Dogs bark for many different reasons. They do this as a warning to other animals, to sound an alarm, when they want to play, when they want to join in an exciting moment, and many other reasons. However, there are times wherein they do it just for the sake of doing it. If you have experienced many moments bark like these, you have tried everything you can to stop your beloved pet from barking, all to no avail, you may be wondering if there is anything else you can do. Fortunately, there is. You can do this by using a citronella bark collar.
Before you purchase just any product in this category though, it is important for you to first learn more about what it is, what it does, how it works, as well as its safety and effectiveness. In this review, you will find out the answers to these questions as well as the top brands that you should look out for and consider getting for your canine pal.
What Does This Type of Collar Do?
Basically, a citronella bark collar will squirt or spray a mist of citronella solution at the nose of the dog every time that a bark is emitted. These citronella collars provide a sort of mild intervention, something that will unlikely create fearfulness in the animal, but will still prevent it from barking. This intervention or prevention is caused not only by the smell emitted by the spray, but also because of the wet sensation it will feel once the citronella hits its nose.
How Does It Work?
There are basically four senses in your dog that a citronella bark collar will have an effect on. First off, the auditory senses. The dog, upon barking, will first hear the spray’s sound. Next is sight. When the spray goes off, the dog will see the spray’s emission into the air. Third is the sensation, since the dog will feel the spray when it hits the nose. The last, but possibly the most important, is olfactory-related. The spray, which will emit citronella, will immediately be smelled by the dog.
Almost all of the senses of the dog will be exposed to the citronella collar so that barking can be prevented or even eliminated. Most of the time, a dog would only have to bark three times and it will already realize that the sound, the spray, the wet sensation, and the smell are already coming from the collar it is wearing.
Most of the citronella bark collars you will find feature an on and off switch on their spray mechanism. Most devices run on 6-volt batteries. You will also soon find out that most of these collars are manufactured using nylon materials, making them adjustable. Keep in mind though that not all of them are water-proof, making them ineffective when your dog is out playing in the rain.
Is It Safe and Effective?
You may be wondering if it is safe. The answer is yes, it is definitely safe so you do not have to worry about the health of your dog being negatively affected. As for effectiveness, many dog owners who have tried these products claim how they were able to train their pets not to bark excessively. There is a study stated that it is useful in minimizing “nuisance-barking” of dogs. Many of them also prefer these collars compared to the electronic shock versions, as they consider the spray more humane. In addition, since citronella is very unpleasant for dogs, they try hard to avoid it, resulting in them no longer barking.
Recommended Products
Depending on the weight and the size of your dog, you will find that PetSafe is often the number one choice of many dog owners, as they have tried, tested, and found it to be the best and the most effective product out there. Here are some of the best products from this particular brand as well as their features. Products from Premier and Innotek brands are also distributed by PetSafe.
PetSafe Big Dog Spray Bark Collar
- 6V Alkaline Battery
- Vibration Probe Bark Sensor
- 40 Spray Capacity
- Ideal for Dogs of 40 lbs. or More
- Considered to be the Best of Its Class
PetSafe Elite Little Dog Spray Bark Collar
- Proprietary PetSafe RFA-188 Battery
- Sound Sensor (Bark Sensor)
- 30 to 40 Spray Capacity
- Ideal for Dogs of 6 lbs. or More
PetSafe Deluxe Anti-Bark Spray Collar
- 3V CR2 Lithium Battery
- Sound Sensor (Bark Sensor)
- 20 Spray Capacity
- Ideal for Dogs of 12 lbs. or More
- Features 2 Spray Levels
Premier GentleSpray
- 6V Alkaline Battery
- Sound Sensor (Bark Sensor)
- 20 Spray Capacity
- Ideal for Dogs of 15 lbs. or More
Innotek Anti-Bark Spray Collar
- 6V Alkaline Battery
- Sound Sensor (Bark Sensor)
- 30 Spray Capacity
- Ideal for Dogs of 12 lbs. or More
Things To Consider
Although Citronella spray collars are effective, however it’s not suitable if you have more than one dog – as the collar will still emit the spray if there is another dog barking in the same vicinity. It also eliminates all types of barking – even the playful barking. If you have a stubborn barker, you may need to refill the collar quite often, and the collars will become less effective over time.
