Bark collars were invented to resolve a rather exasperating problem of dogs that bark all the time. If you happened to be in a neighborhood that had two or more of these, life was miserable indeed, because they reinforced each other’s behavior.

Originally, there was one style of bark collar, the static or ‘shock’ collar. Back then, its mechanism wasn’t so advanced and it led to several complications. These versions could not distinguish between more types of barking, and they reacted to all dogs within a certain perimeter, even if the dog wearing it was silent. Some dogs that were not supervised during their first days of wearing the collar ended up with physical or psychological trauma.

technology has advanced within past years, yet the idea that led to the invention of bark collars is the same.

They are not intended to cause pain, but startle the dog, which results in a cessation of the offending behavior. (This also works with other behaviors, so many collars have a manual remote that will allow you to help train the dog to stay off the furniture or not dig in the garden).

Nowadays, bark collars come in three versions – static, sonic and with spray. bark collar with citronella spread a strong citrus scent whenever the dog barks for longer that a certain amount of time. Static collars use high-frequency sounds that only dogs hear. Both of these styles are best used on ‘sensitive’ dogs; those that are high-strung or over-react to physical stimulation (spray collars are not recommended for scent hounds due to the sensitivity of their noses).

People seem to like static collars best, due to their constant innovation. When the collar detects barking of a certain range of frequencies and volume (both audibly and vibrationally) for a preset number of times, it will then be triggered. The system does not react to other dogs’ barking. It features volume and frequency settings that can be adjusted so that the collar does not react to manifestations of fear or stress, These devices can be adjusted manually. In addition, they have an automatic shutdown period if the dog barks for a certain period without cease. This collar can also reset to a lower level if no barking occurs for a certain amount of time. This reduction reinforces the idea that being quiet has benefits.

Anti-bark collars work best when associated with proper dog training. The collar should reinforce the training when the owner is not around; not BE the training. A reward system must be set in motion, so that the dog understands the proper behavior faster.

These devices are most recommended, over their alternatives – giving the dog away to a dog shelter or subjecting it to a stressful debarking surgery that comes with high risks.

Even though the first versions of bark collar weren’t perfect, they have been improved in time. Most types of dog collars can be adjusted manually or digitally. If you want to find out more about different types of bark collar, click here.