety Measure
Of course, this is important too. When it comes to safety measures, some collars have the ability to shut down after a certain period of time of continuous barking. In this sense, your dog will not be administered the correction for too long a time. This safety measure is one of the top criteria that I urge all owners to consider.
Bark Differentiation
If you do not want your dog to be incorrectly administered a correction when they did not bark, then you would need to look for a bark collar that can differentiate your dog’s bark from other sounds. This can be done with technology.
There are some bark collars that uses sensors to determine if the bark is coming from your dog or not. If it detects a bark, it will verify it with a sensor that is usually touching your dog’s throat. If it detects that the vocal chords are moving, then it will administer a correction.
Material Of Collar
This is again a factor that is often overlooked by many owners. If your dog is sensitive towards certain skin types, then you might want to be aware of these. There are leather, metal and nylon collars out there. Do choose a material that is comfortable for your dog.
Waterproof
If your dog loves to swim, then you might want to select a bark collar that is waterproof. This will allow your dog to don the bark collar even when they are swimming.
