No-bark dog collars are also known as anti-bark collars, bark collars, or training collars.

His type of collar is designed for a single purpose: controlling a dog’s barking, whether they are barking in a crate, barking when left unattended during the day, or barking overnight.

These collars work differently depending on the type of collar you select.

Broadly, no-bark collars can detect canine barking by sensing the vibrations in a dog’s vocal cords. Once vibrations are detected, the collar will deliver some form of stimulation to your dog, alerting him to the consequences of excessive barking.

What Are the Most Popular Types of Bark Collars?

There are four main types of bark collar:

1. Static shock collar
2. Citronella spray collar
3. Vibration collar
4. Ultrasonic collar

Regardless of type, all bark collars should fit snugly around your doggo’s neck when they are correctly fitted. Proper fitting is essential for both safety and seamless training. If in any doubt, consult an experienced dog owner or a canine professional.

All three types of bark collars come equipped with a nylon dog collar much like a regular nylon dog collar. The mechanism that releases the correction method of choice will be located at the front of the collar. Here, it can fit snugly against Rover’s throat, picking up on vibrations triggered by nuisance barking.

How Does a Bark Collar Work?

All bark collars will work slightly differently depending on the style. They all pick up on nuisance barking in the same way. Bark collars detect the vibration your dog’s vocal cords make when he barks.

What differs is the method of correction used, as follows.

1) Static shock collar

These collars feature a mechanism that sits flush against your pup’s throat, releasing a static shock in response to nuisance barking. The shock will travel along a pair of metal prongs that rest against your dog’s neck.

Most static shock collars have many different levels of correction. This allows you to start slow and low, increasing the intensity of the shock if Spot doesn’t take notice of the deterrent.

Most pet professionals advise testing a shock collar on your own hand before using it on your dog. This will either allay your fears about the intensity of the shock or show you that you need to consider an alternative method of correction – more on that below.

2) Citronella spray collar

This type of bark collar detects nuisance barking and then emits a metered burst of liquid infused with citronella. Most hounds loathe the smell of citronella, and this should act as a suitable deterrent to excessive barking.

Citronella spray collars are also available utilizing unscented liquid.

3) Vibration collar

A vibration-activated bark collar delivers a vibrating stimulation if your dog’s of your dog’s vocal cords start vigorously vibrating.

This type of collar works especially well in homes with multiple dogs. There is no chance of a false positive as you might get with a collar administering correction for another dog’s nuisance barking.

4) Ultrasonic collar

An ultrasonic bark collar has a mechanism that transmits an extremely unpleasant high-pitched sound. While you will not be aware of this sound, your dog’s acutely sensitive ears will find it a nasty experience.

Additionally, you might find some bark collars equipped with both vibration and ultrasonic correction. Others also bundle static shock correction, allowing you to cover all bases.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind before you think about training your pooch with a bark collar is that not all bark collars work on all dogs.

If you are an inexperienced pet parent or you are uncertain how your dog will respond to his nuisance barking being corrected, we recommend investing in a multipurpose training collar. These will allow you to test ultrasonic correction before working up to vibrating alerts or static shock correction only if necessary.

As with all aspects of training Fido, you should make certain to include lots of positive reinforcement to keep your dog happy and to improve long-term results.

Is it Safe to Use a Bark Collar on Your Dog?

Regardless of whether or not they are humane, bark collars are considered generally safe.

There is no doubt that the methods of correction used are unpleasant to dogs. That, after all, is the purpose of the collar. That said, there are no known deaths or severe injuries attributed to bark collars.

Shock collars are not legal in Europe, but they are quite widely used in the United States.

There is some research that suggests the electric current administered by bark collars can trigger the following complications:

• Persistent anxiety
• Aggression
• Stress
  

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Are There Any Alternatives to a Bark Collar?

If you don’t like the idea of using any type of bark collar, there are other options that don’t involve the expense of engaging a professional dog trainer.

Ultrasonic bark control devices work similarly to collars that use an ultrasonic deterrent. You can position the device itself on a fence, wall, or tree. The frequency emitted is not harmful to pets, and the range should be up to 50 feet, depending on the model you buy.

Why Do Some Pet Owners Criticize Bark Collars?

Bark collars are routinely criticized despite being highly effective, but why is this?

Firstly, many people associate static shock collars with the crude early models developed in the 1960s. These emitted fairly sharp electric shocks which most dog owners would consider excessive and inhumane. Modern collars do not use the same intensity of shock, and they also tend to come equipped with many different levels of static shock correction.

Beyond this, some opponents of bark collars claim that they discourage all barking in acutely sensitive dogs. Barking is your dog’s primary method of communication, so it should not be completely inhibited.

All dogs will react differently to different types of bark collars. Some may feel that the shock administered is too painful. Some dogs end up rolling around on the floor in an attempt to mask their scent when sprayed with citronella. Other dogs may not react at all to ultrasonic devices.

Conclusion

You should now have a clear idea of how a bark collar works, so you can establish whether or not this is a method of training you might consider using with your furball.

New pet parents should only use static shock bark collars if they feel comfortable with this method of correction. Additionally, you should try testing the collar on yourself before administering a shock to Fido. This may put your mind at rest or put you off using shock collars – the choice is yours.

Before you leave today, we would recommend bookmarking GO Boxer Rescue. We are hard at work to bring you informative guides on all aspects of dog ownership throughout the holiday season and beyond. We’ll also help you to pick the best dog equipment with reviews of the leading products in the pet space. We’ll see you soon!