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 Email to a Friend Kristi September 13th, 2007

I wanted to post this article because I know ther are a lot of questions out there regarding bark collars and which one is right for your dog. I was told that a shock collar can cause brain damage to a small dog under 10 pounds. I am a fan of the Cintronella Bark Collar and the Untrasonic bark collar.

“Bark collars are specially designed to discourage a dog’s excessive or inappropriate barking. Since they rely on negative reinforcement, they should only be used under certain circumstances. A dog bark collar doesn’t address the underlying cause of the barking, so it should be used with other training methods to insure the behavior change is permanent. Otherwise your dog may revert to old habits when the collar is removed, or adopt other undesirable habits such as digging, or become destructive or even aggressive.”

Below are the descriptions of the two best collars for small breeeds. Also, never use a bark collar on your dog if his barking is the result of separation anxiety, or other fears or phobias. Punishment will only make these behaviors worse.

Citronella Bark Collar: “This bark collar is considered the most humane, and contains a spray can filled with a citronella solution that sprays into your dog’s face every time he barks. The citronella bark collar is also reported to be the most successful type of anti-bark collar. Dogs find the scent of citronella very unpleasant, but the spray won’t reach their eyes or burn their skin. Dogs wearing a citronella-based bark collar soon make the connection between loud barking and a dose of foul-smelling spray.”

Ultrasonic Bark Collar: “This collar emits a high-frequency sound when your dog barks. To the dog, this is similar to you shouting at your dog for correction. Unfortunately, dogs can become accustomed to extraneous sounds and simply ignore it. Of the three most common bark collar methods, ultrasonic sound is considered to be the least effective.”

The 3rd type of bark collar, better for large breeds but not our favorite, is the Electric Shock Bark Collar.

Electric Shock Bark Collar: “This is probably the most controversial form of bark collar sold today, and we don’t recommend it to control your dog’s barking. An electrical charge is led to a set of metal probes on the collar itself. You can adjust the level of stimulus from 1 to 10, starting with the lowest setting that your dog will respond to. The shock is about the equivalent of a human touching a doorknob after walking across a carpet. The electricity stings momentarily, stopping the unwanted barking and conditioning the dog to modify their behavior. The electric shock is painful to your dog but many dogs will choose to endure the pain and continue barking.”

To read this article in full please click on the link below:

http://ezpuppytraining.com/puppy-behavior/dog-bark-collar

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