Does your dog bark too much? Barking is a dog’s way of communicating. It might be hungry, frightened, protective, playful, lonely, or simply bored. While barking is normal, excessive barking is an indicator that something is wrong. Fortunately, dog owners can use various types of protective measures, such as a dog bark collar, to treat non-stop barking. Such special collars emit stimuli such as a scent, sound, or shock, to reduce the dog’s barking. Like any other tool, it’s important to use dog bark collars effectively. Here are some helpful tips for accomplishing that mission:
1. Avoid the the use of collars to treat fear
If your dog is frightened, it’s perfectly normal and justifiable for it to bark excessively. Instead of using a dog bark collar in such cases, it’s more important to deal with the cause of the fear. Your dog might fear another animal, a person, or being left alone. If your dog is afraid, it’s important to put its mind at ease. That starts with finding the root cause of the fear, and then taking certain steps to ally those fears.
2. Choose a collar that’s most appropriate for your dog
The different bark collars on the market use different types of stimuli to reduce dogs’ barking. Some give your dog a small shock. Others emit a troubling sound. Still other collars give off an unpleasant smell that bothers the dog. There’s no right stimulus for these special collars. If one type of stimulus doesn’t work, try a dog collar that uses a different one. Based on such collars’ track record, it’s likely that you’ll find a collar that works effectively for your canine. Problem solved.
3. Consider your dog’s breed
Different dog breeds respond differently to different types of behavior modification. Do your homework to determine if a dog bark collar will likely be effective for your dog’s breed. It might. It might not be. You can save yourself some time, effort, and money by learning first if your dog’s breed would likely respond well to these special dog collars.
4. The collar should be a temporary training tool
Can bark collars be effective? Yes, but you shouldn’t use them as a permanent tool for ending non-stop barking. Use them early when training your dog not to bark incessantly. However, after using the collars for the initial stages of the training process, you should switch to different techniques that will permanently reduce your dog’s barking frequency. The bottom line is that the special collars should only be part of the process of ending non-stop barking. See the big picture.
5. Avoid training with permanent pain and injury
One of the key benefits of dog collars used to reduce their barking is that they only cause small and temporary discomfort or pain. It’s crucial that the overall training for your dog not include any stimuli that involve permanent pain or injuries. Remember this: the primary goal should be to change your dog’s behavior, rather than to end the non-stop barking per se. What’s one to do? The process involves learning the root cause of the incessant barking, and then changing the behavior to a more socially acceptable one.
