Using no bark collars to alter dogs’ behaviour positively

The application of anti bark devices is in reality not aimed at completely stopping dogs from barking and it is inappropriate for dog owners facing barking problems to expect that these gadgets will act in this way. Factually speaking, barking comes naturally to dogs and it is in this way that these creatures express themselves thus letting us know what they feel about various situations and circumstances. It is therefore unfair to in any way work towards muting your dog. Concisely, bark control collars should be bought with a well planned plan of action in mind to effectively curb barking nuisances.

What does the said plan of action imply? For illustration purposes, say you have a terrier that always barks at night at the sight of cats. An appropriate way to level down this nuisance can be to place a no bark collar around the terrier’s neck every night for a defined period, say a month, without fail every day. The net effect of using anti bark devices in this way will be to create a behavioural change in the dog’s mind. Bark control collars once in use should be periodically gauged for effectiveness. Using the same illustration, after the said one month you should take of the no barking device and listen to hear if the terrier will bark in the same manner having spotted a cat. In the event that the dog doesn’t bark then the device can be said to be effective but if barking resumes the device should be reapplied for an extended period, say three months, before being taken off again for behaviour assessment.

Dog owners should appreciate that just like humans dogs have individually different behaviours and thus their reaction to anti bark devices will vary in the same way. It therefore follows that certain dogs will respond to bark control collars positively in a brief while but for others these collars will need to be permanent fixtures on their necks.

The correct way of going about this whole issue can be broken down as follows:

Start by confirming that your dog has a barking problem

If so, carry out adequate research to establish which among the anti bark devices in the market is suitable for your dog

Upon purchasing and fitting the device you should assess its effectiveness and should it prove ineffectual you should immediately think of upgrading to a stronger no bark collar

Set a timeframe during which the dog will wear the device and after this time remove the collar to check if the nuisance barking has stopped. If not, put the anti bark collar back on and extend the testing period.

Evidently, the recommendation of certain bark control collars over others isn’t definite but is rather subject to testing.