Barking Collars

[d2dave]

Our dog is becoming a nuisance barker. We are considering a barking collar.

Has anyone had any experience with these things? Do they work?

[dromader driver]

you can get citronella or electric shock. Not sure if legal in all states.

[RIN03]

Some may not agree but the shock collar is a very effective tool if used correctly. Get one that you can manually control, mine even has a vibrate function. Only use the shock when the dog barks so that the shock/negative feeling is associated with barking. Depending on the dog you may also have to be hidden as some dogs see any attention as good ie Yelling at them. This will mean tricking the dog into thinking you are out and even some very late nights without sleep if necessary.

A dog barking is a natural behavior try and turn it into a positive and allow it to bark when commanded this not only stimulates the dog but can also come in handy .

I am sure you will get hundreds of answers and opinions but this is what I have found to work.

[lyonsy]

the electric collers are allowed in victoria for a maxium of 12 hours a day

[Larry]

Every time someone mentions these, I think of this clip.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn0h3aRa1NI[/ame]

[phibbzy]

Depends on the breed of dog, temperament and how the collar is used and other external factors.

I am not a dog behaviourist however I have gone through the same situation as you.

If your dog is intelligent, has a flair for figuring things out & is not afraid to push boundaries then you have to be careful with what collar is used and how it is used. Avoid "ramping up" the solution as you may inadvertently train the dog to ignore it or worse, like ours, figure out how to over come it all together!

I would REALLY suggest that you speak to a vet and/or a dog trainer as this is a solution that is only going to be effective if implemented properly - perhaps with training and even a diet.

Anyone can see that every dog has a personality. Your experience will not be identical to anyone else and it will take investment of time, effort and money to resolve the problem. You can't just hook him up to a car battery and consider it fixed (not that I am saying that you will, just stating a point).

[harlie]

Hi Dave, we had issue with our German Sheppard, as soon as we left for work she would carry on at anything that moved. Got several complaints to the council (in BNE you are guilty immediately and have to prove that the dog isn’t a problem).

Tried heaps of things including a very expensive training program that guaranteed results – we got our money back after more complaints…. Big issue we had was she never barked when someone was home.

Ended up getting a shock collar from a company on the Gold Coast, she took about 10 minutes to work it out. Didn’t have a problem after that, she still put on a big intimidating show for any passer-by at the front fence – just without the barking. If I forgot to put it on when I left in the morning, I often got a call from our neighbour, who kindly went in and fitted it. She wore it with a flat battery for several years, just knew that the orange collar means no barking. Battery lasted about 3 years.

I was not a fan of the idea, but a nuisance pet can destroy neighbourhood relationships. Would I use one again? Yes, we should have done it sooner, the dog was no longer loathed by the neighbours.

[aussearcher]

We have tried both types on one of our Border Collies. Don't waste your money on the citronella collars - they are effective for only a limited time and the dog will acclimatise itself quite quickly to the spray. The electronic collars are extremely effective and the dog will soon work out that it is wearing its collar and not even think about barking.

[Don 130]

If the dog barks at movement it can see throughout a fence, then using shade cloth or similar to stop the dog seeing out may stop it.
Don.

[Chucaro]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1v2OA3Z3XI"]How To Quickly Stop Dog Barking [/ame]