# spray anti bark collar



## spyla (Jul 1, 2010)

Hi, I looking to control Shadow's barking when left in my back yard. I would like to try spray type first before trying the shock kind.

I looking at these two. anyone have experience with either one








Amazon.com: Premier Spray Sense Anti Bark Collar: Kitchen & Dining








Amazon.com: Innotek Anti-Bark Spray Collar, Citronella: Kitchen & Dining


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

The pages wouldn't come up for me but I can tell you without looking I wouldn't use either one of them. 

If the dog is unattended it means no one is telling him what he can and can't bark at. If the collars work your dog will be trained not to bark...at anything. This will make the guy trying to climb in your window very happy.

If you use them for a training tool when you're with the dog that changes things. I still wouldn't use one but that's just a personal choice.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Why not teach her quiet? Dogs shouldn't be left outside without shelter for long periods anyway. When your not home that means your dog should be inside the house where she can not be a nuisance, or danger to herself and others. When you let her out and she barks you tell her quiet and bring her in when she's not, or reward and praise when she is. Shock collars or spray collars are not going to solve the barking problem- she'll get used them and bark anyway


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

Whiteshepherds said:


> The pages wouldn't come up for me but I can tell you without looking I wouldn't use either one of them.
> 
> If the dog is unattended it means no one is telling him what he can and can't bark at. If the collars work your dog will be trained not to bark...at anything. This will make the guy trying to climb in your window very happy.


 That's actually not true. Dogs quickly learn to not bark when the collar is on but bark normally when it isn't. 

I use e-bark collars over citronella/spray ones for a couple reason. The main one is that the citronella collars are more likely to malfunction. I know someone who ordered the Premier one and had to return it 3 or 4 times for it breaking within a few weeks of use. Have also heard of the collar getting stuck and emptying the whole canister at once. And that the canisters often don't last as long. I also personally feel that being sprayed in the face with something as strong smelling as citronella is probably more aversive to dogs than a static shock. 

If you want to try a spray collar, I'd go with the Innotek. As I said, the person I know with the Premier hasn't had much luck with it working properly. Don't know anyone with the Innotek collars though.



Zoeys mom said:


> Why not teach her quiet? Dogs shouldn't be left outside without shelter for long periods anyway. When your not home that means your dog should be inside the house where she can not be a nuisance, or danger to herself and others. When you let her out and she barks you tell her quiet and bring her in when she's not, or reward and praise when she is. Shock collars or spray collars are not going to solve the barking problem- she'll get used them and bark anyway


 It is extremely hard to "train the dog not to bark" when the dog is only barking when they are outside by themselves. You may feel that dogs should never be outside by themselves but that doesn't mean that everyone feels that way. If my dogs were never outside by themselves, they wouldn't get near the playtime and exercise time they do now. My dogs are never outside when no one's home but they are outside when no one is out with them. 

If you bring the dog in whenever they bark, they start to learn that barking cues you to do something, which actually reinforces the barking. Correcting or rewarding the dog for not barking is only effective if you are right outside with the dog, all the time. That works for some people but other people have to be able to leave their dogs outside alone sometimes. Most dogs don't learn to bark through bark collars and with most dogs, wearing a no-bark collar does solve the problem.


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## SARAHSMITH (Sep 19, 2010)

AgileGSD, thanks for that "real world" response.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

AgileGSD said:


> That's actually not true. Dogs quickly learn to not bark when the collar is on but bark normally when it isn't.


Okay...but if someone is leaving their dog outside when they aren't home I'm assuming the collar is on the dog when they're gone. That was the impression I got from the OP.
That's why I tried to differentiate between using it as a training tool and using it anytime the dog was outside.


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## mssandslinger (Sep 21, 2010)

personally i think collars and sprays are not very nice or effective, most dogs quickly become desensitized to these situations, they lean much faster and better with their owner telling them when they cant bark. first teach the dog to "speak" on command. that way you can then teach "quiet". works wonders for everyone i know who had trouble with barking dogs.


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## spyla (Jul 1, 2010)

Shadow is never outside when we are not at home. I am looking for solution for situations like on a weekend I would like to sleep in a little longer. he needs to go out around 6 AM. I would like to able to leave him out in the backyard without him waking up the everyone in the whole subdivision.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

mssandslinger - spoken by someone who hasn't used good quality equipment. Dogs do not become desensitized to them.

The common misconception with bark collars is that the dog spends the day getting zapped. In reality, the dog barks once or twice, gets a quick correction by the collar, and they don't bark again while the collar is on.

AgileGSD hit the nail on the head. It blows my mind that on a german shepherd forum people are so anti dogs being dogs and being allowed to play outside.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> looking to control Shadow's barking when left in my back yard


You can very easily do this without purchasing a no-bark collar: bring her inside and leave her safely crated or gated off in a dog-safe room when you are not home. Problem solved.

