Long considered to be man’s best friend, having a dog is like having a friend for life. The problem with dogs though is that sometimes their barking gets uncontrollable, to the point of being a nuisance. This is especially true for dogs who keep barking incessantly at night, when everybody’s trying to get a good night’s sleep. Not only will this disturb the dog owners, but the noise might bother the neighbors as well. If the noise it too much, they might even get the council involved. Thankfully, this problem was solved when the bark collar got invented.
A bark collar is a special dog collar used to control a dog’s barking. It was originally used for dog training that involves behavior modification and pet containment. Even the police and the military train their service dogs this way. Bark collars have now evolved into many different kinds, and there’s currently a wide range of bark collars for dog owners to choose from.
Important Considerations
Before dog owners choose among the available options, they have to consider a few things first:
Dog owners should consider breed because some collars work better for non-working dog breeds and some are better for working dogs.
The size or the weight of the dog is very important especially in determining the collar size. For instance, there are collars that are not advisable for very small dogs under 2kg.
The age of the dog is important because some bark collars (i.e. Sonic) are a lot more suitable for younger puppies, and other types are more suitable for older ones. Most dog collars are also not suitable for dogs younger than six months.
The temperament of the dogs should also be considered, because the collars that are used to tame very stubborn dogs will not necessarily work for timid ones.
Different Kinds
Based on each dog’s unique characteristics, these are the typical kinds of bark collars to choose from:
This type works by producing a very minimal shock output, and boasts of the highest success rate (as high as 99%) in stopping dogs from barking.
Spray collars work by spraying citronella as soon as the collar detects the sound of a dog’s bark. As an alternative, scentless sprays are also available. This type of collar is most suitable for pet dogs.
A sonic collar detects the barking through a built-in microphone. Upon detection, the collar emits a piercing tone that will make the dog stop.
With all these considerations and options in mind, you are now ready to choose a bark collar for your dog.