What is a Bark Collar?
Your dog just won’t quit barking, no matter what time of day.
Between dealing with lost sleep and the endless neighbor complaints, you’re probably at your wit's end. But while you’ve read somewhere or heard that bark collars are an effective solution, you must have several questions. Is it safe? How does it work? Is it really as effective as they say?
All your questions are valid, and we’re here to give you the answers you seek. So, let’s break down what bark collars are, how they work, and whether they are the solution you’re looking for.
What Does a Bark Collar do to a Dog?
Simply put, a bark collar - also known as an anti-bark collar or no-bark collar - is a device designed to help address excessive barking. The bark collar is equipped with a sensor that detects your dog’s barking and issues a correction stimulus to stop the barking.
Anti-bark collars work based on the scientific principle of conditioning and behavior modification. Each time your dog barks loudly, it experiences a negative correction stimulus from the bark collar. Over time, your pup will associate excessive barking with the negative stimulus and reduce barking to avoid the stimulus.
So, the short-term goal of a bark collar is to disrupt the barking cycle, by distracting your dog from whatever it’s barking at. But the long-term goal is to prevent future nuisance barking.
Different types of bark control collars use different correction stimuli to deter excessive barking. The four well-known types of bark control collars are:
These are also known as ultrasonic bark collars. Each time your dog barks loudly enough, this type of bark collar releases a high-pitched sound that may be inaudible to you, but your dog finds it absolutely irritating. Over time, your dog will try to avoid the sound by barking less.
Instead of sound, this type of bark collar uses vibration as the correction stimulus. The gentle vibrating sensation is delivered to your dog’s neck, distracting and discouraging your mutt from further barking.
These are spray-based collars that use the citronella spray as the correction stimulus. Dogs hate the scent, but not to worry, it’s completely harmless to your furry friend. But ensure the blast citronella collar is situated around your dog’s neck and pointed in the direction of its nose, for it to be effective.
These types of collars are activated by the vibration of your dog’s vocal cords whenever it barks and issues a mild static pulse to stop your dog’s barking. It may sound intimidating, but rest assured that the static is pretty low and won’t cause any physical harm to your precious pup. It’s just enough to distract and discourage your dog from barking.
Deciding the best collar for your dog out of the four will depend on your dog’s size and temperament, as well as, the number of dogs you have. For example, the Ultrasonic and Citronella bark collars aren’t ideal if you have several dogs. If one dog barks, all the other dogs would also suffer the consequences, which beats the point of conditioning. A static bark collar would be a better choice in such a setting.
Do Vets Recommend Bark Collars?
The veterinary opinion on the use of anti-bark collars is still divided. Some vets recommend the use of bark collars, but only when used responsibly and under expert guidance. But not all dogs need a collar. At times, your dog barking excessively may be an isolated situation, or they may be too young (typically most dogs start barking at around 8 weeks). Most vets would only recommend bark collars for dogs barking excessively, and no other training method is effective.
However, some vets believe that there are better alternatives to top excessive barking. Since dogs bark for various reasons, finding out the underlying reason for the barking and implementing the right therapy is one way of dealing with it. For example, if your dog is barking because of separation anxiety, treating the anxiety could help reduce the barking.
Vets also recommend focusing on rewarding the behavior you want instead of punishing the behavior you don’t want. Sometimes focusing on punishing the bad behavior may only aggravate the issue, or encourage the behavior. But praising your dog for their quiet behavior will encourage them to do more of that in the future.
What’s the Difference Between a Bark Collar and a Shock Collar?
Given the myriad of dog training collars that exist, it’s easy to get confused on which is which, and when to use them. Take shock collars and bark collars, for example. Both of them are used as correction devices in dog training, but differ in many ways, especially:
- Purpose: Bark collars are strictly used in addressing excessive barking in dogs. Shock collars on the other hand can be used in a broader range of behavior modification training like obedience training among others.
- Correction stimuli: While bark collars use a variety of stimuli (i.e., sound, vibration, scent, and static) to stop barking, shock collars, primarily use static stimuli in behavior training.
- Function: Bark collars work by delivering a correction stimulus each time their sensors detect barking. A shock collar on the other hand comes with a remote control that you use to manually deliver static stimulus when you feel your dog do something it’s not supposed to do.
- Consistency: A shock collar would require you to be attentive at all times for timely intervention in correcting unwanted behavior. But a barking collar doesn’t need you to be present or attentive to stop your barking dog.
How to use a Bark Collar Effectively?
Here are a few tips and best practices on how to use a bark collar well:
1. Introduce the bark collar gradually.
When you first introduce the collar, do not turn it on. Let your dog wear the inactive bark collar as you engage in fun and enjoyable activities. This will give your dog some time to familiarize with the collar and associate it with positive experiences, not as a correction tool.
2. Ensure the collar is positioned properly.
Unlike normal collars and tags, bark collars have to be fitted slightly tighter, so the device doesn’t keep moving. But not too snug that it becomes a choking hazard. The citronella spray collar should also be higher up your dog’s neck and the spray directed at your dog’s nose for it to be the most effective.
3. Start from the lowest setting.
Most bark collars have several correction levels or settings. Start from the lowest as you monitor your dog to see their reaction to the collar. The idea is to help you find a level that will be strong enough to capture your dog’s attention, but not enough to cause it any discomfort.
4. Monitor your dog’s triggers
Dogs bark for different reasons, including anxiety, fear, territorial instincts, boredom, etc. Keep a close eye and take note of situations or triggers that lead to your dog barking. It could be the doorbell, the UPS driver, or barking at other dogs, among others. Knowing these triggers will help you better predict when your dog is about to start barking. This will help you gauge whether the collar is working well and if it is safe and comfortable for your fur baby.
5. Use positive reinforcement as well
It’s not enough to show your doggo not to bark. It’s also important to reward their quiet behavior. Give them treats or praise for their silence immediately when they stop barking after the collar is activated. It further reinforces in your mutt that excessive barking leads to a negative outcome and quiet behavior leads to positive outcomes.
6. Keep the collar on for a period at a time
To avoid overcorrecting your dog, keep the collar for a few hours, preferably when you are around. While your presence is not required for the bark collar to work, monitoring it will help ensure the collar is offering the right correction when it should.
Still need more insight on the right way to reinforce good behavior in your dog. Check out our detailed guide here, here, and here.
Bring Harmony Back One Gentle Nudge at a Time!
If your dog’s barking is out of control and no other solution has worked, then a bark collar may be what you need. If you use it thoughtfully, following the best practices we just shared, you’ll enjoy positive long-lasting results in no time. But it’s not a “one-size-fits-all” solution.
Sometimes all it takes to curb the bark-fest is a little extra comfort. After all a cozy, secure dog is often a calmer one, and Spark Paws has all you need to make that happen. From calming harnesses to matching sets for you and your pup, we can help you make your pup feel more seen and loved.
Make snuggle time better and barking less of an issue! Check out Spark Paw’s collection today!