Bark collar: Good or Bad??

[chans]

I have a 2 year old shih-tzu and poodle mix. He is very yippy and tends to bark at everything. (I know this is the poodle in him) I don't mind him barking when someone comes to the door but he barks at everything...EVERYTHING. I have heard from a handle of people to invest in a very light bark collar. I want to know if anyone has used one before and what other people think on the topic.

[Curbside Prophet]

Bark collars do not solve the root of the problem, so bad idea.

[Puppy_love_122]

Bark collars do not solve the root of the problem, so bad idea.

Agreed.


Have you tried teaching him a quiet or no bark type command?

[Dogstar]

First, I'd talk to your vet. Has he always done this? If it's a new behavior, it may be caused by an underlying health problem- hearing loss or canine cognitive dysfunction.

Next, I'd try something a little less drastic. What do you do when he barks, and how does he respond to it? If you're not a pretty good trainer, I'd get a trainer involved here. A squirt bottle or a penny can may be enough to solve the problem if you're able to apply them correctly.

After you've exhausted those options? THEN it is time to start researching collars. Malcolm has a citronella collar and to be honest, I *hate* it. The first week he had it, he would act like it was KILLING him- lots of big dramatic sighs, sad eyes, and generally depressed attitude. Before he made the connection 'it sprays when I bark' (And we'd been trying to get that connection through to his pointy little collie brain for over a year at that point through other methods, but the timing was, I think, an issue), he was feeling pretty put upon. He'd be randomly going about his business (as he saw it) and OMG NASTY SMELL. I think it would have been WORSE with an e-collar.

We've had the collar for a month now and seen an excellent overall decrease in barking. He doesn't wear it all the time- I put it on him before going into situations that I know will trigger it (for example, he's gotten to wear his 'new jewelry' to class in a building that echoes in a way which he ADORES and must talk back to the other collie hiding somwhere in the building), and he's worn it on a car ride where he wanted to bark at Stormy (who was crated) until he settled down to nap. It really has made our lives easier because I'm not constantly stressed out by worrying that he's bothering people, whcih means HE's less stressed out, and he's learning some self control. But I really, really, really think the other options are better ones. This was a last resort for us prior to debarking.

[Lolas_Dad]

If you are looking into bark collars get the citronella type. It puts out a spray everytime the dog barks of citronella. They are effective but you also need to make sure that the dog does not bark it till empty. One made by Premier pet products holds 25 sprays. They are expensive but if you look on Ebay you can find one cheaper.

The kind I am refering to is called Spray Sense by Premier pet products. Don't go with a shock collar. They are not effective.

[4dogs3cats]

I agree with Dogstar. heres my experience.

I got a shock collar for Kody. he is a beagle and barks all the time. He barks whenother dogs bark outside, and he barks when hes excited. He wears the collar when he is at my parents house. There ie simply no way to get him to stop barking when he hears the other dog. We have tried a lot. He doesnt bark anymore. he knows not to when its on, and still goes about his day just fine. I dont use it at my house, because he saw another dog and started howling and it shocked him all the way up to level 6 and it hurt him. I dont like them, but for me he needs this when he is at my parents, and might in my backyard, because I cant stop him from barking when I'm not home. I'd going to take the battery out soon, and make sure he doesnt realize that he can bark without the static, but we will see. I want to phase it out altogether, but for the sake of our neighbors and not getting evicted, I need to utilize it.

[French Ring]

E-collar is just a fast way to fix your problem, but it teaches your dog that it get electroted when he is barking.