No Bark Collars

 Here is my article on No Bark Collars.

I try and inform everyone who asks about “No Bark Collars” that although the No Bark collar will stop the barking.....  Unless the dog’s physical and mental needs have been met- the dog will often find other ways to express themselves such as digging, inappropriate chewing, and sometimes even self mutilation, or redirecting on the handler.

A No Bark collar is different then a low level remote electronic collar . The No Bark collar automatically corrects the dog, where the low level remote electronic collars are operated entirely by the handler.  I’ve read that some  electronic collars do have an additional feature of automatic No Bark included in them, tho I’ve never used that style.

Here are some suggestions that will help dog owners and their dogs better understand the No Bark collars, and make conditioning to them easier. ❤️🐺❤️

Train a verbal QUIET command.  This will help the dog understand what it is doing wrong.
- first distract the barking dog with a pet corrector/pet convincer ( can of compressed air) , pennies in a soda can, air horn, Doggie Don’t Device ( audible), or bang on a metal pot.
- say QUIET at the same time. The instant the dog stops barking calmly say GOOD QUIET, and immediately reward with a piece of their food.  Proof often for best results.
I use  the dogs daily meals as rewards, hand fed, which gives the human “value “ to the dog- instead of giving the dog bowl “value” to them.  Hand feeding also lessons the chance of resource guarding, as there is no food bowl to resource guard .

Train PLACE command so when the dog barks he can be told to go to a specific object ( dog cot, mat) lie down, and be quiet. This helps the dog learn impulse control. I have a detailed article on training the PLACE command, which I can post here if you are interested.❤️🐺❤️
I allow my dogs one “alert” bark,  tell them QUIET ( and sometimes PLACE as well) then I immediately get up and see what they are barking about ( this is very important, because the dog now understands that YOU are taking control of the situation) I then tell them GOOD QUIET .  Often putting the dog on a short leash will help as well. If you have several dogs, train one at a time, then bring in the second dog, then the third,etc.

I recommend buying a QUALITY brand no bark collar, as the cheaper versions can be unreliable, and will often go off when another dog barks, the dog bumps into something, or often for no reason at all.  Correcting the dog when he IS being quiet is counter productive, and can cause long term severe anxiety issues in the dog.

Citronella spray no bark collars seem to us humans to be the kindest and most humane.  Unfortunately, even the most expensive types of these collars tend to be extremely unpredictable - often going off for no reason at all, and the smell lingers long afterwards. To a dog whose sense of smell can be up to 100,000 times greater than ours, this results in the dog feeling like it is being  corrected long after the bark has stopped.

Vibration no bark collars- again these seem to us humans to be a kinder, more humane method of quieting a barking dog.  Vibration sensation to a dog is actually much more aversive (upsetting) to many dogs, as it is unfamiliar to them in their natural environment.

Static shock (stimulation)collars on low levels are much LESS frightening to dogs, as a static shock happens naturally-  like when we scuff our stocking feet across a carpet then touch someone.  Both No Bark collars listed below are static shock( stimulation),and the same technology as a TENS unit people use for muscle pain.

The two no bark collars I use and recommend are:
Garmin BarkLimiter Deluxe, Made in Taiwan.
E- collar Technologies Barkless Pro (BP- 504) Made in the U.S.A.
Both no bark collars listed are very reliable, easy to set up, have several different level settings, are fully waterproof , and have full warranties .  Both are rechargeable units.
There are several different contact points available for the E- collar Technologies model, including a titanium version ( for dogs with metal allergies ) and different size points for longer coated dogs.

No Bark collars should not be left on more than ten (10) hours a day, and check often for pressure sores on the dog as well- adjust collar as needed. I use Chicago screws to add a silicon O ring into the collar strap, which gives a better fit and is a bit more comfortable for the dog. For the first day just leave on for a maximum of 2 to 3 hours, so the collar can be adjusted for fit and sensitivity as needed. 
The manufacturers advise ALWAYS supervising the dog while the No Bark collar is on the dog.  Dogs can get the collar caught on an object, and potentially hang themselves.
I recommend using extreme caution when leaving ANY collar on a dog unattended.

Ideally the unit should fit right over the dogs windpipe, but may be more comfortable for the dog if placed on either side of his windpipe. The collar straps must allow the unit to make contact with the dogs skin, the strap should be fairly tight to fit properly ( should NOT be able to easily move the unit around the dogs neck when properly fitted. )Brushing /trimming an area of fur for the contact points may be needed for some dogs. 
I make sure I can fit two of my fingers under the contact points while the dog is wearing the snug collar and is still comfortable. Always start with the lowest setting on the No Bark collar, and work up from there. It is common for the levels to need to be changed a bit at first, once the dog fully understands the No Bark collar the levels will remain more consistent, and generally just need to be be set on one.

The way I start with a No Bark collar is first I train a verbal QUIET command, then I properly condition the dog to a quality  low level remote electronic collar ( Mini Educator) so he understands when he feels the stimulation on his neck he is to look to the handler for information.  Once the dog fully understands the verbal QUIET command I can now use the low level  e collar as a consequence for breaking command. The dog determines the level the e collar is used at. Proofed often so the dog learns that nuisance barking is not acceptable.   Now I start using the No Bark collar. I find the dog understands the No Bark collar much quicker and easier this way.

More dog training and care articles are available at my site below, which is open to the public and free of charge.  ❤️🐺❤️

https://www.facebook.com/AllBasicsDogTrainingKimChappell/