Citronella Collar

Our younger dog is a two-and-a half year old poodle/sheltie cross. She is very loveable and we are crazy about her, but she barks excessively, to the point at which we think twice before inviting people to our home. She starts barking wildly as soon as she becomes aware that someone is approaching the front door, and continues until she either recognizes the person or is removed from the scene. When service people come in, her barking makes it difficult for us to communicate with them, and causes us acute embarrassment. I'm considering investing in a citronella collar for her to curb her barking, and would like to hear from people who have tried them, either successfully or unsuccessfully.

I have not tried the citronella collars yet, I am trying one on Ginger that beeps when a bark is heard by the sensor. It even goes off when another dog barks close to her, or another loud noise. I also would be interested if the citronella collars work :confused:

I don't know if this will help you, but here is a previous thread on the citronella collars

In this situation I would use what our training class refers to as puppy management. Take the dog and put him on a leash using a plain buckle collar. Step on the leash near the dog forcing the dog into a down position. Keep the leash very taught so the dog can not get back up as you continue to stand on it. It is very difficult for the dog to bark in this position.

Puppy management can be used for many different behaviors where the dog either jumps or barks when company arrives but is otherwise ok. This seems to be a little more owner controlled than the citronella collars (which I personally have seen others use but would not use myself). And since it is done on a flat buckle collar, it does not put undue punishment on the dog.

My dogs are also barkers. I would like to know if anyone has had any luck with the citronella collars. It almost sounds too easy though.

Where have I been? I have never even heard of citronella collars :confused:
Are they just for barking?

Don't worry yorkster, I have never heard of them either. What are they, are they safe?

Don't feel bad, I wouldn't know what they are either if I hadn't been desperately looking for a way of controlling Gemma's wild barking at inconvenient times. It's a nylon collar with a little battery operated gizmo on it. When the dog barks, it instantly shoots a spray of citronella up underneath the dog's muzzle. The dog is startled by the spray and the unfamiliar odor, and, after making the connection between it and the barking, theoretically decides that it's better not to bark. The interesting thing is that, while dogs apparently dislike the lemony scent, humans think it's great! (It makes your house smell as if you've just been cleaning!) :) :cool: :)

Lennie, did you read the other thread? I have used one before but it doesn't seem to work to deter their barking unless they are wearing it and soemtimes they even figure it out and that doesn't work. It didn't provide any "training" and the dog had no memory of it when not wearing it.

Yes, I did read the other thread. It's interesting to compare my own observations with those of others. We rented one for a weekend, as an experiment, about two years ago. Gemma would bark, the spray would hit her under the muzzle, she would recoil, and then try again. After a couple of sprays, she stopped barking. The problem was that after a few hours she mastered the art of barking just loudly enough not to activate the sprayer. Although it was weird to hear her barking quietly (only a sheltie cross could pull this one off) we appreciated the decreased volume. We returned the unit to the store with the expectation of buying one in the near future, but we never did. :( :( :(

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Originally posted by Lennie B.
Yes, I did read the other thread. It's interesting to compare my own observations with those of others. We rented one for a weekend, as an experiment, about two years ago. Gemma would bark, the spray would hit her under the muzzle, she would recoil, and then try again. After a couple of sprays, she stopped barking. The problem was that after a few hours she mastered the art of barking just loudly enough not to activate the sprayer. Although it was weird to hear her barking quietly (only a sheltie cross could pull this one off) we appreciated the decreased volume. We returned the unit to the store with the expectation of buying one in the near future, but we never did. :( :( :(

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I think my Scout would do that. She has already figured out to not bark (when I was using a water spray bottle). What she does do however is make alot of noise without actually barking :) It's amazing the noise that can come out of her mouth w/o barking all the way. :eek:

I think these four-legged family members are even smarter than we give them credit for! I just read today about a new anti-barking device called Hush Puppy. I'm assuming that it isn't available in Canada yet.

