Whether you’re in a congested living area, or you’re just trying to break a bad habit a bark collar is probably a good idea. The benefits that can come from a bark collar go far beyond general obedience. Many people enjoy owning a dog, but when they realize that their dog is very vocal they become discourages.
But, with the bark collar you can help your furry friend know when it is, or is not, appropriate to bark. Usually, a bark collar acts as a persistent training device that can help extend your patience. The goal of any bark collar is to train a behavior. That means that eventually, the bark collar will go away.
We’ve gathered all the information you could ever need to find the right bark collar for you and your furry friend.
Purposes and of Bark Collar
A bark collar should only be used to prevent excess barking. Your favorite pet only needs a small correction and should not inflict any harm. The idea is that with minor correction your pet can learn when it is the appropriate time to bark.
Dogs need to give us their full attention during training times. Giving anything their complete attention is difficult for puppies. A bark collar can guilty get the dogs attention without interrupting or derailing the training session.
A bark collar should not make your dog feel unloved. You can still love and appreciate your dog during training. Many people advocate for bark collars so that they can better enjoy their life with their dog. Once your dog completes their training, you can devote more time to playing and socializing with them.
Choosing the Type of Bark Collar
There are a few different types of bark collars, and each has their pros and cos. If you’re looking to achieve something specific you should look at the types of bark collars that cater to your needs.
Automatic or Remote
Automatic devices provide immediate correction. If you notice that your dog barks unnecessarily you might use an automatic device to cut off barking immediately. These collars use automatic functions reliant on a system that reacts when your dog emits sound.
The correction signals can vary from vibrations, a high-pitched noise, or another form of attention-grabbing signal. Many people enjoy these devices because they don’t require you to monitor the dog around the clock. You simply set the controls and let the collar do all the work.
The downside is that there are so many factors that come with electronic dog collars that many people can’t use them to their value. Automatic collars are best when the controls and settings are simple.
You want to be sure that you can completely understand the functions. But, if you would rather stay in control, you should use a remote bark collar.
Bark collars that use remotes are easy to set up and adjust. Preferences and settings are easy, and usually, the remotes only have a few buttons. You can also help your dog know where it is appropriate to bark. For instance, you might not want your dog to bark at the dog park, but at home it is alright.
Shock or Pulse Collars
A chock or pulse collar is the type of bark collar that most people think of when someone mentions a “training collar.” These collars are effective, and most often called a shock collar. They have a bad reputation, but many people don’t realize that cruel shock collars are a thing of the past.
The only thing these collars do is to give off a signal that will distract your dog. The attention trigger will let the dog know that there is no immediate danger. They can then focus on something else.
Vibration Bark Collars
These collars have a lot of variation in strength but are also very effective. The collar will vibrate when it detects a bark, or it picks up vibrations from your dog’s vocal chords. The vibrations are usually about as powerful as your phones vibrate setting.
Keep in mind that a long-haired dog or a dog with a thick undercoat, they may not get any of the vibration effects.
Ultrasonic Collars
Remember dog whistles? These collars work with the same method in mind. The only downside is that the dog might become overwhelmed with sound. If you’re near a noisy street, or in a lot of activity the dog might not pay any attention to the sound at all.
The benefit that many pup owners love with ultrasonic collars is that they are completely harming free. The specific noise has no chance of doing anything other than grabbing your dog’s attention.
Citronella Bark Collars
A favorite among people with small dogs or puppies, the Citronella bark collars give off a spray when the collars pick up an audio trigger. The burst of spray near the dog’s face will distract them from barking.
There are many unscented canister options available. But, a strong smell may be more effective during training. Always try to go with the option that will get your pet’s attention immediately.
Top 5 Bark Collars
1. Pettech Dog Training Shock Collar
- Waterproof
- Uses LCD remote
- 4 modes
- Long-lasting battery
The ultimate dog training collar and very popular, this waterproof collar is great for any level of training. You don’t have to be a dog trainer to work with this equipment. The corrective bark collar works well not only for training against unnecessary barking but also for leash training, sitting, walking and aggression.
