Bark Collars: How they work, and the best way to use them

The barking situation has gotten out of control. Your dog barks at any living thing that enters his radar. Working at home has become an impossible mission, adding even more stress to your life. Your neighbors are not so happy either. And forget about trying to watch a movie, read a book or even have a simple conversation when your dog is around.

You desperately need a peaceful, stress-free environment for work, for play, and most importantly — for sleep.

It's time for a solution. And no, we don’t mean getting rid of the dog. It’s time for a bark collar.

How Ultrasonic Bark Collars Work

If the idea of shocking your dog makes you uneasy, don't worry, there is a humane solution that will help you train your dog quickly and easily — the BarkWise Complete™ ultrasonic bark collar.

Training with this collar is simple, yet effective. It has a built-in microphone that will automatically detect every time the dog barks. Then it will emit ultrasonic sound and vibrations to distract and correct your dog’s barking without pain.

Even though the ultrasonic sound is inaudible for humans, it's absolutely annoying for the dog and distracts him from the situation that triggered the unwanted barking. It's as simple as that.

Training can take a few weeks to achieve positive results, but many dogs will catch on more quickly. They need time to learn to associate the annoying sound to their barking, but over time they will learn that the sound and vibration stops when they are quiet. Training time depends on the situation, such as when and why the dog is barking. There are some instances where a dog will not respond to ultrasonic sound or vibration training, such as territorial barking or barking and whining due to high anxiety. We recommend talking with a veterinarian in these situations.

Training using ultrasonic sound is perfect for dogs over a year old, but is not recommended for puppies. This is because their hearing is not yet fully developed and the ultrasonic sound could damage their hearing. But even for older dogs, it's never too late to learn good manners.

How and When to Train

The microphone in the collar will do most of the work; as soon as your dog barks the sound and vibration are triggered. However, the collar comes with a remote control, which is great to correct other unwanted behaviors such as destroying furniture or digging holes in your garden. Keep the remote nearby for whenever you think your dog might misbehave.

Dogs are not great at associating cause and effect after much time has passed, which is why it’s important for the correction to happen right when they do the bad behavior. If there is too long of a delay they won’t associate the annoying sound with the barking, and won’t be trained properly.

Training should be reinforced with a verbal command such as “no” or “stop.” In the future, your dog may not need the bark collar, and the simple use of the learned verbal command will discourage his bad behavior.

Consistency is Key

Consistency is a key factor in any training program, even for humans. If you want to get in shape, it's useless to workout a couple of days a week without any discipline or order, or without accompanying the workout with a proper healthier diet. The same consistency is needed to teach your dog not to bark. So, when you start the training, you need to make up your mind to devote the time needed to teach your dog in a consistent way.

During the training, be mindful of your dog and pay attention to his behavior and reactions. Know his triggers so that you can predict when the barking will happen — such as when the UPS driver comes by every afternoon. By being ready to train at the right moment, this will shorten the time it takes your dog to learn better behavior.

Also be careful not to activate the collar too often, as this can create added stress or anxiety which will have a negative effect on the training. Use training time as a bonding experience so that it will be enjoyable for both you and your dog. Understand that training is a team effort and you will bring out the best in your dog who is eager to please.

Relax and Enjoy

After your dog has learned how to behave, you're going to relate with one another on a new level. You won't feel so annoyed and resentful, and you're really going to enjoy the time you spend together. Having a pet will become the experience you always wanted, and your dog will be happier knowing how he is expected to behave in your family’s “pack.”