Tiny Dog Anti-bark Collar

[Papi_Searcher]

Please don't flame me…

I have a bit of barky problem with my Papillion, he likes to bark at the postie, people walking down the street, cats in the street, garbage man et al.

Which is normally fine and I correct him when I am at home but I think (know) that he barks a lot while I am at work – and he is in the yard.

Our neighbours are not playing nice, and I want to prevent the council being involved.

The options are to stop him by locking him in the house all day – not nice… or…

I have decided to buy a collar for the little man – so does any one know whats the best one for my 3.5 kg dynamo?

THANKS!

Edited July 27, 2009 by Papi_Searcher

[Aidan]

How many hours of the day are you gone? If it's not much more than 8 hours, then keeping him in the house would be your most effective and fool-proof option and I'm sure he won't have a problem with it (better than stressing about who is trying to invade his territory all day). It would certainly have to be weighed up against a collar, which truthfully, most dogs will habituate to fairly quickly.

If you decide to use a collar any reputable dealer should be able to provide you with the right sized collar. Some research has indicated that citronella spray collars are more effective than electric shock collars. Even scentless spray collars are effective. Intermittent use of the collar reduces the amount of habituation, but some habituation will always occur:

http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/...cNo=20013111307

[Cosmolo]

Intermittent use is NOT something i would recommend with any kind of no bark collar. In my experience static collars- when used correctly on dogs who have been assessed and where a bark collar is necesary- are more effective than any other collar. Have a look at www.innotek.com.au

Why do you feel him being in the house would be a poor option?

[Aidan]

Intermittent use is NOT something i would recommend with any kind of no bark collar.

The problem with any anti-bark collar is habituation, which will happen to various degrees. Intermittent schedules will reduce this habituation, as was demonstrated in the experiment I referred to above. It may seem counter-intuitive, but that was the outcome.

There have been many experiments that looked at the efficacy of shock collars over citronella collars. Citronella collars are the clear winners as far as effectiveness in reducing barking. As with anything, this is not "always" the case with every dog, but certainly across a broad population of dogs citronella collars are more likely to be effective. Again, this may seem counter-intuitive, but those are the facts.

[huski]

There have been many experiments that looked at the efficacy of shock collars over citronella collars. Citronella collars are the clear winners as far as effectiveness in reducing barking. As with anything, this is not "always" the case with every dog, but certainly across a broad population of dogs citronella collars are more likely to be effective. Again, this may seem counter-intuitive, but those are the facts.

Really? Everything I've actually read and learnt has said the opposite, that citronella collars have a much lower success rate than e-collars, for several reasons including that the citronella smell used as the 'punishment' can stick on the dogs coat thus 'punishing' the dog long after the thing they were corrected for (barking) occurred.

[Aidan]

There have been many experiments that looked at the efficacy of shock collars over citronella collars. Citronella collars are the clear winners as far as effectiveness in reducing barking. As with anything, this is not "always" the case with every dog, but certainly across a broad population of dogs citronella collars are more likely to be effective. Again, this may seem counter-intuitive, but those are the facts.

Really? Everything I've actually read and learnt has said the opposite, that citronella collars have a much lower success rate than e-collars, for several reasons including that the citronella smell used as the 'punishment' can stick on the dogs coat thus 'punishing' the dog long after the thing they were corrected for (barking) occurred.

I've never seen a study that claimed that electronic collars were more effective. However, all studies I have seen are small scale. The weight of evidence so far is in favour of citronella so that is what I would generally recommend. You are free to choose though. Studies have not shown electronic collars to cause more stress over time than citronella collars, so I wouldn't rule them out on those grounds.

Steven R Lindsay has an interesting discussion of some of the factors and the science in his book "Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training" which, conveniently, can be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/msvxf5

Lindsay also discussed the intermittent use and habituation issue, for those who are interested.

In any case, for the OP, keeping your dog indoors will give much better results, with less stress, no cost, and habituation will not be a problem at all.

[Meea]

I have had success with the sonic one with small high pitched barkers (doesn't seem as effected on the deep woof woof). I have a neighbour with several scruffers which shriek and as she is as deaf as she does nothing about it.

I put one of the sonic units on the front window sill (between the window and security grill) she hasn't seen it but her dogs hardly make any noise around the front of the houses.

Might be an option for you as you can turn it off when you are home if you wish and your dog doesn't have to wear it. There is a collar version which is cheaper but I think they need to be a firm fitting to be effective and this might not be the best for an all day wear.

I have large dogs and use citronella collars when I first get them. Usually only takes a few goes to sort things out but I have seen other committed barkers use an entire container and not draw breath! The units would be too heavy for yr littlie.

Meea

[Cosmolo]

Lindsay does say though that the vailidity of the study is questionable. And there were only 9 dogs?

I have spoken to a manufacturer of both types of collars who said the opposite with regards to effectiveness- i'll see if i can find some links.

[Aidan]

Lindsay does say though that the vailidity of the study is questionable. And there were only 9 dogs?