Wow Gemma is a smarty, we must give dogs much more credit. Sounds like the collars don't work!!

I have never used a citronella collar on my Otis because barking is simply not an issue with him, however, I have friends with a ShizTzu/Lhasa Apso mix who barks in certain situations. He does it as "begging" at the table and also when they meet other dogs out walking. We're talking freak-out barking here, not just a couple of yips. Anyhow, it's been really effective in their situation and they usually just have to show him the collar to curb the barking. He doesn't wear it much at all, only if they can predict that there will be a problem and they take it off as soon as he calms down. In any case, it's worked really well for them. I don't think it would be very effective, however, if there was another dog who might bark and set it off accidentally or if you made him wear it "too much". :) He has tried the barking just loudly enough to not set it off as well but if you can still carry on a conversation over dinner, it's definitely an improvement!!

I guess the improvement was worth it in that case.

Cinder Here ~

I can *speak* frum experience :eek:!

I wuz a 'problem barker' after SmokeMutt came along an got dopted by me an Dad. We'd go visit GranMom at her Village an Dad would take us inside to play Therapy Dawg - but wun atta time. Smokey would jest curl up an wait while I wuz inside...
ME? I'd *BARK* like crazie soon as Dad walked off wiff the SmokeMan - raise heck the whole time they wuz gone. Did that two weeks inna row.

The next week we all went to PetsMart wun afternoon...
*I* gotz to try on a lil red collar wiffa phunnie lil *box* on it. Dad paid almost ninety buckz for it. I thunk it wuz neat - till we got back to our Shop and Dad hooked me up...

Then he walked over next door while I wuz tied onna porch. I alluz tell him NOT to leave me like that; so's I start my normal *shout barkin*...

:eek: Eeeee-Yipes! :confused:
My neat-o lil red collar gimmie a Zap! ebry time I *barked*! I dun sum *yelpin* (got Zapped! fur that, too), and some fancie side-steppin - then figgered out iffin I jest *shut-up* nuffin happened.

Long storrie short - I don't shout-bark NO More when I'z wearin my lil red collar! Dad packs it inna trakter kar glovey-box. Iffin I'z gonna get left alone; he'll try leavin me... Wun bark as he's walkin away an he comes back an straps on my collar. I shutz up real quick.

Wun time we wuz at GranMom's and Smokey an me hadda stay together inna kar fur a while. Dad took my collar off and furgotz :( ta pun it inna glovey-box. I had that sukker all chomped up ;) when he came back! Chewed the battery door rite off and had a hole buncha toofy marks all ober the lil box thingie... Dad wus *smokin* :mad: mad!

He called up the PetSafe Kumpanie an tell'd em what happened to the collar... They laffed an said that happens "a lot". Said gather up what's left an send it in wiffa check for onlee 20 bucks - and they sent a whole new Zapper! box an collar. Dad don't leave the collar layin out any more!

I hardly ever have to wear it - jest on GranMom visits an oh, yeah; last week we wus Host Dawggies atta Fire Station fur the rabies shot clinic...
I alluz get 'cited when all the udder Dawggies an Katz show up - started *whinin* and *yappin* tryin to say hello... Dad got the Zapper! out an showed it :eek: to me an I gotz purdy quiet till a big Labbie come'd in an I hollered *Hi*!

Ooopsie! :o Wore the Zap! Collar the resta the day. White Coat Gurl, Doc Lisa, that wuz shootin the *Ouwie Shotz* wuz amazed how quiet I gotz!

PetSafe made my collar - here's their page:
PetSafe Training Systems
Slide yer mousie over the wurdz "Bark Control" under the Product Gallery; then click on the "Deluxe Bark Control Collar" when those wurds pop up. That's the wun I gotz.

