Monday, June 2, 2008

Bark Collar Review


Well, so far the citronella-spraying bark collar is working! It's pretty funny, actually. Here's how we introduced the idea to Maddie. We had to figure out a way to test it, so we put the collar on her, then Gavin went outside to ring the doorbell - a surefire way to ignite a barking frenzy. I stayed inside with Maddie in case she got scared or something went wrong. Sure enough, as soon as Madness heard the door bell she started a-barkin'.... then, a soft *poof!* Confusion.... wait - what... what was that?? Maddie was so confused. She definitely stopped barking and just started looking around and sniffing the air. Next doorbell ring - a single bark, an immediate *poof*... more startled confusion. But NO BARKING!! Gavin rang the doorbell a few more times - Maddie just paced around impatiently but did not bark!!!
One definite bonus - the collar also works for whining! Another way to ensure a Maddie meltdown is simply to put her in the car - she whines really loud and barks the whole time. We put her in the car, and again, true to form, she let out a whine - poof - silence and confusion. A bark - poof - silence and quiet pacing. It's working!! The best part is that it doesn't seem to hurt her - just to confound her and maybe annoy her a little bit, but I have a hard time feeling bad about that. The shoe is finally on the other paw.
We kept it on her until we went to bed that night. Maddie likes to whine to get attention, treats, her way, anything. She tried that a few times, and got poofed. Gavin and I had to laugh - revenge! Anyway, we don't keep it on her constantly because it is kind of big and bulky.... I think we will mainly use it for bark-rich environments and circumstances. I will keep you posted on our progress, but so far so good!!

6 comments:

Ashley Turnbull said...

Well that is just great that you found one that worked. Trust me, we tried that very collar as well. No luck. Ours ran out of citronella ASAP. Too much barking. But, whatever Adam just bought has worked well. No barking! It's the highest caliber shock ever! I know, slightly inhumane - but, we'll take it!

Anonymous said...

GREAT to know that it worked on Maddie. We may just take the plunge and get one ourselves for Sequoia. So what does happen if it runs out of citronella (as Ashley posted)? Can you refill it? And may I ask, where did you purchase it from?

Betsy said...

I actually don't know where the collar came from, because Gavin's firm administrator gave it to us. It didn't work for her schnauzer, so take my recommendation with a grain of salt I suppose. If the collar runs out of citronella, you can purchase the refills online, but I guess if you're having to do this all the time it's not working.

Holly Amburgey said...

I may have to try this. Baxter is also an avid barker. He hates the doorbell or any random knocking. He barks when the doorbell rings on TV. Brett and I are both like really Baxter - retard. And if he sees someone walk past the house forget it! We have a chair in front of our window which faces the street. One side of it is shredded down to the foam from him when he barks. Apparently it requires a lot of paw movement and he scratches it severly. Good thing it's old and crappy. May I ask how much this thing costs?

Dog Correction Collars said...

Hello,

Bark collars are designed to eliminate the excessive barking either through electric shock, spray, or ultrasonic noises. Bark collars have been around for some time now and reviews are still very mixed on their effectiveness. Thanks a lot...

Flynn Hoadley said...

This is a great review for Bark Collar. It is really helpful specially if it's used correctly. Thanks a lot for this great info!

All the best,

Flynn Hoadley
Petsafe Little Dog Bark Collar Deluxe