How to Choose the Right Bark Collar for Your Dog

So you’ve tried positive reinforcement but it didn’t work. Often this happens not because positive reinforcement itself is ineffective, but bEva use your personal or work commitments rendered you unable to train regularly and consistently enough to change your dog’s behaviour permanently. To make matters worse, the neighbours have complained and you’re worried a Council fine might be in the cards. This is where bark control collars can be invaluable. However, if it’s your first time looking for a bark collar, then you’re probably overwhelmed by the seemingly endless options available these days. To help you avoid spending hundreds of dollars trying different bark collar types to find one that works, we thought we’d share a few tips to help you choose the right collar for your dog.

The first thing to consider is the breed and size of your dog. It is important for any bark collar to sit snuggly around the dog’s neck (a good indication is when only one finger can pass through between the belt and the neck), so getting the right sized collar is very important for it to work effectively. A bark collar is usually considered the most effective at controlling barking but if it sits loosely on your dog’s neck, then it will be practically useless. Chihuahuas, for example, are so small that most standard bark collars simply will not fit. For breeds this small, we recommend Bark Doctor’s Mighty Mini 3.0 bark collar, which is compact, lightweight and extra small to fit perfectly around the necks of miniature dog breeds. 

The second consideration when choosing a bark collar is your dog’s sensitivity level. Some dogs are at the groomers all the time and may therefore be de-sensitised to the vibration of shaving instruments. For these dogs, a vibration collar may not be the best choice. It may be best to consider something like a citronella collar which uses the dog’s sense of smell as a deterrent for barking or even the no collar training options, which use ultrasonic noise to deter barking.

We don’t usually recommend going straight to static collars, especially for smaller dogs. But there are instances where what worked before suddenly stops being effective, which is likely due to the dog being de-sensitised to the training method (i.e. getting used to the citronella spray). This is where a static collar can be introduced. Fortunately, there arr collars that offer multi-mode training, which simply means they allow you to start with sound+vibration first then switching to sound+static if needed or even a mix of all three. The intensity of training is also gradual, starting from low levels on intensity of static or short duration of vibration then progressing to stronger intensity and longer duration only when the dog continues barking. These collars also give the dog room to bark a couple of times before the actually corrective mode is used. The first two barks usually triggers a beep from the collar, which serves as a warning to the dog to expect vibration or static if they continue.

It’s important to note that bark control collars cannot replace positive reinforcement, which should be the first option when controlling excessive dog barking. A good way of looking at positive reinforcement is teaching the dog a desired behaviour whenever the known trigger for barking occurs. For example, you can teach your dog to go to his bed whenever the doorbell rings or the door knocks and give them a treat as soon as they stop barking. It may be worthwhile reaching out to a dog trainer and spend a few hours at home learning a few tricks you can do to reinforce desired behaviours without yet resorting to using a bark collar. Or if you have already resorted to using a bark collar, don’t give up on positive reinforcement entirely and try to spending time practicing various strategies such as these found in our article: https://barkdoctor.com.au/blogs/news/top-five-tips-to-reduce-barking-without-using-a-collar. 

You will notice that the Bark Doctor product range is much narrower than many of our competitors. We consider this one of our main advantages. We believe in focusing on a narrow range of products that we have spent considerable time market-testing to prove effectiveness rather than overwhelming our customers with too many options and types that essentially do the same thing but with varying results. We want to do the trial and error, so you don’t have to. If you need further assistance and more tailored advice, don’t hesitate to send us a message. We would love to hear from you and offer the best recommendation. `