Bark collars started as an idea, probably by a neighbor of someone whose dog was anxious or neglected, and barked much too often. If you have the bad luck of living in a neighborhood where there are many such dogs, your life can turn into a nightmare.
Originally, there was one style of bark collar, the static or ‘shock’ collar. Back then, its mechanism wasn’t so advanced and it led to several complications. The device wasn’t able to tell one dog’s bark from another and it often reacted randomly, even if the dog wearing it wasn’t at fault. Some owners did not supervise their dogs during the first few days of wearing the device and their animals displayed various kinds of trauma.
technology has advanced within past years, yet the idea that led to the invention of bark collars is the same.
None of these collars intend to harm the dog, but rather teach it not to bark all the time. (Not only these collars can correct excessive barking, but they can also teach the dog to avoid other annoying behaviors).
There are now three types of correction available: spray, sonic, and the already mentioned static. The bark collar in the first category use a strong scented citrus spray that annoys the animal and make it stop barking. This spray is not harmful for the dog. The sonic one uses high-pitched sounds only dogs can hear. Both of these styles are best used on ‘sensitive’ dogs; those that are high-strung or over-react to physical stimulation (spray collars are not recommended for scent hounds due to the sensitivity of their noses).
People seem to like static collars best, due to their constant innovation. When the collar detects barking of a certain range of frequencies and volume (both audibly and vibrationally) for a preset number of times, it will then be triggered. The static collar only reacts to the barking of the dog wearing it. Also having a volume and frequency requirement helps prevent the collar from being triggered by fear, pain, or other vocalizations not tied to problem barking. Many of the static bark collars have adjustable steps (and increasing levels of correction); and most have an automatic timed shutdown if the dog barks for an extended period without cease. In addition, the static collar auto-resets to lower levels if the dog doesn’t bark for a certain period. This system helps in teaching the dog to bark only when needed.
Anti-bark collars work best when associated with proper dog training. They shouldn’t be used as a single method of training. Praise and play for good behavior, exercise to help reduce restlessness and anxiety, and activities to keep the dog occupied when alone are all positive items that can help reduce the perceived need to bark for attention.
When used for the purpose they were intended, bark collars are effective and much preferred to the alternatives- ‘debarking’ surgery that involves cutting the vocal cords (with all the risks inherent in any surgery), and having to find another home for what is supposed to be a forever friend
Even though the first versions of bark collar weren’t perfect, they have been improved in time. Most types of dog collars can be adjusted manually or digitally. If you want to find out more about different types of bark collar, click here.
Tags: jack russel, bark collarsTags: bark collars, jack russel
