Bark Collars

[Tonya]

I just bought Sarah a bark collar that omits a sound when she barks. It is kind of funny because now, she's figured out that if she barks quiet enough, it won't go off. Which is fine with me, as long as she barks quietly!

Anyways, has anyone else used them? I noticed that sometimes when she jumps off of the couch, it triggers the sound. I don't really like that, but I have it on the lowest setting.

[Toller 42]

I tried it before on Tango because she barks too much, but it didn't work she still went on barking as usual! but I don't think it should do anything if the dog is jumping off the couch.

[MariaM]

Cool! I've heard about those. Where did you get it? I haven't seen them ANYWHERE around here. How much was it?

[Tonya]

I got it at Petsmart, it was $50. I want to try and get her barking under control before we move into the new house. I'm just going to put it on her when we leave her outside. That is the only time she barks. She's ok when we're inside.

It's kind of nice...Right now, I have her outside, and it's quiet. Usually, when she knows I'm home, she barks and barks until I let her in. I'm going to go let her inside to reward her for being quiet.

[Tonya]

Argh! It is not working! Now, not only do I have to hear barking, but beeping at the same time. She's just decided to tune the noise out. She is going to make me crazy! She's only outside about 2-3 hours a day, but she doesn't stop barking for one second. I am surprised that she doesn't lose her voice.

When I go back to work, we'll be in that new house with a doggy door. What I am afraid of is she'll go outside and bark all day long.

It is frustrating, because it isn't a boredom bark...It is a territorial bark. She barks and growls at the flies even!

Just a vent, I am sure that I'll work something out.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally posted by Tonya
Argh!
It is not working!
Now, not only do I have to hear barking,
but beeping at the same time.

She's just decided to tune the noise out.

First ~
Take it back to PetsMart - they'll give you a
FULL Refund during the first 30 days!

Second -
Consider trying one of their Anti-Bark *SHOCK* Collars.

PetSafe Anti-Bark Collar - Sold by PetsMart

Before anyone gets too UppySet - I've "admitted" to using this on
Miz Cinder back when we were visiting my Mom at her
Retirement Village - and good ole Cinder just did NOT "get" the
Be QUIET! message when left alone at the car -
Under a Shady Grove of Pine Trees, WITH water, treats & toys,
and a 30 foot rope to get IN or OUT of the car with (HER choice) ...

All said & done - she's probably never received more than a Dozen
ZAPs! from the thing -
She DID catch on purdy QUICK that ya just Don't *BARK*
when Dad straps that lil box round yur neck!

She "caught on" Sooo quick - that she even tried to *Eliminate*
the Collar on the third or fourth Sunday we used it...
I had a Brane F@rt when I left Cinder & Smokey at
the car while I took Mom to Vespers - I took the Collar *OFF* and
tossed it on the seat...
Came back an hour later to find
One *Severly CHEWED* and no-longer-functioning Bark Collar!
Called up Mr. PetSafe - they *laughed* and said send the
"big pieces" back - for about $15 they Replaced the whole unit & collar -
they said mine wasn't the First One to suffer that fate!

And (don't tell Cinder) - but she wore the Collar occasionally for almost
a whole year with a totally *dead* battery!

From what I've been told, and based upon Cinder's "Learning Curve" -
it only takes a few ZAPs! from the Collar to really
*TEACH* the dog not to bark when they're wearing it.

/s/ Phre

[Tonya]

I put the shock one on Dusty and Rosco, it worked instantly. I was trying to be nice since she's my little petite girl. But, I think I am going to have to get the static collar. (Hehe, static sounds better then shock.)

[aly]

I highly discourage using any of those shock collars. They are especially bad when you're not home. What happens if one of your other dogs barks? Poor Sarah will be shocked for it. Then she'll start associating them and their barks with a very negative experience and that could cause fights. No matter how low the setting, I think they are not a nice thing to do to a dog, but especially such a little girl. Put the money towards a visit from a behaviorist who can help you solve the problem in a much more positive way.