Dogs bark when they are left alone in back yards because there are things to bark AT - neighbors, other dogs, kids running by, squirrels and other wildlife, the neighbor's cat, etc. They also bark because they are lonely and bored and there isn't anything else to do. Or they bark because neighborhood kids are teasing them, throwing rocks, etc.

Being left outside in your yard is not SAFE and it isn't fun for your dog. Bring her in, crate her safely in the house, and you will have a happy dog and no complaints to Animal Control from your Neighbors.

As far as spray collars go in general, I have not had any useful experiences with them. Some dogs just learn to love the smell. Others learn quickly how long it takes for the spray bottle to empty. Others figure out ways to turn their heads or move the collar to avoid getting sprayed. IMHO they are a waste of money.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Shadow is never outside when we are not at home.


When you are home, you should be outside WITH him. Dogs don't exercise themselves because they're turned out into the yard, they need their people to provide them with things to do.

If he needs to go potty by 6am on the weekends, take him outside to potty, then bring him back into the house. He obviously does not enjoy being stuck out in the yard by himself if he's barking the entire time.


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## spyla (Jul 1, 2010)

I like getting all the inputs, but I would really appreciate if we could stay on my original questions. I know there are many ways of doing things but I have choosen to go this way and am not here to hear people preach to me. I would appreciate you sharing you experience with these or similar units.

Also what e-collars have you used to control barking and how has it been.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

AbbyK9 said:


> Being left outside in your yard is not SAFE and it isn't fun for your dog.


hahahahaha

Tell that to my dogs. Micah, Kodi, and Dante are currently wrestling in the yard, literally, as I write this. Audrey's laying out in the sun chewing on a nylabone.

They must be miserable, I should stick them in a cage instead of allowing them to enjoy a gorgeous day playing outside. If Akira hadn't been raised more like a human than a dog she'd be outside playing too. Unfortunately I used to buy into these theories of "dogs outside are unhappy dogs" and to this day she doesn't like to be outside much. The ones that do get to go outside if they want!


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

AbbyK9 said:


> When you are home, you should be outside WITH him. Dogs don't exercise themselves because they're turned out into the yard, they need their people to provide them with things to do.


Sure they do, mine routinely play chase, they are wrestling right now, they walk around all day if allowed to be outside and nap on occasion.

They sure get a lot less exercise in a cage.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> but I would really appreciate if we could stay on my original questions


I thought the question was how you can keep your dog from nuisance barking in your yard, which probably annoys you just as much as it annoys your neighbors.

You have to understand that this nuisance barking is a problem that you have created by turning your dog out and leaving him outside unsupervised, whether you're in the house when this occurs or whether you are gone from the premises altogether. Your dog barks because you leave him out in the yard and he does not enjoy being stuck out there alone with nothing to do. That is simple fact.

A no-bark collar will prevent him from barking, but it does not fix the problem. The problem is that your dog is bored and lonely. Once you take the bark, he won't annoy you and your neighbors when you turn him out to amuse himself. He will, however, find other things to do to amuse himself and they will probably be just as annoying - like digging up the yard, tunneling under the fence and running loose, etc.

If you want to fix the issue, be outside with your dog and provide him with proper exercise. When you have a dog, especially a large, energetic breed such as a German Shepherd, you may need to sacrifice sleeping in for the sake of properly providing for your dog.



> You may feel that dogs should never be outside by themselves but that doesn't mean that everyone feels that way. If my dogs were never outside by themselves, they wouldn't get near the playtime and exercise time they do now. My dogs are never outside when no one's home but they are outside when no one is out with them.


And AgileGSDs case is very different from the OPs - she has SEVERAL dogs who play with each other. The OP has only ONE dog who is left out by HIMSELF and bored.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Tell that to my dogs. Micah, Kodi, and Dante are currently wrestling in the yard, literally, as I write this. Audrey's laying out in the sun chewing on a nylabone.


Again, a very different situation from the OP. Your dogs are a GROUP and play together. A group of dogs plays with one another. Even just two dogs will play with one another unless they don't get along. I am, however, responding to the OP. And the OP has only ONE dog that is left outside ALONE and clearly does not enjoy it if he barks the entire time.

And no, it is NOT safe for any dog to be left outside in the yard when nobody is home. (The OP did not state she is home when her dog is left outside in the original post, which I was responding to.) There are plenty of accounts on this very forum of dogs getting poisoned, stolen, teased, etc. when left outside with nobody home.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Ok, I can see your point one dog vs a group. However, not all dogs bark because they are unhappy. Some dogs are just flat out reactive and bark at things in general, but may be having a perfectly good time outside.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> However, not all dogs bark because they are unhappy. Some dogs are just flat out reactive and bark at things in general, but may be having a perfectly good time outside.


