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What is a Bark Collar ?
A lot of pet owners I have met have
come across a common problem – their pet dogs’ excessive barking
– that have caused great inconvenience for themselves as well as
their neighbors. Imagine continuous “bow bow”s – not only
disturbance for the people around but I am sure also for the
poor animal. So what can be done? Thanks to science and
technology, you can seek the help of a ‘bark collar’ and get rid
of the problem. To explain in simple words, a bark collar is an
appliance or an instrument that is used to dissuade the doggy
from unnecessary barking. It is extremely simple to use – put
the bark collar around your little baby’s neck and turn on the
battery powered piece that has a tiny microphone attached to it.
So, when your pet starts barking the microphone stimulates one
of the several techniques that have been incorporated for its
correction. The intention is to let the doggy know that
inadequate and inappropriate barking has a negative effect.
However, keep in mind if your pet is barking due to fear or
separation anxiety, DO NOT USE the collar. It might cause severe
damage or injury to the dog.
Now comes the most important question – why do dogs bark? Well
there are a wide variety of reasons that can be attributed to
your dog’s bark, the most common being fear, territorial
invasion, suspecting something or someone, separation anxiety or
even when bothered by other dogs! This is an absolutely
instinctive behavior and should be encouraged to the extent of
being tolerable or comfortable.
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Nevertheless, it becomes a cause of
concern when the pet starts reacting audibly to the smallest of
the events especially at night. To control this barking, you
might have to take some stern steps initially – like some strict
and shouted commands (even though my heart breaks to scold my
poor baby!).
The
three kinds of bark control products
The best and the most compassionate bark collar is the one that
uses citronella based fluid spray (available in the market as
Citronella Spray Collars). As the dog starts barking, the
microphone triggers off the spray that throws a burst of
citronella at it. The smell of this fluid is very irritating for
the dog that then immediately stops woofing. Though the spray
explodes near the animal’s snout, it does not cause any physical
harm like hurting the eyes or burning the skin. So, every time
the dog barks, the spray hits him, thus creating the connection
between loud barking and a stinking spray. |
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Besides citronella based spray, the
other method to control barking is static electricity (available
in the market as Stimulation Collars). In this technique a pair
of 6 volt (rechargeable) batteries is attached to the collar. As
the dog starts barking, the microphone activates the batteries
and the animal receives a shock of static electricity. This is a
momentary sting that compels the dog to stop barking and change
its behavior. There is a stimulus level from 1 to 10 and the
owner can do the necessary adjustments. However, this technique
has invited a huge amount of criticism from the animal rights
organizations (as the animal wearing it goes through a lot of
pain) and is the most debatable form of bark collars sold today
in the pet stores.
If you are not too keen on either the spray or the static
electricity, you can opt for the third method – one using
ultrasonic sound (available in the market as Tone Correction
Units). In this method, as the microphone detects the vibration
or the bark, it generates a sharp noise that is only audible to
the dogs – a system similar to an owner’s command to his pet.
Personally I think this is the most humane of all the three
though experts have a different view. It is argued that a
continuous use of this collar will make the animal get
accustomed to the sound and not help in behavior correction. In
other words – it is the least effective of all the three
discussed above! Nevertheless, I guess the owner is the best
judge and should use what he or she thinks is best for the pet.
Are bark collars really effective ?
Yes they are! However, it must be remembered that the time taken
to restrict the barking differs from one pet to another.
According to a study conducted by Petsafe, electronic bark collars
are extremely effective – more than 2/3rds of the 1025 dogs have
modified their behavior after a continuous use of this device.
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How long
does the dog need to wear the collar ?
Once the owner feels that the pet is completely trained, the
collar can be removed for good. However, it is good to keep on
using this equipment once in a while, just to ensure that the
dog has not forgotten the commands. The usage directions as well
as all the other information are provided in a manual of every
collar.
How will I choose the right bark
control device for my dog ?
There are two kinds of bark control collars that are available
in the market today– automatic and manual. They are both very
effective though there is a difference in their application. You
can opt for the automatic one if you are not present in the
house or the barking happens in random or unpredictable
locations. Choose the manual or hand held equipments, if you are
always present during the barking sessions. |
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Facts that
you need to know before using a bark control collar on your pet
Remember, bark collars are extremely successful if used properly.
They can modify and correct the dog’s behavior and is also a great
device to teach your dog to learn things faster and more
effectively. If not used in the proper manner, they can cause severe
damage including physical harm. I have come across many pet owners
who do not know how to use these bark collars correctly and end up
causing impairment to the poor animals. Using the collar most
effectively requires not only the black and white instruction sheet
but also a good understanding of the dog psychology. It is not just
buying one collar and putting it across the dog’s neck; it is a long
and time consuming method of studying and researching on the correct
techniques that are needed to make it most effective.
Important things to know about the anti
bark collar
• Do not use the bark control collar on your dog continuously for
more than eight hours.
• Before using the collar visit your veterinarian without fail. This
is important as the doctor can check for health conditions that are
dangerous for the use of such collars.
• If your pet is merely a puppy or lesser than two to three pounds
in weight, DO NOT USE A BARK COLLAR.
• If you think that the barking is caused due to genuine fear and
anxiety, look for other alternatives before deciding on a bark
collar.
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Article Contributed By: Sukanya
Banerjee
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