This link has some helpful info:
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/Barking.pdf

[Toller 42]

The collars don't go off if another dog bark When they are wearing it , the collar has to be positioned on the neck properly and when the dog barks something in the throat moves and the collar senses that so it go's off. and they don't hurt dogs at all my dads friend had to use it on a chihuahua that barked at everything and it didn't hurt him and it didn't hurt my dog, Tango barely realized it was there! I didn't want to use it on Tango though but that's what alot of people told us to do and we saw a behaviouralist and it didn't help her barking at all. Tango is a fear barker though, she is scared of all people she can't see ex: if she hears them outside and she's inside then she barks, gets her hackles up and puts her tail in her legs. she also barks when there is thunder or a really loud car.

[Logan]

Hmmmmm, I thought it was the vibration from barking that set those collar off, Aly. Now you have me thinking. Of course, Honey is my only real barker (at least outdoors). Murphy barks, but only indoors and right at the door when she's out and hates it.

Honey hasn't used the shock collar in years, but I never knew that another bark would cause her to feel the sensation anyway.

Makes me worry!

Logan

[Tonya]

Some of the shock collars work from vibration, some have a little microphone. For one, Sarah is separated from the dogs at all times. Their dog runs are on seperate sides of the yard. My yard is U shaped, so they can't even see eachother. The training videos say to be with your dogs when you initially put them on and to slowly increase their time in the collar. It isn't a slap on fix all solution. Some people think they can just throw a shock collar on their dog and toss them in the backyard and the problem is resolved. It doesn't work that way at all. Shock collars are meant to be a training aid, not a bandaid.

The shock collars that I had for Dusty and Rosco were for large dogs...I tried them myself. The shock isn't painful at all...it is just startling enough to change their mindset.

But don't worry, Aly...I am not going to run out and buy one anytime soon. That is my last resort. I still have alot of time to work with her before I go back to work.

[aly]

Originally posted by Toller 42
The collars don't go off if another dog bark When they are wearing it , the collar has to be positioned on the neck properly and when the dog barks something in the throat moves and the collar senses that so it go's off.

Actually, thats not true. Maybe that is what is *supposed* to happen, but they DO go off when other dogs bark. Working at the Humane Society, we get calls about stuff like this for some reason all the time. People think we can do something about it since we're a Humane Society I guess. The shock collars, citronella collars, etc etc etc all can go off from other noises. As Tonya said, the one Sarah had went off from jumping off the couch. With random shocks like that, many behavior problems can arise.

Anyway, I am all for positive training, and this is something negative that I would never use.

[Tonya]

Originally posted by aly
As Tonya said, the one Sarah had went off from jumping off the couch. With random shocks like that, many behavior problems can arise.

Yes, Aly...that finding is a very big deal to me. It made me think. Because the noise collar, I can hear when it goes off. But the shock, I don't necessarily know. So it made me wonder "Did Dusty and Rosco's collar do that?"

I'm trying not to worry that much about Sarah. She is only six months old. I remember Teddy going through a barking stage at about this age. He's a year and a half now and he almost never barks. It just might be a phase. And also, maybe since she will have more control of being inside or out at the new house, she'll bark less. Right now, I put her out three times a day for one hour. At lunch, breakfast, and dinner. Those are the times she barks wildly.

[Toller 42]

i don't use it anymore, it didn't work anyway but I don't recall having it go off while another dog was barking. maybe it all depends on how close she is to the other dogs or maybe it's the tone of bark.

[Tonya]

This one Sarah has right now, it's a microphone, not a sensor. I think that may be why it is going off then she jumps hard. I took it off of her and held it by the big dogs...it didn't go off when they bark. So I don't think it is that sensitive.

The shock collar deffinately worked for Dusty and Rosco but the lady at Petsmart lectured me forever about watching the video and following the directions. So I used it exactly how they said.