I believe I addressed many different reasons of why dogs who are left outside may take to nuisance barking in my post further up, from having things to bark at, to fence-fighting with other dogs, to being teased by kids. 

I do wonder whether any of those are actually the cause with the OP's dog barking, though, if he does it around the early morning (6/7am) on the weekends? I live out in the country and we have a lot of wildlife, but things tend to be pretty quiet around that time in the morning, not loads of things to bark at.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Rerun said:


> hahahahaha
> 
> Tell that to my dogs. Micah, Kodi, and Dante are currently wrestling in the yard, literally, as I write this. Audrey's laying out in the sun chewing on a nylabone.
> 
> They must be miserable, I should stick them in a cage instead of allowing them to enjoy a gorgeous day playing outside. If Akira hadn't been raised more like a human than a dog she'd be outside playing too. Unfortunately I used to buy into these theories of "dogs outside are unhappy dogs" and to this day she doesn't like to be outside much. The ones that do get to go outside if they want!


How do you know that they are doing this?


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Because I had just gone to look out the back windows and checked on them....


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## mssandslinger (Sep 21, 2010)

Rerun said:


> mssandslinger - spoken by someone who hasn't used good quality equipment. Dogs do not become desensitized to them.
> 
> The common misconception with bark collars is that the dog spends the day getting zapped. In reality, the dog barks once or twice, gets a quick correction by the collar, and they don't bark again while the collar is on.
> 
> AgileGSD hit the nail on the head. It blows my mind that on a german shepherd forum people are so anti dogs being dogs and being allowed to play outside.



i can see your point, I do speak from experience though, with many of my family using bark collars, the dog would bark right through it, ive seen my aunts rottie and Yorkie be less then phased with a collar on on a box that emits a sound, im just speaking from my experience.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Oh! I thought you had a webcam or something...I think that's totally different than leaving them while you are gone or asleep. You can hear if there is something or can check on them and see where they are/what they are up to. 

Though I personally do not trust my dogs in that manner for more than a few seconds, nor do they like being out without me as their audience, I can "get" that if you do that. I do more direct supervision for a few reasons: cost (accidents = vet bills), pack issues (8 dogs), neighbor issues (that's a lot of potential barking), and if something happens I want to be able to say she was running and twisted and that's why she can't walk. So 2/3 of those work for a single dog, and that dog really isn't as entertained as those with packs or buddies to play with. Probably a reason for some of the barking. 

It's leaving them alone unsupervised while you are not around/awake that I don't get. Too high a risk for any perceived benefit.


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## spyla (Jul 1, 2010)

"


AbbyK9 said:


> I thought the question was how you can keep your dog from nuisance barking in your yard,..."
> 
> NO my question was not how to control the barking. I have already decided to use collar. I needed feedback on the two collar listed or any other collars ( E collar or spray) that you have experience with


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

To answer your question, in talking to many many people over the years:

The spray collars are near ineffective on most large breed dogs. They seem to work well for foo-foo dogs. The refills can get expensive as they tend to be somewhat ineffective and are used on a regular basis.

I know many people, myself included, who have had excellent success with the standard petsafe and innotek bark collars - the standard $50 variety - not the $100 "deluxe" or "big dog" (don't buy the little dog one however - there is little dog, regular, and big dog). I don't currently have or use a bark collar, but in the past I used a petsafe one on Audrey because she was a STINKER about barking the second her paws left the house. At anything and everything, and no she was not bored or scared. She no longer behaves like this and the occasional verbal correction is all that's needed. If she gets going on too regular a basis, I put our remote trainer on and correct her. Our yard is pretty private however and there's not much to bark at.

It does not train the dog not to bark at all. What was said earlier about them learning not to bark at all is NOT TRUE. Every dog I have ever known has learned that when the collar goes on, they can't bark, but as soon as it comes off all bets are off.

Personally, I would just get the static correction collar, but that's your call. I've never known anyone to have success with the spray collars for a large breed dog.


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## spyla (Jul 1, 2010)

thanks for the advice, after reading this and other posts on this web site and other sites, I will go with a e-collar

thinking of going with 

Amazon.com: PetSafe PBC-102 No-Bark Collar: Gateway


shadow is 97lbs, do you think this will work


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

My dogs go out to play in the yard when I'm home- because I'm home in case something happens. They are not couped up all day nor not allowed to play if I'm not right there. However, when I tell them to be quiet and they don't listen they go right inside because I'm a respectful neighbor. In my case both hush the minute I give the command or their play time ends and they have figured this out without a shock collar.

