Bark collars (Rescue dog barking when alone - do anti-bark collars work?)

hi we have a rescue M he is supposed to have irish setter in him but hes not very tall. ANy way he is really good and appreciates us for most things, He barks when were not there and the neghbours are saying can we keep him quiet.
He was a bit noisy when we got hinm but we seem to have had that under control pretty fast, thing is i dont know how we did it. Someone said we can get spray collar that spurts air or citrus and that might stop it when wer out. I just wondre4d if anyone here has used one and do they work? any help would be gratefull thanks.

Have you tried getting him a kong for when you go out?

I agree ,a stuffed kong can be a godsend

The main thing is to find out why he is barking - for example is he is anxious, and you stop him barking by use of anti bark spray collars, first of all it's not kind and secondly, it is possible his behaviour may transfer into others that are just as unwanted - even down to things like being destructive and self harming.

How long have you had him? he may still be very unsure of things...

agree with whats already been posted, a bark collar would be cruel if he's barking because he's upset that you're out, he may also learn to bark through it and it would then be ineffective. The thing to do is train him to enjoy you being out and give him coping mechanisms...like a stuffed kong. I throw some of my dogs' food for the day on the floor when I leave, so they're occupied (and full!!!)
Hope this helps!
Ax

I'd suggest that you try all the other suggestions you receive. One of them may work for you. The peanut butter stuffed Kong is a good one. Some dogs respond just by having some OB training put on them and they stop barking. If they don't work then consider the suggestion made towards the end of this post.

Many people will try and guess at the reason for the barking. Sometimes they're right and sometimes they're wrong. If their treatment is based on a wrong guess, it's likely that it won't work.

Sometimes dogs bark because they're guarding their territory. Sometimes it's because they're bored. Sometimes it's because they want to be with their pack. No matter what the reason the barking it's almost always a self rewarding behavior that's unlikely to stop all by itself. The dog barks and guess what happens? You came home from work. All the dog knows is that he "made you come home by barking." The dog that he was chasing off by barking, eventually wanders off. The dog thinks that he drove it off by barking at it. The dog is bored, so he barks. Sometimes that bark is answered by another dog in the neighborhood. Sometimes a neighbor yells at him. Either way, he's entertained for a moment.

The collars that you suggest that emit a spray of air or citrus (it's citronella) work sometimes, probably about 50%, if that much. Many dogs bark until the collars run out of air or citronella and then they keep on barking. The citronella punishes the dog (that is, if they even find it aversive) long after the barking has stopped. It can also cause problems because it's an irritant.

I don't know how cruel or unkind it is to make a dog stop barking just because he misses you, and I doubt that your neighbors care. In some parts of the world the police can be contacted and the dog removed from you so I think it's important to stop the barking rather quickly.

The quickest way to do that is with what's commonly called a "bark collar." It emits an adjustable electronic stimulation to the dog when he barks. Most dogs stop barking in 3-4 barks and they don't bark again as long as the collar is on. If you decide to go this way, avoid a cheap off-brand model. Stick to either of the two major brands, Dogtra or TriTronics. And don't use one that a friend has had sitting around for years. The newest ones work best.

I've never seen any "transfers" to anything and I think that's an anti-Ecollar myth. Such transfers may occur with high stim use of an Ecollar but when used properly that doesn't happen with a bark collar. Bark collars take no experience to use as long as one can follow simple instructions provided with them.

Just to be clear here for you Penn, Lou is suggesting you use an ecollar, formally known as electric shock collar to stop your dog barking. If you are considering this please check the article in the news section about the APDT ( Association of Pet Dog Trainers) voicing their desire to ban these training devices...along with the Kennel club, Dogs Trust and a variety of other leading dog welfare organisations. Ultimately Penn the choice is yours, there's a long debate about the use of shock collars in the discussion thread...read through it ( I dare you it's very long winded and may cure insomnia!!!!!!!!!) If you are happy to leave your already anxious dog being shocked when it barks, that's your choice, I personnally, wouldn't advise it.
Lou, I'm sooooooo not getting involved in this again, the choice is Penn's.

Personally I wouldn't waste your money on a electric shock collar, they are going to be banned soon: http://www.dogweb.co.uk/dog-news.php?t=37868

Try to keep the dog occupied when it is left alone, lots of kongs and other treats did the trick for my dog! You can even hide one or two and let the dog find them

Penn, the other suggestions here will take a little time but will not hurt your dog. I am sure your neighbours will be understanding if you explain the training and work that you are doing with him, could you also get them involved and ask them to pop in with a stuffed kong to leave for him when you are out?????????

Well, actually there are a couple of differences between an Ecollar and a bark collar. Most importantly is that the "timing" so often stated as critical (it's not but I'll ignore that criticism for now) is perfect. A few milliseconds after the dog barks he gets a stim. It happens automatically whether you're present or not. The dog associates his barking with the discomfort of the stim; realizes that the first brings the second, and stops.

Of course it is and I understand perfectly if she's not thrilled at the thought of using one. That's why I suggest that it only be considered after all other methods have been tried and failed. If one of them works, that's great.

Actually the ban probably won't go through. Your legislators aren't being convinced by the people who want to ban them. They're waiting for actual studies, not just opinions.

How long Penn has to wait may affect her decision. If the neighbors are already threatening to call the police, or if they already have, there may not be sufficient time for other forms of training to take effect. Hopefully they'll work. But if the only other choice is to take the dog to the pound . . .

We're talking about a few seconds of discomfort v. possibly being put to sleep.

I hope they'll understand too.

I'm not sure why you feel it is an anti e collar myth - I was not talking about electric collars, but spray collars. I have seen one dog start to bite himself after he was stopped from barking, he had separation anxiety. Another did trash the house, he had actually been frightened of the answermachine and barked for help, and when made to stop, trashed the house in fear instead.