Not all dogs who bark need bark collars or other anti-barking solutions. Before rushing out to purchase an anti-barking item, you first need to find out why your dog is so loud. Most of the times dogs have real reasons to bark. They might be irritated by something, lonely for too long, hungry or thirsty. At times just being confined behind a fence is enough to stir their curiosity and make them want to know exactly what is happening on the other side of it.

Others bark out of habit or because their owners have encouraged their barking with treats and extra attention, instead of penalizing them for the useless noise. Owners think that cuddling the dog when it barks might quiet it down, but instead they only provoke it further.

When I first heard of a bark collar what came to mind was a slightly oversized regular dog collar that “zaps” your beloved canine with an uncomfortable pressure and I was not sure just how much pressure or pain was being inflicted. However, if you take some time to gather information on a bark collar, whatever model you want to choose, you will soon realise that it comes in many models, with various anti-barking mechanisms and none of them is likely to hurt your dog. If you own a dog that barks too much or too loud, you probably consider all anti-barking options you’ve heard about. Whatever collar you choose, it is much better than the alternative – debarking surgeries.

This kind of medical intervention is rather invasive and consists of cutting off a part of the dog’s larynx that is responsible for creating the barking sound. The surgery removes the tissue and following the surgery, dogs are only left with barely just a whisper of a bark. Even though you might be tempted to consider this solution, take a few minutes to think about it. Let’s say your dog got outside of the house and happened to be found in a situation with a bigger dog or pack of dogs or even worse, a coyote or other aggressive animal. How is your dog supposed to alert other people and call for help if it can only be heard from a two-feet distance? Moreover, an anemic bark cannot keep enemies at distance. It doesn’t impress them at all. Moreover, even though the dog undergoes the surgery, there is no guarantee that the barking won’t come back. Sometimes these surgeries do not have long-lastiing effects.

Fortunately for both you and your dog, the anti-bark collar is a more reasonable solution to the barking problem. This one does not zap your pet when he barks but rather releases a gentle light mist of a citronella scented spray right in front of his nose that dogs just don’t like. There are citronella collars that make a “hiss” before spraying. Most dogs get the picture rather quickly and quit the annoying incessant barking. University studies have shown that citrus collars are much more effective than regular shock ones. In the end, you are the one to decide what you prefer. A painful one, like the shock collar, or just an annoying citrus smell.

There are situations where dogs use their barking as a defensive strategy. If you are annoyed by your dog’s constant barking, there are plenty of bark collar varieties you can choose from. Please click this link for emore information on bark collar models.