I have spoken to a manufacturer of both types of collars who said the opposite with regards to effectiveness- i'll see if i can find some links.

I would be interested in that, always open to more information.

Yes, just 9 dogs. The other study I have here (somewhere) used a similar number of dogs and did not come up with a statistically significant difference between either type of collar. There is another study that is in favour of citronella, but I can't find it, I don't know how many dogs were in that study.

There have been other studies which just assess the efficacy of citronella collars, there's no denying their efficacy. There is less information about electronic shock collars for barking.

One big problem with any of these studies is the advances (or declines in the case of many of the cheap collars flooding the market) in the technology. If the collar does not activate correctly or if the timing is off, they are just basically a non-contingent aversive. I heard one ultra-sonic collar (yes, I hear ultrasonics) that would beep about half a second too late, and then beep for no reason at all at other times. Unsurprisingly, it had no effect on the dog in question at all.

In any case, the study that shows citronella collars to be twice as effective as shock collars came out around 1995. If either collar hasn't improved since then I would be very surprised.

[Cosmolo]

Thats very true Aidan. I would love to see more funded research done with all types of 'up to date' equipment.

[indigirl]

I have IG's and i have one tiny dog citronella collar and one static shock one (which has yet to be used). Whichever way you decide to go i suggest you buy the collar through ebay USA. They cost way less then what they cost here, even taking postage intom account. I pay about $130 AUD inc postage for a innotek waterproof barkcollar from the USA, the same collar retials here for $192. I buy the batteries in bulk also thru ebay from Hong Kong - i get 30 for around $66 delivered instead of paying $8 a battery here. Likewise the citronella refills are $40 from ebay aus, for a large can which equals i think 4 regular cans. I own about 7 or 8 barking collars all up and I have saved a fortune by buying them from the USA. Cant remember who made the tiny dog citronella one, but its got a green collar on it and its tiny weeny. Pretty sure its also waterproof. Just checked and its the Iki collar that i have. The static one for tiny dogs that I have is the petsafe nano deluxe little dog bark collar.

ETA: With my large dogs I found all but one responded well to the citronella collars. The dog that didnt repsond well I ended up usign a static collar on her for a while, then switched back to the citronella collar and found that it was then effective. I only consider using the static collars if the citronella ones dont work. I havent used my nano collar yet as the IG responds to the citronella one. I also only have to use them sometimes, on days when they are in a barky mood. They arent used everyday. I find garbage day is always a bad day for example. I tried those sonic collars - they were all useless. I would guess that the vast majority of dogs would respond to the citronella collar, thats been my experience anyways.

Edited July 27, 2009 by indigirl

[Erny]

I only consider using the static collars if the citronella ones dont work.

How come? If you have a good quality static anti-bark that you can adjust to the precise level that it is effective at (no less, no more), the aversive the dog receives comes and go in an instant with precise timing to discourage the bark.

With collars such as the citronella - which is an oil based scent, the smell of the citronella (which is widely known to be an aversive to dogs) remains around and on the dog beyond the bark.

Not to mention that it is also known that some dogs have had bad reactions to citronella (which is a toxic) and that those reactions have been so bad that death has been known to occur.

I've used 'spray' anti-barks before but will considerably reduced success by comparison to static-antibarks.

[Erny]

There have been many experiments that looked at the efficacy of shock collars over citronella collars.

Are you able to provide links to at least a number of these experiments please? I'd be interested in reading them.

Citronella collars are the clear winners as far as effectiveness in reducing barking. As with anything, this is not "always" the case with every dog, but certainly across a broad population of dogs citronella collars are more likely to be effective. Again, this may seem counter-intuitive, but those are the facts.

That's interesting as it has not been my experience. True - the numbers that I have worked with would not even cause a burp on the richter scale, but I know that K9 Force has used both the spray anti-barks and also the static antibarks and the latter have proven the more successful. In fact, I think I quote correctly by saying that from his experience and studies on the use of the static anti-barks, success rate is around 95%. I'd definitely be interested in reading what "the facts" you refer to have been based on.

Edited July 27, 2009 by Erny

[Aidan]

Are you able to provide links to at least a number of these experiments please? I'd be interested in reading them.

Certainly, did you see the link to Lindsay that I gave earlier? That gives a limited but unbiased review of some of the literature out there.

This is the study that everyone seems to cite:

http://westwoodanimalhospital.com/BhvArticles/bark_study.htm

Another showing equal efficacy (also looked at stress):

http://www.tuskegee.edu/global/Story.asp?s=1848281

This one looks at the effectiveness of citronella collars, how long the effects last post-treatment, and habituation:

http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/...cNo=20013111307 (sorry, don't have a complete text but it discussed in Lindsay)

This one has some good numbers and is well designed, using a controlled environment and does not rely on owner reports:

http://www.jaaha.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/4/343

[Steve K9Pro]

K9: I haven't had time to look at the studies, but, in our own tests cold spray collars return around 70% success rate in the long term. Static pulse about 99% successful.

