Bark Control Collars
There are two types of bark control collars available on the market. Many owners use such devices others think they are too negative and verging on the cruel.
The citronella bark collar is one option. These devices are made up of a small box which contains a battery, a small nozzle and a chamber for the citronella spray with a microphone that will pick up the sound and trigger the spray. All this equipment hangs on a strong collar made of webbing and a really strong clip fastener.
The basic idea is that when the dog is wearing the collar, and that is a crucial sentence, each time he barks there is a short spray of citronella released under his chin. Citronella has a strong smell and a spray sound, that most dogs dislike. The idea is, that over time, the dog learns that bark means the horrible smell and the sound of the spray, so he learns not to bark.
During that learning process the spray and sound makes the dog shake it’s head and sneeze. The dog can become excited and irritated by the spray.
So the downside to using this method is that it will work when the collar is on. The dog will probably work out that no collar means he can bark. If the citronella run out, the dog is free to bark without any consequences. So lots of owners of these collars have to leave them on their dog all the time.
The second type of bark control collars are the dog training shock collars, which are electronic or electric control collars. I have tried one of these collars on my arm at the lowest setting. I found it startling, a little like a static shock, and quickly got over it as I knew what it was. I would not want to use one on my dog, as I would fear it would frighten it too much. Many owners use these to train many of their dog behaviours and hold that they are not cruel or hurtful to their dog. The only circumstance where I have seen where it might be of use was if the dog was going to do something that would put it’s life at risk – such as going too close to a poisonous snake.
My philosophy in dog training is to use positive reinforcement to get the dog to do what I want it to do. I can only see a very limited use of these collars as they are negative reinforcers. The dog learns not to do something because something unpleasant will happen to him. Personally I would avoid these, except in the most extreme cases of inappropriate behaviour.
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