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If the anti bark collar you bought for your barking mad dog didn’t work, it’s possible yours is a very stubborn dog. A relentlessly barking dog need not be a very large one, as some are quite small but are annoying just the same. 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 has a small device attached to it. It is triggered by your dog’s vocal chords which send vibrations upon every bark. The activation means a stimulation is released - this can be a low volt shock, a harmless but scented spray, or an ultrasonic sound. Many bark collars, the good models, have this device waterproofed, so that it works despite rowdy play in the rain or getting soaked in puddles. Their batteries only need to be recharged, and not changed as with a kid’s toy. Ideally, over time the dog hates the stimulation enough to stop 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. Many static collars start at the lowest level and rely on the owner to set the stimulation level higher. So even if that static collar keeps shocking, the dog may have gotten used to it enough to ignore it. Some dogs can actually “brave” through the static, soaking in the buzz and barking anyway; an owner must be vigilant. With a spray collar, there seem to be fewer reports of dog’s getting used to Citronella sprays enough to ignore them.

How some dogs get “around” the stimulation deterrent

The collar’s nodes must be in contact with the dog’s throat’s skin, for the collar to sense the vibrations from the vocal chords - the signal for barking. It’s important that the collar doesn’t shake around loose. If the nodes can’t always sense the vibrations, that means your dog can still bark - or if the touch points are interrupted (as when the collar is momentarily loose), then the same happens - inconsistent triggers or activation. 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 types release an ultrasonic sound only dogs can hear and aim to momentarily overwhelmed a dog’s sensitive hearing. When choosing anti bark collar, you may have to do some asking around and research to see what may work for your dog.

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