Also keep in mind that Citronella is a poison, so even if it did work, it should not be used on an animal. I have witnessed some severe skin reactions to citronella.

The Material Safety Data Sheet on Citronella.

SECTION VI - HEALTH HAZARD DATA

PRIMARY ROUTES OF ENTRY: PRODUCT CAN ENTER VIA INHALATION, INGESTION, OR SKIN CONTACT.

EFFECTS OF ACUTE OVEREXPOSURE

EYES - MAY CAUSE IRRITATION

SKIN - PROLONGED CONTACT MAY CAUSE DERMATITIS

BREATHING- VAPORS MAY IRRITATE

SWALLOWING- MAY CAUSE STOMACH IRRITATION

HEALTH HAZARDS - LIQUID MAY IRRITATE SKIN AND EYES

EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID PROCEDURES

IF ON SKIN - WASH WITH SOAP AND WATER

IF IN EYES - FLUSH WITH WATER, LIFTING UPPER AND LOWER LIDS OCCASIONALLY.

IF SWALLOWED - RINSE MOUTH WITH WATER; SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE

IF INHALED - REMOVE TO FRESH AIR

[Aidan]

Citronella is a repellent. It has very low toxicity and is 'GRAS' (generally regarded as safe).

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticide...heet_021901.htm

It can irritate skin, and certainly some individuals are predisposed to having a reaction to it. I also have concerns about cheap oils, particularly where pets are concerned because manufacturers (particularly in some parts of the world) seem to not care about the welfare of our pets. Citronella may not be the problem. Stick with reputable manufacturers.

[Steve K9Pro]

Citronella is a repellent. It has very low toxicity and is 'GRAS' (generally regarded as safe).

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticide...heet_021901.htm

It can irritate skin, and certainly some individuals are predisposed to having a reaction to it. I also have concerns about cheap oils, particularly where pets are concerned because manufacturers (particularly in some parts of the world) seem to not care about the welfare of our pets. Citronella may not be the problem. Stick with reputable manufacturers.

K9: It isn't safe when it causes skin irritation, the reactions I have personally viewed were not worth the risk.

[lucylotto]

:D

I have IG's and i have one tiny dog citronella collar and one static shock one (which has yet to be used). Whichever way you decide to go i suggest you buy the collar through ebay USA. They cost way less then what they cost here, even taking postage intom account. I pay about $130 AUD inc postage for a innotek waterproof barkcollar from the USA, the same collar retials here for $192. I buy the batteries in bulk also thru ebay from Hong Kong - i get 30 for around $66 delivered instead of paying $8 a battery here. Likewise the citronella refills are $40 from ebay aus, for a large can which equals i think 4 regular cans. I own about 7 or 8 barking collars all up and I have saved a fortune by buying them from the USA. Cant remember who made the tiny dog citronella one, but its got a green collar on it and its tiny weeny. Pretty sure its also waterproof. Just checked and its the Iki collar that i have. The static one for tiny dogs that I have is the petsafe nano deluxe little dog bark collar.

ETA: With my large dogs I found all but one responded well to the citronella collars. The dog that didnt repsond well I ended up usign a static collar on her for a while, then switched back to the citronella collar and found that it was then effective. I only consider using the static collars if the citronella ones dont work. I havent used my nano collar yet as the IG responds to the citronella one. I also only have to use them sometimes, on days when they are in a barky mood. They arent used everyday. I find garbage day is always a bad day for example. I tried those sonic collars - they were all useless. I would guess that the vast majority of dogs would respond to the citronella collar, thats been my experience anyways.

Thanks Indi girl. I am interested in these too as my parents have a chi who as he is aging has started to bark at the slightest provocation and they (80 yr old) are about to move into a unit dwelling. He lives on the bed all day so antibarking collar will be our first step. ta.

[Erny]

I am interested in these too as my parents have a chi who as he is aging has started to bark at the slightest provocation and they (80 yr old) are about to move into a unit dwelling. He lives on the bed all day so antibarking collar will be our first step. ta.

Oh dear :D. Has he been for a Vet check? I would do that first and would think hard and fast before I'd consider applying aversives on a dog that has begun the behaviour due to old age. This could be a hearing impairment or it could be onset dementia.

Please have him medically checked over and then consult a trainer/behaviourist before you begin (if you begin at all) using ANY aversives for his barking.

Edited July 29, 2009 by Erny

[Aidan]

I am interested in these too as my parents have a chi who as he is aging has started to bark at the slightest provocation and they (80 yr old) are about to move into a unit dwelling. He lives on the bed all day so antibarking collar will be our first step. ta.

Oh dear . Has he been for a Vet check? I would do that first and would think hard and fast before I'd consider applying aversives on a dog that has begun the behaviour due to old age.

Agreed. An anti-bark collar would never be my first step anyway, but especially not for an ageing dog who previously was not a nuisance barker.