Bark collars were invented to resolve a rather exasperating problem of dogs that bark all the time. Living in a neighborhood where one or more dogs display this behavior can drive you crazy in a very short amount of time.

Among the three types of bark collar, the static device was the first one to be invented. As with many new technologies, there were some unforeseen complications. They often reacted to the barking of another dog, and could not differentiate between the types of barks, so would correct the dog when it was responding as any dog would; and did not necessarily have a safety cut-off in case the dog was hurt or panicked. Some dogs that were not supervised during their first days of wearing the collar ended up with physical or psychological trauma.

While the mechanisms have been developed, the basic idea of these devices stays the same.

These collars are not dangerous and they merely annoy the dog and make it bark less often. (This also works with other behaviors, so many collars have a manual remote that will allow you to help train the dog to stay off the furniture or not dig in the garden).

There are now three types of correction available: spray, sonic, and the already mentioned static. The bark collar in the first category use a strong scented citrus spray that annoys the animal and make it stop barking. This spray is not harmful for the dog. The sonic one uses high-pitched sounds only dogs can hear. Both these options are great for dogs that are sensitive to physical stimuli (the collar using citrus smell shouldn’t be used on scent hounds, because they sense of smell is extremely well developed).

People seem to like static collars best, due to their constant innovation. Static collars can be triggered by continuous barking for a certain period of time. Requiring that both systems be activated prevents the collar from reacting to another dog barking. It features volume and frequency settings that can be adjusted so that the collar does not react to manifestations of fear or stress, Many of the static bark collars have adjustable steps (and increasing levels of correction); and most have an automatic timed shutdown if the dog barks for an extended period without cease. In addition, the static collar auto-resets to lower levels if the dog doesn’t bark for a certain period. This system helps in teaching the dog to bark only when needed.

Collars are most efficient only when combined with dog training. The collar should reinforce the training when the owner is not around; not BE the training. Training should be based on rewards and play for good behavior.

When used for the purpose they were intended, bark collars are effective and much preferred to the alternatives- ‘debarking’ surgery that involves cutting the vocal cords (with all the risks inherent in any surgery), and having to find another home for what is supposed to be a forever friend

Even though the first versions of bark collar weren’t perfect, they have been improved in time. Most types of dog collars can be adjusted manually or digitally. If you want to find out more about different types of bark collar, click here.