# Electric Bark Collars???



## j.marcum (May 16, 2010)

I just received a complaint from a neighbor about my GSD's barking. I have to let him in his outdoor run at 4am because I leave for work. I know my dog is vocal but I don't know if a electric collar is the way to go. Any help would be great thanks!!!


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## GermanPrinceHero (Feb 13, 2010)

There is an alternative to the shock collars. It is the spray collar. Sprays a citrus smelling stuff that is harmless, but dogs hate the smell. There is one at Wal-Mart for about $50.00, which is the one we used for Prince when he went through an uncontrollable stage for about 2 or 3 months. It worked great for us


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

I use the electronic bark collars for my dogs and have had good results. These collars only train your dog to be quiet while they are on but I think it'd work for your purpose for sure. I did a lot of research on the electronic vs. spray collars before I got one. I think that for more dogs, the spray is a much harsher, longer lasting correction than the static shock. I also have known multiple people who have had problems with their spray collars malfunctioning - one person has actually gone through 3 or 4 of them, the company keeps sending her replacements because they keep breaking.


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

I could be wrong but I do recall a poster here mentioning not too long ago about an issue with her dog wearing a bark collar at day care and the staff leaving it on, the dog had "burn" like marks in his fur from the collar b/c he was barking a lot.....perhaps someone else remembers???? Just a thought to consider if the dog will be unsupervised for a long period of time.....


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

Gib Laut said:


> I could be wrong but I do recall a poster here mentioning not too long ago about an issue with her dog wearing a bark collar at day care and the staff leaving it on, the dog had "burn" like marks in his fur from the collar b/c he was barking a lot.....perhaps someone else remembers???? Just a thought to consider if the dog will be unsupervised for a long period of time.....


 This sort of injury can occur with bark collars, ecollars and IF collars but is *not* caused by "burns" from the collar. Actually, such an injury can also be caused by "dummy e-collars" (which have no battery), spray collars if they have a prong to sense bark vibration and snug fitting prong/pinch collars if these collars are left on for extended periods of time.

If you read the instructions of any e-collar, you will see that it is advised that the dog not wear the collar for longer than X number of hours without taking it off and that the prongs be wiped clean on a regular basis. The injury you are talking about is a rub injury. To work properly, these collars must fit snugly on the neck and the prongs have constant contact with the skin, in the same place. This can allow for dirt and moisture to be trapped between the prongs and the skin, which causes the irritation and sometimes infections that many people (even some vets) assume are "burns". These injuries will not occur when the collar is used as directed and even when they do occur it isn't because of the static shock but because of the prongs rubbing against the neck.


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

AgileGSD said:


> This sort of injury can occur with bark collars, ecollars and IF collars but is *not* caused by "burns" from the collar.
> 
> This can allow for dirt and moisture to be trapped between the prongs and the skin, which causes the irritation and sometimes infections that many people (even some vets) assume are "burns". These injuries will not occur when the collar is used as directed and even when they do occur it isn't because of the static shock but because of the prongs rubbing against the neck.


Perhaps I need to clarify, this is not MY opinion it was what some one here said happened to their dog! I actually have an e-collar and have never had issues, but I think the more specific point may be to use the device properly and under supervision.......


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

I have barkers, they also run the fence and bark with the neighbors dogs. Most of the time they are good, but they will bark at a lot of different things. Yelling & screaming at them don't work, they just think your chimming in. When they run the fence I walk over and place myself inbetween. I put my finger to my lip to give them the "shhh". Same with when they bark for a reason, I will give them more of a hand signal. When I let them out, I go with them. When the weather is nice I do leave them out all day in the yard, I've heard they bark, but I can't believe they are non-stop.


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

Gib Laut said:


> Perhaps I need to clarify, this is not MY opinion it was what some one here said happened to their dog! I actually have an e-collar and have never had issues, but I think the more specific point may be to use the device properly and under supervision.......


 I was just addressing the belief that such injuries occur due to the collars "burning" the dog. I wasn't saying it was your dog or that you did something wrong.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

Instead of putting a barking collar on your dog, why don't you leave your dog in the house in a crate?


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## j.marcum (May 16, 2010)

Well there are many reasons I dont like to crate my dog. We are gone for about 8 hours during the days I work (my wife works m-f 8-5 and I work 12's) And that is way to long to keep an 80 pound shepherd couped up. I also have a Dutch Shepherd (who have a tempermant like a malinois). They love to play and I can't fault them for it. I built a 8 foot x 40 foot dog run in my back yard for them with a dog house (which will be air condtioned soon as we live in Florida) an automatic water bowl and a place to lay in the shade and be lazy. So far only one neighbor has complained and all my other neighbors like my dogs as they are extreamly friendly and social. So I am not sure about how long the bark collars can be on but what I might do is have them on in the morning and have a family member come and remove them about 9am which the guys complaint is that he gets woke up. I dont want to be a nuisance neighbor but my dogs have a right to be outside too. So I guess that is my best option. Thanks all for the advice.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

You are right that your dogs have a right to be outside, but not a nuisance, hence the barking collar and you want to take it off about 9am? What about your neighbors that have the day off and want to sleep in or enjoy their backyard after 9am? Does that mean they would have to listen to your dogs barking? Just because only one neighbor has actually had the guts to complain, doesn't mean the rest of them aren't resentful as it's very hard for people to confront their neighbors.

