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Originally posted by Twisterdog
Well, here is my two cents worth on this subject:
I don't necesarily think bark collars are cruel, but neither do I think they are the end all, be all for solving barking problems.
Dogs usually bark for a reason. Barking is dog's way of saying, "Hey! Pay attention to what I'm saying here ... I'm not liking something and I'm trying to tell you about it!" Boredom is one of the main reasons a dog barks. You said your dog barks only outside. Maybe she doesn't like it outside and wants to be in the house? Maybe being outside in a big yard she feels compelled to "guard" is just too much for her, sensory overload. Maybe she doesn't like being alone in part of the yard, while your other two dogs have each other for company in another part of the yard? Since dogs can't speak and tell us what's bugging them, sometimes we have to play a guessing game and see what works.
I have a couple of barkers, Basil is the worst. He doesn't like it when I leave the house, and barks to tell me all about it. Vanilla barks a lot while playing with another dog. They have learned the "No bark!" command, though, so at least I don't have to listen to them when I'm home. I'm fortunate that I don't have close neighbors, or I would have to do something about their barking when I'm gone.
If you try re-arranging her living quarters during the day, and she still barks, you might have no recourse but to try a bark collar. If it is the last resort, a bark collar is certainly better than animal control confiscating your pet!
I agree 100%. When we get the new house, we'll have a doggy door. I think she will bark less because she'll have more control over being inside or out.