However, my mom's Dogo who loves to bark has a shock collar and she barks right through it, and yes it is functioning,lol Maybe all dogs don't become desensitized but many do.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

spyla said:


> thanks for the advice, after reading this and other posts on this web site and other sites, I will go with a e-collar
> 
> thinking of going with
> 
> ...


Yes it should be fine.


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## Doggydog (May 12, 2009)

I have no personal experience with these collars, but a friend has a lab that is a nuisance barker. She did the citronella collar without the citronella. The blast of air was enough to silence the dog and he is now fine without it. She did use it for several months to correct him.


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## LouCastle (Sep 25, 2006)

spyla said:


> thanks for the advice, after reading this and other posts on this web site and other sites, I will go with a e-collar
> 
> thinking of going with
> 
> ...


I'd suggest against going with this brand. They do not have a good reputation for reliability. I'd only recommend two brands, Tri-Tronics and Dogtra. They're a bit more expensive but they'll give the desired results and they won't break.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

I second what Lou said. If you MUST use a collar to control the barking (which is not a necessity in your case, only a convenience), PetSafe is probably the last brand I would recommend. They are JUNK. I have had two and neither one worked. Company sent a replacement AND a tester for free and those were junk, too.

Like Lou said, if it needs to be an e-collar, Tri-Tronics or Dogtra would be the one to get. Tri-Tronics makes the Bark Limiter XS and Dogtra makes the YapperStopper. I am not sure whether SportDog or Innotek also make no-bark collars but they do make e-collars for training that are decent quality.

Of course, as with any equipment, read the instructions, make sure it's on correctly, and make sure it is not malfunctioning. Which means that most e-collars SHOULD be used under supervision.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

eh...for the price, they aren't bad. We used one for several years and never had a bit of trouble with it and it worked great.

Innotek does make bark collars.


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

I use the base model Innoteks too and have never had an issue with them. I had two of the Petsafes and didn't care for them because mine didn't last as long as the Innoteks and they require a proprietary battery. This is the equivalent of the Innoteks I have (mine are all several years old): PSF-BC-50B-N petsafe-bc-50b

I was very worried about using bark collars at first but after buying the first one, I wished I had bought them sooner  They are really effective and the dogs don't actually get corrected much at all with them. They learn the rules real quick (no barking when the collar is on) and carry on with their every day life....just quieter. 

I personally couldn't imagine having multiple large, active dogs and only letting them play outside when I was able to watch them. They are outside right, chasing each other and lounging on the deck. One of my dogs actually likes being outside way more than inside and would be very sad to have to be confined to the house until it was convenient for me to go outside with her.

Their barking problem stems from them being breeds prone to alert barking/territorial behavior and us living in a suburban neighborhood. It's a genetics and environmental issue. The kids next door race around their yard and house and the dogs alert bark. The neighbors come and go, the dogs alert bark. The people on the next street over come and go, the dogs alert bark. The dogs hear noises from down the street and they alert bark. The dogs hear other dogs barking and they alert bark. The dogs who aren't prone to doing this as much, don't wear bark collars. Interestingly, one of the dogs was trained not to bark at every little thing by me starting using the collar on her when she was 6 months old and very first started the alert barking. She never wears a collar now and generally doesn't bark unless there is good reason.

Dogs being left out in the yard when people aren't out with them every second doesn't equate to dogs being left in the yard when people are gone all day. My dogs are never left out when no one is home but it's normal for them to be out when no one is with them. If I lived in a different situation, I might feel differently about that too but as it is, I'm not comfortable leaving them out when no one is home.


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## spyla (Jul 1, 2010)

thought about it again. Bought the spraysense. Shadow has had it on him for two days now whenever he is the back yard without us. Works like a charm on him. No barking at all. It is like the "barking switch" has been turned off. am really happy that I did not have to go the shock route, would have gone that route if this did not work out.


thanks for all the suggestions. Will see how the weekend works out, will post an update


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## spyla (Jul 1, 2010)

sparaysense is going back, like some people said before, shadow has gotten used to it. It works partially, meaning shadow would bark in the back yard just for no reason, now he will bark if someone comes to the fence line or walks on the road. it would have been fine if he just barked once or twice and stopped but he does not stop until they are gone.


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## spyla (Jul 1, 2010)

got the innotek BC-50. Shadow has had it on him for 2 weeks now whenever he is the backyard. It is working, he sometimes barks 3-4 barks and stops. Innotek has stopped packaging the the long probes with the unit so if your dog has thick coat you will have to buy them (around $15)


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## kevinduell (Jun 4, 2013)

Innotek Collars Petsafe products are best for our pets. I have been using Anti bark Collars form 6 months, it really works. Now I can sleep with full relief and got rid of unusual barking of my dog.


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