Anti-bark collars are still widely used as a dog training tool, but do they work?
Barking is something natural, and it is a way of communication that our dogs have. Our responsibility as owners is to educate and understand the differences in our dogs’ barks because they all mean something different.
What is a bark collar?
They are collars that incorporate a small electronic box, which contains a vibration sensor that is activated when it detects the movement of the dog’s vocal cords, or can be controlled via remote control, sending an unpleasant stimulus every time it barks, which can consist of spraying its nose with an aerosol, emitting sounds, vibrations or, in the case of the most forceful versions, electric shocks, which “promise” not to hurt the animal.
Pros and cons
Pros:
With constant use of this collar, the dog will stop barking.
Cons:
- We cannot regulate the intensity with vibration, spray, or electric shock.
- We cause high stress in our dogs, leading to other negative behaviors.
- We can cause health problems.
- We harm the bond with our dogs.
- We will cause our dogs to be antisocial and aggressive with people and other dogs.
- We will harm the communication of our dog towards its congeners and people.
- Our dog will live in constant fear, even after the collar is removed.
- Currently, no records or studies confirm that this type of collar is beneficial for our dogs.
Many people, looking for an easy solution to control their dogs’ barking without taking into account animal welfare and without being aware of the damage that these collars can cause, use them without the correct information. The most advisable thing is to use more natural and appropriate measures to control the well-being of our dogs.
