rockhillmanor
On the Road
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Joined: 12/06/2003
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RES1749 wrote:Hi everyone, I'd like to solicit comments (positive or negative) on the effectiveness of bark control collars. .... Thanks in advance for any comments.
Negative, no, not, not ever, should not be used on pets, period.
And since you invited all comments:
Bark collars are for "humans who do not want to take the time to train their dog".
In 30 years I have not had one dog come to my classes that could not be taught not to bark. And quite frankly it is accomplished within the first class with out devices and with out any harsh corrections.
Sooo, sorry I don't buy the 'my dog won't stop barking, no matter what I do' excuse.
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sue.t
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
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Joined: 08/05/2004
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Be sure your corrections don't give your dog the impression that you are joining her. If she's barking and you jump up excited or stressed in an attempt to stop her, she might think you are jumping up to join her doggy dance. Or if you give a loud reprimand or "bark" a command at her, she just might think you are joining her barking like a good pack member.
Most effective with our dogs has been for their humans to remain calm and quiet. With Jake, his barking simply escalated when he thought we were joining in. However, when he realized he would get one quiet voice correction, then a stern physical correction (grab his scruff and tug back while getting the evil stare) he quickly began to respond to the first quiet correction. None of our dogs have appreciated the scruff shake. It took a while to train DH to not join the excitement or to over-react, and now that DH is trained well enough, we have a calmer quieter household. It's a hard instinct to break in a human.
sue t.
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RES1749
Bremerton, WA
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Joined: 09/29/2007
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Thanks to all for the responses. Appreciate all the comments, positive or otherwise negative. I'm a newbie to this "hobby" and as what I've said, this dog was just basically dropped on our lap and I'm still on a learning curve. And she is not aggressive as what some of you might think.
I agree with some of your responses, and I also feel it might be counter-productive in using this; on my own perspective and possibly with the pooch as well. Two of my neighbors have recommended this device after using it on their own pets. So, I'll give it a try and see what happens. Again, thanks to all!
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Code2High
Agoura, CA
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Joined: 12/21/2004
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Just to clarify, I don't think the dog is necessarily aggressive at all. Now, she may be, and I don't know without seeing her, or knowing more about what your level of understanding is. My reference to problems down the line wasn't necessarily to aggression problems... though those can occur, especially as a dog moves from adolescence into adulthood... if the dog is not provided with consistent discipline and an understanding of who is in charge and what the rules are.
But "problems" with dogs go way beyond that. Not listening, barking, not coming when called, getting into or onto things that the dog has been told to let be, pulling on walks... these are all issues that come up with a dog that lacks respect and/or whose owner hasn't learned the all important lessons regarding how to correct in a way that the dog understands and responds to. Or how and when to reinforce, or how NOT to reinforce behavior you don't want. Which happens way more often than people realize.
susan
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Jack_Diane_Freedom
Lindsay Ont, and Gulf Coast Florida
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Joined: 05/11/2005
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Our friend got one for their dog that barked constantly. It was an instant cure and the dog is very friendly and well behaved. It is one that is bark activated. Dog barks and get a zap. Seems to work pretty well as dog is not quiet.
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chuckster11
Idaho
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Joined: 04/30/2004
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Control collars have been used for decades by pet owners and trainers to correct problems with dog behaviors--successfully used.
A dog owner must consider the negative impact of a barking dog on their neighbors during the extended time it takes to do the current rage "Dog Whisperer" methods of training--bark collars correct almost immediately.
I have seen some pretty valuable gun dogs collar trained into minding and paying attention to hand signals over the years and these animals were the cream of the crop in field trial circles when finished.
Happy owners make for happy dogs and happy neighbors make for happy camping experiences--give a collar a try if you can't get a fast response with personal attention.
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The Texan
Summer: A Cool Climate Winter: A Warm Climate
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Joined: 01/16/2004
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chuckster11 wrote:Control collars have been used for decades by pet owners and trainers to correct problems with dog behaviors--successfully used.
A dog owner must consider the negative impact of a barking dog on their neighbors during the extended time it takes to do the current rage "Dog Whisperer" methods of training--bark collars correct almost immediately. Reminds one of the Dr Spock way of raising children a few years back, now we are coping with the Dr Spock results. Agreed, the training collar works and is not inhumane as some would lead you to believe. Try it on your hand if you think it is inhumane and you will see it is very tolerable.
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jmitch1965
Rincon, GA
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Joined: 01/06/2004
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I used the type that emits a high pitch whistle. On one dog it worked great, a week or so and the barking problem was solved for good.
Other dog I tried it on did not even notice it was there and kept right on barking.
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Code2High
Agoura, CA
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The Texan wrote:chuckster11 wrote:Control collars have been used for decades by pet owners and trainers to correct problems with dog behaviors--successfully used.
A dog owner must consider the negative impact of a barking dog on their neighbors during the extended time it takes to do the current rage "Dog Whisperer" methods of training--bark collars correct almost immediately. Reminds one of the Dr Spock way of raising children a few years back, now we are coping with the Dr Spock results. Agreed, the training collar works and is not inhumane as some would lead you to believe. Try it on your hand if you think it is inhumane and you will see it is very tolerable.
Its not a question of it being "inhumane" and with proper training methods, there is no reason for any neighbors to be negatively impacted by ongoing noise.
The issue with the "quick fix" of the bark collar is not that it is cruel, or even ineffective for what it is designed to do. The issue is that it suppresses... NOT fixes, hence the need to pull it out repeatedly... one symptom of a much larger problem. It certainly does that quickly, and since many people don't understand that the problem is larger than the symptom they are concerned about, it is a popular "solution," especially with people who either don't know how to train their dogs or are too lazy and undisciplined to do so.
It is however very consistent with where our culture is at. The quick fix, the instant gratification. Don't make me work for it, I just want it now! Got a problem? Here's a pill! You have to take it the rest of your life, but you don't have to do any WORK, or make any changes. Want something? Put it on the card! You deserve it, and deserve it now! Why should you save up for that, when you can have it now, and pay a credit company for it five times over?
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The Texan
Summer: A Cool Climate Winter: A Warm Climate
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You evidently did NOT read my original reply to the OP. It worked very effectively with our dog and has not been around her neck in over a year, because it was used in conjunction with verbal training, not just as shock therapy. I stand by my original post, that they do work when used with verbal training.
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