Citronella Spray Collars

[Rileys mum]

After thinking my dog was well behaved while I'm at work I have discovered today that he barks the minute I drive off.

I really dislike chronic barking dogs and I want my poor neighbours to be able to continue sleeping after I go to work.

Do those citronella spray collars work?? He is good whilst I'm home and will stop barking if I tell him off but unfortunately I can't be there to stop the behaviour while I'm at work. He is 5 months old..... Can I still use such a device safely on a pup?? I know barking is a normal dog behaviour but I'm not happy to put up with him constantly doing it all day.

Cheers guys.

[Nekhbet]

I dont like them. Spray yourself in the face with citronella and see what it's like, bloody terrible and more stressful then a static collar IMO. The innotek ones are pretty weak I dont see why not for a large breed 5mo

[indigirl]

YES! They def work! I have used them for yrs now.

My suggestion though is to buy one thru Ebay from the USA. I can get a waterproof citronella collar delivered to AUS for around $75. The same collar here costs double that. Sometimes customs will remove the spray though as its an aerosdol can, but thats easily purchased here.

This is the type of collar that I use on my dogs http://www.barkcontrol.com.au/buy/innotek-...-pbc00-11282/11

They do die and need replacing though. They last around 12 - 18 months if used daily. Mine wear theirs when im at work, so for around 35hrs each week.

[huski]

I dont like them. Spray yourself in the face with citronella and see what it's like, bloody terrible and more stressful then a static collar IMO. The innotek ones are pretty weak I dont see why not for a large breed 5mo

I agree and I also worry that the aversive (the smell of citronella) will stay on the dogs coat for some time thus not delivering an effective correction and punishing the dog long after they have barked.

[Nekhbet]

plus the sensation of citronella in the mouth and if it gets in the eyes ... ouch!

[Shaar]

Yep, they do work.

Mums dog was terrible for barking at nothing in the backyard, 3 days of having the collar on and the barking stopped completely.

Now all she has to do to remind him is pick the collar up off the table and pretend to go put it on him and he runs.

[huski]

Yep, they do work.

Mums dog was terrible for barking at nothing in the backyard, 3 days of having the collar on and the barking stopped completely.

Now all she has to do to remind him is pick the collar up off the table and pretend to go put it on him and he runs.

I would actually want to avoid that if I was using any kind of corrective collar on my dogs especially anti-bark collars - you don't want the dog to become collar smart because if they are clever they will work out they can bark when it's not on. You also don't want the dog to be scared of the actual collar.

[Aidan]

Worth reading from Stephen Lindsay:

http://tinyurl.com/msvxf5

I have to wonder why they insist on using citronella, probably because the market perceives it (falsely) to be more effective than just plain water or air.

[indigirl]

They use Lemon spray now instead of citronella. Well the ones I buy do.

I understand why some ppl are agaisnt them but when you have dogs that need to be nearly silent to stop the neighbours shouting threats and throwing rocks at them, believe me you will look at methods such as a spray collar to keep your dogs quiet. I work fulltime so its impossible for me to be home to make sure they are quiet during the week.

I agree spray colalrs dont teach the dog to stop barking, they teach the dog to not bark whilst wearing the collar. I am finding that my golden who is the biggest barker is becoming desentitised to the spray collar, so may have to switch to a impulse one though i really dont want to. I have an impulse collar I can use if necessary but Im not keen on them. I worry they will hurt her i guess.

[Erny]

I have to wonder why they insist on using citronella, probably because the market perceives it (falsely) to be more effective than just plain water or air.

As do I, Aidan.

On top of everything else written here about them, there are also those known dogs who have died due to a severe reaction from the citronella. Citronella is toxic to dogs - just most dogs don't react to it.

I think the static anti-barks are the better ones as well, although my preference is for the Dogtra styles where you set the level of the stim to suit the dog. I'm not a huge fan of the ones that ramp up according to whether the dog has stopped barking or not.