- Multiple options for correction
- Waterproof
- 2 different contact points
- Rechargeable
- Too many stimulation levels
- Some static correction levels are too strong for some dogs
If you’re looking for a collar that will work for multiple aspects of your dog’s training, this is probably the collar for you. There are 2 different contact points which help keep your dog alert through the training process. But it’s also waterproof so they can wear the full collar time.
Because the collar works on a remote, they can wear the collar without automatic or immediate correction around the clock. Without a doubt, the best thing about this collar is the rechargeable battery.
Recharge the battery to use through any training session. You can control the amount of stimulation on 100 different levels. Always start with the lowest setting first.
2. Pet Pawsabilities NO SHOCK Humane Bark Collar
- Good for 20-150 pounds
- Only uses sound and vibration corrections
- Multiple sensitivity levels
- Multiple correction levels
A humane option for any dog owner, this bark collar offers multiple levels of sensitivity and corrections. It’s a great option for any dog owner who’s pup weighs more than 20-pounds. You don’t have to worry about your dog getting any pain from this collar.
Pet Pawsabilities holds a close association with local shelters, rescues, and the National Canine Cancer Foundation. About 5% of its proceeds go to the organization to help cure canine cancer.
- Humane vibration option
- Only safe round probes
- 7 levels of correction
- 7 levels of sensitivity
- 13-24 inch neck size
- No rechargeable battery
- Battery dislodges easily
- Can’t get wet
Overall, this is a great product. It’s an outstanding automatic collar that uses a system that delivers a warning first. The warning tone lets the dog know that a vibration connection is coming. The bark collar has multiple sensitivity settings so that you can adjust the levels to your dog.
You won’t put you or your dog into any danger with this collar. It’s high-quality and very effective. This collar does work best for small to medium sized dogs. But you don’t want to use it for more than a few hours a day.
3. Garmin Delta Sports Dog Collar
- Long and short contacts
- Stainless steel insulated contact points
- Good for wet conditions
As a top of the line product, this Garmin collar delivers well. This collar is one of the best collars on the market but happens to be behavior correcting as well. The collar is waterproof, with a rechargeable battery. The collar battery can last for up to 3 months.
- You can use this device with a handheld remote or set up automatic options
- Vibration corrections
- High-quality collar and device
- Multiple correction levels
- The price!!
- A handheld device is necessary and not included
If this collar came in a pack with the handheld control, it would be a great kit. But if you’re paying this much for a corrective collar, then you expect to have all the pieces necessary for it to work.
But, if this collar and its device are well within your price range, it is a top quality product. The device has a battery indicator that shows when it needs recharging and has multiple corrective settings. You can control not only barking but also beneficial training aspects such as walking and leash training.
4. PetSafe Elite Little Dog Spray Bark Control
- Prevents false corrections
- Waterproof
- Fits 8 to 55-pound dogs
The effective alternative to dog bark collars is spray Citronella systems. This collar from PetSafe uses a popular option for citronella spray. The system behind the collar is that it uses the citronella spray when your dog barks excessively. The spray isn’t scented only unpleasant.
The way that it works is that it only sprays when it detects your dog’s bark. It relies on detecting vibration and frequency from your dog’s throat. Then the bark triggers a response from the collar, and the collar emits a spray of the Citronella. The spray is irritating but not harmful. This spray can become part of your dog’s everyday training.
- Unharmful Citronella spray
- Ensures effective correction
- Does not shock or cause pain.
- Great for long-term outdoor use
- The battery isn’t rechargeable
- Requires refills after 30 or 40 sprays
- Some dogs stop responding to the Citronellas spray
If you don’t want to use a shock or vibration bark collar, this option might be your best solution. But, some dogs get used to the Citronella spray. The spray may lose its corrective abilities over time. But, if it’s effective past the first canister, you should stick with it.