Oh yeah; Dad sez iffin you get wun at PetsMart - they'll even refund yer munnie iffin ya don't like it or yer Dawg duzint get the message quite rite. Dad thunk that wuz a purdy good guarantee! *I* wish we'd all stayed home that day! :rolleyes:

I'd never use a shock collar on Gemma or any dog- I just don't like the idea of training a dog with pain and fear. Also, leaving one on an unsupervised dog could have tragic consequences. A young couple I know were relaxing at home with their American Eskimo dogs, one of whom was wearing a shock collar. All of a sudden, the dog wearing the collar jumped up and began running around the room, barking hysterically. It took both of them to wrestle the frantic dog to the floor so that they could cut off the collar, which had activated itself spontaneously. One can only imagine what the outcome might have been if the dogs had been alone when this happened.

Cinder, that was too funny!

Okay I don't if anyone has seen the new Citronella collars that are avaliable but they aren't dog activated, they're human activated. What they are, are the regular collar with the box to put the citronella in and then it comes with a remote control that has 3 buttons on it. The first button activates a beeping sound that can be used for a reward like a clicker or some people use it as a warning if the dog doesn't stop what it is doing after the beep they get sprayed, the next button lets a small spray out and the third button a longer spray. I don't have one myself but I do know of some people who do and they use it for various reasons, not just barking. Draw back of course is that while it is one the dog you'd have to monitor them so you can activate the collar but that shouldn't be a problem because you should be monitoring your dog anyways when they have something like that on.

Hi,
My old neighbor used to breed coon dogs and take them to the hunts,maybe some of yalll here have herd of D. Hall that raises the coon dogs,i think he owned Rattler or somthing like that(it started with a R).... any ways he used the collars on his dogs when they where at the house,i think his though gave a little shock when they barked because they would bark alot,and he said that the collars he used really worked...My problem with them is that we live way out in the country and when some one comes up,especaily at night,I want thoses people to know that I have dogs and they will attack if you get to close to there territorie....Because if i put the collar on them they wont bark..right????:confused:

Other than that I would love to have one of thoses collars to put on my moms Sheltie,she barks 24/7.shes even barking write now at the mowers....she barks at mowers,cars,lasers,SHADOWS!,weedeaters,and birds up in the trees!!:rolleyes:
Good luck
-Kayla
:D

I have seen those collars advertised in Foster and Smith catelogues.

I have used the shock collar on two of my dogs. The ones I bought have adjustments for how much "shock" the dog gets. I started out with the least. I felt it on my hand and it felt like a static shock (the same as when you slide your feet along the carpet and reach for a metal object). I left the collars on the offending dogs for one afternoon when I was home. After a couple of "YIPs" they both learned to be quiet.

Now I can put the collars on and they don't bark, even though the collars don't have the batteries in them. I only use them when they seem to be barking at every little noise.

I wanted to try a citronella collar, but they were more expensive.

Mary

I have not read the previous posts but I must add that I had to get Graham a citronella collar because we had numerous complaints of him barking during the day while we were at work. I would sometimes pretend to leave but just stay out of site outside and I would listen to him bark 10-15 times in just a short amount of time.

I chose a citronella collar because I really don't like shock collars and so I bought one. It works SOOO good! He will bark once and then he's done. He can't stand the smell but I love it. It's safe and it's completely painless and it's so effective. We have not had a single complaint since I bought it a couple of months or so ago. It was a very good investment because Graham does tend to bark too much. I can control him while I am home but we came close to being evicted because after I would walk out of the house, he began his nusance barking.

In a lot of cases you won't need a zapper. A citronella will do just fine.

There are some things to consider though. Two weeks previous to actually use the collar get the battery out and replace it with something just as heavy and stuff it in their using cottonballs. It needs to be just as heavy so the dog can't feel the difference.

In those two weeks the dog has no bad experiences and therefore doesn't link the collar to being spraid. After that use the collar untill the dog stops barking for about another two weeks.

In future you let him sometimes wear this collar activated and not activated or even another collar. After sometime they don't need them at all.