If I were to use a spray collar though, I'd go for the compressed cold air style/lemon scented. These, I find, aren't as effective as the static collars though. They seem to work in the short term, but that's mainly because of the startle effect which can easily wear off after a while and the dog thinks "oh .... THAT's all that happens" and finds barking enjoyable enough to warrant continuing.

Edited May 19, 2010 by Erny

[huski]

Indigirl I understand why people require bark collars but like others I would personally prefer to use a static collar.

There are methods you can utilize to help stop the dogs from becoming collar smart too

[indigirl]

You dont find the static collars hurt the dog??

[Jake-K9]

As usual Erny has hit the nail on the head

If you're going to use an anti-bark collar an electronic one is far better - but make sure you get one that is activated by VIBRATION or BOTH vibration AND sound before it'll go off!

I've had some rather nasty experiences with sound-activated bark collars on dogs in a kennel environment (and unfortunately, they were Dogtra's) with collars being set off by a dog other than the wearer barking, or malfunctioning and zapping the shit out of the poor dog wearing it - resulting in me getting bitten multiple times whilst removing the collar >_< If it'd happened to any other dog in the kennel at the time I probably would have lost a limb or part of my face instead of getting away with a few small punctures in my arms and legs and a torn shirt...

I know your dog is probably on his own in the yard away from other noisy things, but I still wouldn't chance it...

If you have such an aversion to static collars that you refuse to use one, go with a cold-air spray or something OTHER than citronella, it really is horrid stuff :/

[Meea]

I have used them with great sucess over the years and have not had a problem. When I get a puppy it wears it as soon as I leave it and any barking stops quickly so they don't get a lot of spraying. Older dogs who are habituated to barking take longer. I have a sonic collar too because some dogs just bark through the spray collar while others ignore the sonic tone.

I just use which ever has the best effect. My current problem is a dog I took on 12 months ago with SA. Ignores the sonic and will yowl through the spray if he really needs to but has gone from constant yowling to only when he hears me coming home very quickly.

If you want to buy a spray collar they will sell direct from the manufacturer, along with refills and batteries. Much cheaper than retail! Aboistop are in Vic somewhere - something crossing??

breeds: deerhound, ACDX, greyhound, deerhound X something and spaniel (the spaniel was the toughest!!)

Meea

edited for: spellunk

Edited May 19, 2010 by Meea

[Jake-K9]

You dont find the static collars hurt the dog??

Have you ever held an e-collar and stimmed yourself? Yeah, once you ramp the thing right up it can hurt a bit, but most dogs don't need anywhere near the top level of correction to have it be effective.

The idea is to set the collar to a level that is sufficiently uncomfortable to the dog that it chooses not to continue with the barking (a lot of the time you would not even be able to tell the dog was getting stimmed unless you were watching very closely), but not high enough that the poor thing screams and yelps and leaps in the air every time it cops a zap...

[casowner]

Some states do not allow the use of static's (SA), some now have lavender- you know to correct and then calm the dog

[Nekhbet]

the static is not like an electric fence it's like a muscle stimulator. I have tried it on myself, like I said the innotek ones have multiple levels and the lower ones do not hurt

[Erny]

Some states do not allow the use of static's (SA), some now have lavender- you know to correct and then calm the dog

LOL .... and when the dog wants to be able to waft away on the sweet cloud of hazy lazy dreamy days, it only needs to bark to get another 'fix'.

[Erny]

You dont find the static collars hurt the dog??

Hurt? No.

Find it aversive (not a pleasant feeling)? Yes.

And the split second the dog has stopped the bark, no more aversion/sensation.

Unlike citronella, the smell of which remains on its coat and the dog has to endure that even though it is no longer exhibiting unwanted behaviour.

[Erny]

I've had some rather nasty experiences with sound-activated bark collars on dogs in a kennel environment (and unfortunately, they were Dogtra's) with collars being set off by a dog other than the wearer barking...

Wow .... how long ago was that, Jake-K9? I didn't even think they sold those style collars any more.

But I agree, you want to get one that activates on the vibration of the bark, not the sound of the bark. And the static setting you put it on needs to be just the level where it is sufficient enough to be perceived as sufficient for your dog to not want to bark. No more and no less.