All the Types of Dog Bark Collars and How Each One Works?

October 22, 2018

All the Types of Dog Bark Collars and How Each One Works?

https://www.dogtelligent.com/best-bark-collars/As mentioned in the previous section, there are different types of bark collars: static shock bark collars, vibration bark collars, spray bark collars (citronella collar), and ultrasonic bark collars. Below, I’ll go over each type and discuss how they work.

Static Shock Bark Collars

These collars are relatively self-explanatory. When your dog barks, these bark collars send a shock sensation between two metal prongs located on the collar. By doing so, these collars are using negative reinforcement to correct the bad behavior (barking).

For example, if your dog spots a squirrel out the window and starts barking, this collar will send a shock to alert them this behavior is wrong. After a while, your dog will begin to realize the shock is happening because of their unnecessary barking.

In response, their barking will start getting less frequent and become less of a nuisance. It’s a quick, effective way of stopping a dog from excessively barking at every passerby. After all, you don’t want to be known as the house on the street with the barking dog.

However, some owners view the use of shocks for training as inhumane. Due to this, the use of these products is a highly debated issue in the dog community.

Honestly, using these collars can have a profound effect on your dog in either a positive or negative way. It’s up to you whether or not you feel comfortable with using shock induced negative reinforcement.

Spray Bark Collars

Instead of using a shock to stop your dog’s barking, these collars use a spray. Hence, the name “spray bark collars.” Usually, this spray is some substance like or similar to citronella.

The basic idea with these collars is the spray is supposed to deter the barking by spraying your dog in the face. The spray comes out when the microphone on the collar is alerted of their barking.

Due to the use of the spray, pet owners consider these collars more humane than the static shock variety. And most of them have proven they’re just as effective as the static shock ones.

This realization is a welcome conclusion for owners like me who are uncomfortable with the idea of shocking our dog. Now, we have an alternative that is more humane and just as effective.

Vibration Bark Collars

Unlike the two types above, these models send a vibration to stop their barking. In doing so, these collars are more humane than either the spray or static shock collar. But they’re known to be a lot less effective.

Their lack of effectiveness comes from the vibration not being harsh enough to successfully engrain a sense of negative reinforcement toward barking. Therefore, the vibration becomes a nuisance rather than a deterrent, which effectively makes this type of bark collar less effective.

However, they will work on some dogs, mainly small ones. If you have a smaller breed of dog such as a Jack Russell, this would be a bark collar type for you. But for an owner of a German Shepard, this collar won’t be very useful.

Nonetheless, it’s a less abrasive way of trying to keep your dog’s barking in check. If you think there’s any shot this type of bark collar will work, you should consider buying one.

Ultrasonic Bark Collars

Ultrasonic bark collars use a high-frequency noise to stop your dog’s barking. Although these collars avoid the extremeness of the static shock, there’s an argument to be made they carry the harshest punishment among these collars.

Since we can’t hear the noise, we don’t know the strength of the sound. We don’t know how annoying the noise is or how much it hurts your dog’s ears. Therefore, it’s kind of hard to discuss its effectiveness because we don’t know when it’s correcting.

In fact, this inability for us to hear the sound is the main problem with these models. You never know if these collars are punishing your dog for sounds around them due to how they work.

For example, we don’t know if the collar picks up the neighbors barking dog and keeps emitting the silent sound. Honestly, this would be my least favorite type of bark collars because I feel like I’d have no control over the experience.

Read: https://www.dogtelligent.com/best-bark-collars/

Connect my social: