If the anti bark collar you bought for your barking mad dog didn’t work, it’s possible yours is a very stubborn dog. Keep in mind that a barking problem need not come from a large dog, as there are smaller dogs that keep on barking, and are just as annoying. Here’s a short guide on the nature of stubborn dogs and what you can do to subdue their loud barking.
How no bark collars work – a quick review
A no bark collar is essentially a device attached to a collar. It is triggered by your dog’s vocal chords which send vibrations upon every bark. When the device senses a bark, it releases a stimulation – a shock, scent, or sound depending on the model your chose. The reliable bark collar models have this device waterproofed, so that getting soaked in rain or sliding into puddles will have not effect on it. You only need to recharge or replace the batteries that power the device, but that won’t be often when you get a good model. The dog is to be expected to bark less and less, until such a time when it has linked the consequence of the stimulation to the barking – presto: no more barking.
Sometimes the stimulation level is not enough to stop the dog
Over time, some dogs get used to or manage to brave through the discomfort of the stimulation. Most static collars have a default setting – they start at the lowest level of stimulation and must be increased to accommodate the dog’s adaptation. This way, even when the collar keeps buzzing your dog at the lowest level, the dog can indeed adapt to it. Some dogs can actually “brave” through the static, soaking in the buzz and barking anyway; an owner must be vigilant. The spray collar type, in comparison, seem to get fewer stories about dog’s ignoring the spray.
How some cleaver and stubborn dogs circumvent the shock
The collar’s device has nodes that must be touching, in contact, with the dog’s throat’s skin for it to sense a bark – or the vibrations from the dog’s vocal chords upon barking. It’s important that the collar doesn’t shake around loose. That’s because the collar will trigger inconsistently – only when it senses the throatal vibrations. From the stand point of training, inconsistency is bad. For this reason various sites and articles mention the importance of keeping the collar snug-fit on the dog’s neck.
The type of stimulation may be a factor
There have been studies comparing how much of a deterrent spray, sound, and static collars offer. The spray and static or shock types are of equal effectiveness, so far; the sound type not so much. The sound type works like this – it releases a tone only a dog’s high range of hearing can detect; the tone is supposed to jar and annoy the dog. You might need to read up and ask around, or try what works for your dog as far as any of these anti bark collar stimulus types are concerned.