The spray doesn’t disperse for false corrections. You have a lot of control over the settings as well. You can easily use this collar for long periods of time, and outdoors. Overall, this is a great solution for anyone who needs to have their dog control their barking at home. They can wear this collar without harm, but with immediate correction.
5. SportDOG No-Bark Collar SBC-10R
- Good for 8-pounds or larger
- Fits neck sizes from 5 to 22-inches
- Only captures and responds to your dog’s bark
Offering a correction for only your dog’s bark, many pet owners love this collar because it doesn’t give false corrections. But, you must be careful because the strength of this collar is not suitable for small dogs. In fact, this collar is best for large or hunting breeds.
When looking for the best bark collar for your dog, you should always consider your dog’s size. If you’re working with a sporting breed, they may have lower attention spans and larger body sizes. These facts add up to one difficult to train a pup.
- Great solution for large dogs
- Safety shut-off feature
- Quickly trains dogs
- Accurate response technology
- Lowest setting may be too powerful for some dogs
- Not great for dogs who are sensitive.
- Price
Overall this is a great option if it’s in your budget. This high-quality bark collar can be the solution you’ve been looking for with a large dog. You are getting slightly less value with the collar strap.
But, the hardware part of the collar is high-quality. The manufacturer states that the collar only reacts when there is an audio and vibration trigger. But, there are some claims that the collar would go off without an audible trigger. If you’re finding that this is the case, you can always contact the manufacturer. They are easy to work with and respond to customer complaints quickly.
Our Top Pick
The winner is the PetTech active collar. The collar comes with everything you need, is easy to set up, and even easier to use. You can always change the settings, and the rechargeable battery makes it a top choice.
This collar will help stop unnecessary barking quickly. But, it is also used in many other training struggles. If you’re trying to leash train or improve walking behaviors, this is collar is a great solution.
The collar has the great feature of being waterproof. That means that your dog can wear the collar around the clock, without risk of shock or damaging the collar. Your dog can run, play, and swim. Let your dog enjoy life without having to take the collar off and on during training constantly.
Bark Collar FAQ
Many pet owners are hesitant to get a bark collar because they have such a bad reputation. The term shock collars can shock most people. Because of this, there are a lot of questions that people are afraid to ask other pet owners.
Do Bark Collars Work for Howling or Whining?
Some collars respond to vibration in your dog’s vocal chords which will acknowledge a whine. But sometimes the dog owners think that these collars are overly sensitive and respond to other vibrations.
The other issue is that whining or howling may provide a stable vibration wave in their vocal chords causing the collar not to respond. The best solution for howling or whining dogs is a collar that responds to audio triggers.
Pet owners might hesitate to get audio trigger collars because they may go off from detecting other dog’s barks, but this is rare. Sound triggered collars are very useful for howling dogs.
Do Bark Collars Hurt the Dogs?
A bark collar should not cause any harm to your pup. The goal of a bark collar is to distract your dog. The collar should quickly divert the dog’s attention to the small shock, vibration, spray, or sound from the collar.
Too often pet owners realize that their dogs are barking at the neighbor’s outdoor animals or cars from the street. If your dog is barking unnecessarily, it may put you in a false sense of security. You may start to ignore your dog’s barks which should notify you that something is wrong.
A bark collar will not hurt your dog if you use the appropriate settings. That being said, some collars cater to small dogs, medium dogs, and large dogs. Always consider your dog’s size when you’re buying a bark collar.
Can I Use Bark Collars on Small Dogs?
There are many options besides a shock collar. Bark collars can help your dog let go of their bad habits. But if you have a small dog, you might worry that the distraction or correction is too much for your pup.
For smaller dogs, a spray or sound response bark collar is best. Citronella spray or a high-pitched sound correction doesn’t pose the risk of intense stimulation that can harm small dogs.