BARK COLLARS AND THEIR USES

Before you start using a bark collar, it is important to determine why your dog is barking. Since barking is a natural form of communication for our four legged friend, you want to make sure that you are not sending your dog the wrong message if there is another problem at hand. In cases where the dog is barking out of fear, separation anxiety, or aggression a bark collar could make problems worse.

If you have a dog that spends a lot of time outdoors, it is quite common for that dog to bark more. Dogs that spend much of their time outside are more social and may require more attention. Guard dogs and hound dogs are expected to bark, as they were bred to bark for a purpose. Asking a guard dog to never bark is asking a lot, but that does not mean they are not still trainable.

In some cases the dog is just trying to tell you that something is wrong or that they are unhappy. If your dog was not much of a barker in the past, then you will want to figure out what has changed in the dog's life. If your hours at work have changed, your dog may require some time to get use to the change. Perhaps your work hours are always changing, and your dog is just craving some consistency.

Only after you have addressed these possible causes for barking and ruling them out, can you then decide that a bark collar is the right solution for you and your dog. Here are a few suggestions to help you out.

1. Hunger.
2. Wants to play.
3. Wants to go outside or to come inside.
4. The dog could be bored, frustrated, anxious, or just vocalizing excitement.
5. For more active dogs, increase play time and build an exercise routine.
6. Take the dog on errands with you. Even a quick car ride can provide enough mental stimulation to be satisfying.
7. Be careful not to reward barking with yelling. It may not seem like a reward, but it is giving the dog attention and that may be what he or she wants. Instead, ignore the dog when barking and reward them when they are quiet.
8. Determine what typically gets the dog barking and avoid them. For example: if the dog always barks at the mailman, try putting the dog someplace they can not see the mailman when mail comes.