There have been so many posts on here about the dangers of leaving your dogs outside and no matter how nice you make their run, it is still a bad idea. Most of us have our dogs in the house when we aren't home and they are perfectly happy and still safe when we get home. My dogs no longer need to be crated and are loose in the house and just sleep all day. Puppies and fosters are crated, but they don't annoy the neighbors and are safe when I get home.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

I have a German Shepherd and a Belgian Malinois - who are both safely crated inside the house while I am gone at work. And I am gone 8 to 9 hours a day (my commute is 30 minutes each way).

The way we offset the long time they are cooped up is by getting up early so that they get plenty of time to run and play before they are crated, spending time with them again when I get home, making sure they burn off their extra energy, and keeping them loose in the house over night where they can play with each other.

As long as you spend the time with your dogs making sure they are exercised and not full of pent-up energy, there is no reason why a Shepherd and a Dutchie could not be crated while you are at work. But, it does take dedication to get up earlier and be out there with them, actively exercising. Just putting them into a run is much easier - though it doesn't really give them "exercise" the way structured exercise does.

That said, I certainly agree that your dog have a right to be outside on your own property. But, like Elaine said, they don't have a right to be a nuisance to your neighbors. And yes, a no-bark collar for the dog that barks (or both, if they both bark) are an option. 

Personally, I would be hesitant to leave a no-bark collar on a dog that is outside playing with another dog - my dogs like to pull on each other's necks when playing, and I would be concerned about either damage to the collar or, worse, one of the dogs getting injured or killed if a tooth or jaw is caught on the collar. There are many reports of dogs injuring themselves or one another when left unsupervised with collars on (any collars), there are some threads about this on this very forum.

Now, if the dogs were separate, the collar would be the best solution. Make sure that you buy a quality brand, like Tritronics or Dogtra, and stay away from the junk brands like Petsafe (they sell those at Petsmart) because they are a waste of money. Make sure you use the correct length probes (Shepherds tend to need longer ones because of the plushier coats), and that they are fitted correctly as the collars are useless if they simply hang around the neck. 

Depending on the type of collar, some allow you to set the correction to a specific level while others "ramp up" when the dog continues to bark. If you get the first time, try the collars out when you are home so you can adjust them accordingly. Start at the lowest possible stimulation and, if needed, work your way up to where it's effective.

IMHO the spray collars are a waste of money, as many dogs either get used to the smell, or manage to turn their heads in a way that avoids it.


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## GermanPrinceHero (Feb 13, 2010)

AbbyK9 said:


> IMHO the spray collars are a waste of money, as many dogs either get used to the smell, or manage to turn their heads in a way that avoids it.


 
The spray collar worked great for us. I don't think it was a waste of money at all. It helped us accomplish our goal which was to curb his behavior of continuous nuisance barking. We used it 2 to 3 months and it was still working fine when we discontinued it.

It was just for a single dog though. I would definitely consider other options if he were to be around other dogs unsupervised for long periods of time.


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## UConnGSD (May 19, 2008)

Makes me wonder what damage would be caused by leaving bark collars on for hours at an end. One alternative is one of those ultrasonic anti-bark device which triggers at a wavelength only dogs can hear, starts only when they start barking and apparently they find it unpleasant enough to stop barking.


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## Doggydog (May 12, 2009)

I know someone who used the citronella collar with good result. She didnt use the citronella though. The sound of the shot of air was sufficiently annoying to her chocolate lab and he stopped the barking. 
Although she used it only an hour or so here and there and not all day.


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

IME the ultrasonic things don't work at all. The dogs quickly get used to the noise and bark right through it. 

The idea of leaving the collars on until later in the morning is good. If you can get someone to come over though, it may be easier and safer (I'm always iffy on leaving collars on multiple dogs unattended together, although snugly fitting collars are probably safer than other) to just let the dogs out to potty in the early morning before work, bring them in the house and have someone come by to let them out later in the morning.


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## alaman (May 3, 2006)

8 hrs is not too long for a crate. I bring mine in at 10:00 at night from their kennels and crate them in my sun room. I let them out at 7:00 AM. Only had one accident in 3 years.

Also, be careful on a bark collar. I used one one time and gave it away. I had a female that wanted to be inside all the time and would bark when in the kennel. I live on 20 acres so neighbors are not a problem. I put one on her and it bothered her. She scratched it and made a raw mark about 1/2 inch wide and 6 long overnight. It was fitted right. Luckily she had no problems and all ended well. That was the last time I used it so be careful how the dog accepts the collar.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

I wouldn't tolerate nonstop barking from one of my neighbors dogs, but dogs do bark occasionally. How often is the dog in question actually barking? I would worry about leaving the dog alone with the collar on and no supervision from you. If it got snagged on something or malfunctioned I would worry about serious injury.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you could teach him not to bark. you could get a sitter
to come in and check on your dog during the day.

how old is your dog?

when did the barking start?

besides an e-collar what other ways
have tried to stop the barking?



j.marcum said:


> I just received a complaint from a neighbor about my GSD's barking. I have to let him in his outdoor run at 4am because I leave for work. I know my dog is vocal but I don't know if a electric collar is the way to go. Any help would be great thanks!!!


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

doggiedad said:


> you could teach him not to bark. you could get a sitter
> to come in and check on your dog during the day.


 Considering the dog is barking while no one is home, how do would you suggest teaching him not to bark in that setting?


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

Why don't you get your wife to let them out at 8 and then to heck with the neighbor...

I'd rather deal with a neighbor than leave two active dogs with collar to play unsupervised.

They can hang themselves with the collars.


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