MissLotus Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hi, I've had a complaint from my neighbor about my dog barking. She's advised that my dog would constantly be barking through out the day. I've asked her how long it's been going on for and she's pretty much said since we've gotten him. I find this very hard to believe, after all why would you wait a year to complain when they have had many opportunity to mention something. There have been several occasions where I have locked him in his area and gone to the back room, and i don't hear a peep. Been out the front of the house and no barking either. I think our dog is constantly barking because they are having renovations done to their house. But then again, I am not home through out the day to see whether this is the case, I can only take her words. I was speaking to a vet nurse and she advise for me to stimulate his environment and if that fails I should try the citronella anti bark collar. Has anyone ever used one and does it work? Does it harm the dogs in anyway? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 try containing him first in the house - dont feed him until you need to go out then leave food in a treat toy so he has to work for it I dont like citronella collars it irritates the mucosal membranes and burns the eyes. What breed do you have? An Innotec static bark collar is much more effective and teaches the dog when barking is OK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonrexcatz Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Hi My first Dachshund loved to bark...I also had a complaint and bought a citronella barking collar. He was pretty shocked the first time it sprayed at him but it was an instant cure. When he saw the collar coming he would stop barking so I didn't really need to use it. My second Dachshund also requires the collar...he is a bit more consistent but we are at the stage where just a peep at the collar stops the barking. For the affects they have had on my dogs and the peace we now have I must say I swear by them. My brother had a barking Kelpie...the collar did not work on her...she just treated it like a toy and tried to play with the spray. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissLotus Posted June 2, 2009 Author Share Posted June 2, 2009 try containing him first in the house - dont feed him until you need to go out then leave food in a treat toy so he has to work for itI dont like citronella collars it irritates the mucosal membranes and burns the eyes. What breed do you have? An Innotec static bark collar is much more effective and teaches the dog when barking is OK I have a Maltese x poodle. What does the innotec static bark collar do? I'm just in the middle of researching type of collars as I don't want to inflict any harm on him. I will try the treat toy, but knowing my dog, he rather lie on his bedding inside then play with his toy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 How old is your puppy? I wouldn't use any correctional collar/tool on a pup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodle proud Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 We used one of the those collars on my childhood dog but it was the aboistop citronella collar. I don't know about the damage it does to mucosal membranes. The people selling it wouldnt warn you about that. He got the shock of his life and didnt bark anymore when it was on. And if he saw it coming he would be quiet. But if the collar wasnt on he would bark away. These days I would be more inclined to get help sorting out the reasons why they are barking as in our experience it is only a solution when it is on the dog and they are quite cumbersome particularly on small dogs. Hope you find a solution Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissLotus Posted June 2, 2009 Author Share Posted June 2, 2009 My dog is about a year and half old. I guess as long as he stops barking throughout the day when we are not at home, then there is no reason's for the neighbors to complain. When we are home, he is fine. Maybe the occasional bark when strangers are on our streets or birds in the trees, but other than that, I haven't picked up on signs that he is a constant barker. Since his been a puppy, I've had him locked up in his area and I've stayed in the backroom for a few hours to see whether his being destructive or he constantly barks when I'm not around, but he was quiet as a mouse...maybe he could smell my scent and realized I'm still around. I've also been outside the house or coming back home during the day/night and I don't hear him barking either... So I find this complaint a bit odd, but then again I cannot ignore her complaint if I want all parties to be happy. What I might do is talk to the other neighbors to see if he is constantly barking and buy one of those collars and have it on him while they are doing their renovations. My main concern is that I don't want to inflict any harm on my dog with these collars. But if he doesn't constantly bark as I think he doesn't then there shouldn't be any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 (edited) spray citronella in your eyes and mouth and see what it feels like There is air, vibration and static. If your dog is young then anti-barks are not something that should be used - like I said try containment first in the house where the dog feels secure and try and find the cause before just going out and purchasing a collar. None of them are cruel - people often think citronella is the 'less cruel' option but if it doesnt stop the dog you come home to a citronella saturated animal and still barking. That is more cruel then one little static pulse but again, depends on the dog and the cause. Stress and fear should not be treated by a collar as they simply mask the barking and the dog moves on to more physical means of expressing their anxiety. Find out WHY he is barking - if they are doing renovations and he is anxious because of the noise then a no bark collar is not something that should be used. If he's barking for the sake of it then he may need one. I would rather he be contained in the house while you are out then straight to the bark collar. They're too readily available these days for my liking, and by that I mean all types. If your dog is hungry and only fed from the treat toy - trust me they use it too many people give the dog breakfast and then wonder why the treat toy is untouched OR they have a fat dog Edited June 2, 2009 by Nekhbet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissLotus Posted June 2, 2009 Author Share Posted June 2, 2009 Don't worry, I'm not going to buy the collars yet, as I'm pretty sure it's because they are doing renovations and the neighbor is exaggerating, so they hope I will do something other than ignore them. When you say containment first in the house, I go to work from 8-6. Is he going to be OK in his area without access to the backyard to do his business? How do I find out WHY he is barking when I'm not home? I know he barks because of birds and people and strange noises, but when I am at home and he has access to the entire house and the backyard, he does not bark without a reason. This next question is going to sound stupid, but can he smell me if I am hiding in the house to see the cause of the barking? I am not keen on using any collars either, but if that is my last choice to make the neighbors happy, then I have no choice if all other options fail. It will be interesting to see what the other neighbors have said about my dog. Sorry about all these questions, but I am trying to be a responsible pet owner. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 give him a litter box for pee/poo during the day - a large shallow container with some paper based cat litter in it and a tissue with some of his urine on it placed in there to attract him. you can set up a web cam/video camera even just a tape recorder on long play to record what the dog is up to. Also speak to the other neighbours to see if he's barking a lot. Yes dogs know where you are by smell and sound. When you're not home its probably a different story :D sneaky buggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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