Now and again I get a message from a reader who’s going through getting evicted due to their Dachshund’s extreme barking or who’s contemplating surrendering their Dachshund to a shelter due to it.
They ask me, “Ought to I Use a bark collar for my Dachshund?”
My ideas and opinions on bark collars have advanced over time as I’ve realized extra about canine conduct and coaching, and as extra research on punishment and canine conduct have come to gentle.
I used a bark collar on my first Dachshund Chester as a result of I didn’t know something about canine conduct or coaching and that’s what was beneficial to me.
It labored.
His barking diminished and ultimately I simply needed to present him the collar to get him to close up.
However I additionally suppose again on these reminiscences within the context of what I do know now, and a few of what I noticed throughout the time I used a bark collar on him breaks my coronary heart a bit.
However the backside line is, I’ve seen a bark collar work, and I do suppose utilizing one is a viable possibility if it’s a dire state of affairs and all different choices have been exhausted.
Learn on to be taught extra about bark collars for Dachshunds and the professionals and cons of utilizing one.
What’s a Bark Collar?
A canine bark collar is a tool that’s particularly designed to discourage a canine from barking.
It sometimes works by detecting the canine’s barking through microphone then emitting a loud noise, giving a light electrical shock (generally known as a static shock), vibrating, or spraying a deterrent like citronella oil.
Those that administer a shock or vibration sometimes have a number of ranges starting from 2-7.
The one I used on Chester had a setting I might modify to a better degree if it wasn’t working.
I’ve seen some bark collars that modify the depth routinely, thus beginning at a low degree and escalating to the very best if a canine doesn’t cease barking.
Some bark collars will administer the deterrent repeatedly till a canine stops (or doesn’t).
Some these days have a “security” mode, the place the collar will shut off after administering a sure variety of corrections (7-15 on those I’ve seen), or will give the canine a break for minute or two and begin once more.
Twenty years in the past when my first Dachshund was a pet, individuals discussing a bark collar had been referring to the kind that emits an electrical shock.
Though that’s nonetheless what most individuals consider once you say bark collar, the opposite choices are gaining popularity.
What’s the Distinction Between a Bark Collar and an eCollar?
I wish to take a minute to clarify the distinction between a bark collar and an eCollar for canine.
Many individuals get these two units confused, or don’t know there’s a distinction.
That was once me however I’ve realized extra about every of those over the previous couple of years.
A canine bark collar is a tool that’s particularly designed to discourage a canine from barking.
It really works by administering a deterrent when the canine barks.
This “punishment” is triggered by the canine themselves once they bark (though I’ve seen at the very least one mannequin that had a distant so the proprietor might ship the stimulation).
A canine e-collar, also referred to as an digital collar or distant coaching collar, is a tool that’s utilized by an proprietor to coach and management a canine’s conduct.
In my thoughts, I consider it as an digital clicker that delivers a “stimulation” (canine trainers that use this expertise don’t like to make use of the time period shock) when the coach chooses to use it.
Abstract of the variations
In different phrases, the punishment delivered by a bark collar is usually “administered by the canine to themselves” once they bark and it’s meant to punish the canine in order that they be taught that barking is unhealthy and cease.
When you can sometimes modify the degrees of shock delivered by a bark collar, there are few and there are massive jumps in between ranges.
An eCollar is managed by the human utilizing it as a part of an total canine coaching technique (conduct modification).
It may be used to right a variety of behaviors, comparable to barking, digging, leaping, biting, and escaping.
The electrical stimulation emitted from a high-quality eCollar might be adjusted in incremental ranges (sometimes 1-100) to go well with a canine’s sensitivity degree.
Different Kinds of Bark Collars
Like I stated, most individuals consider a “shock collar” when they’re contemplating a bark collar.
Nevertheless, It’s price noting although that not all bark collars and e-collars ship electrical shocks.
Some use different strategies comparable to ultrasound, vibration, or citronella spray to discourage barking.
All three of those various forms of bark collars are thought-about to be extra humane than electrical shock bark collars, as they don’t trigger discomfort or ache to the canine and so they’re much less prone to trigger unfavorable uncomfortable side effects, comparable to concern or aggression.
Additionally of word, a few of these various forms of bark collars make a warning beep or tone earlier than the stimulation/punishment, so the canine can be taught to reply to the beep alone as a cue.
Citronella Bark Collar
Citronella bark collars use a canine’s sense of odor to discourage a canine from barking excessively.
They work by releasing a burst of citronella spray, a strong-smelling odor that’s offensive to a canine, close to the canine’s nostril when the collar detects barking.
The idea is that the disagreeable odor of the citronella will startle the canine and interrupt the barking, and the canine will ultimately be taught to affiliate the disagreeable odor with its barking and cease the conduct.
Research by the Animal Conduct Clinic at Cornell’s Faculty of Veterinary Drugs counsel that citronella oil bark collars is likely to be more practical than electrical shock collars (supply).
Nevertheless, it’s vital to notice that not all canine are equally affected by citronella.
Some canine could also be detached to the odor, others could discover it nice, and some canine could have a unfavorable response to it because the citronella oil is poisonous to canine (the collars solely comprise a small, in all probability inconsequential, quantity of the oil although).
Citronella collar uncomfortable side effects embrace a rash from topical publicity and despair, hypothermia, vomiting, and weak spot if the oil is ingested.
In case you choose to make use of the sort of bark collar, remember to monitor your pet intently for any response, remember to clear the oils out of your canine’s fur in the event that they construct up, and talk about the protection of citronella oil together with your veterinarian you probably have a pup with medical situations comparable to respiratory difficulties.
Vibrating Bark Collar
A vibrating bark collar is a sort of bark collar that makes use of vibration to discourage a canine from barking excessively.
It sometimes works by emitting a sequence of vibrations at a selected frequency and depth.
The thought is that the vibrations will startle the canine and interrupt the barking, and the canine will ultimately be taught to affiliate the vibrations with its barking and cease the conduct.
Some vibrating bark collars even have adjustable vibration ranges, so you possibly can select the depth of the vibration that’s applicable to your canine.
Ultrasound Bark Collar
An ultrasound bark collar works by emitting a high-pitched sound at a selected frequency and depth when a canine barks.
The sound is normally above the vary of human listening to (ultrasound) and is meant to be heard solely by the canine.
The thought is that the high-pitched sound will startle the canine and interrupt the barking, and the canine will ultimately be taught to affiliate the sound with its barking and cease the conduct.
Some ultrasound bark collars even have adjustable sound ranges, so you possibly can select the depth of the sound that’s applicable to your canine.
Will a Bark Collar Cease My Dachshund’s Barking?
Whether or not a bark collar will cease your Dachshund from barking or not is a sophisticated query.
It is determined by why your canine is barking, how lengthy they’ve been within the behavior, how delicate they’re to the stimulation, and the underlying explanation for the barking.
For instance, if a canine is barking on account of boredom or lack of train, a bark collar could not deal with the underlying explanation for the barking and will not successfully cease the conduct.
It additionally is determined by which kind of bark collar you employ. Not all canine will reply to the identical unfavorable stimulus in the identical means.
Some canine could also be deterred by a bark collar straight away.
Nevertheless, I’ve seen many Dachshunds who ignore, or tolerate the punishment, and proceed to bark their heads off anyway.
Most often although, a bark collar will work.
The bigger subject is the potential penalties, or uncomfortable side effects, of utilizing one.
For instance, in case your Dachshund is continually barking when you are away from house, the reason for your Dachshund’s barking is sort of all the time separation nervousness.
In case you put a bark collar in your anxious canine earlier than you allow in an effort to cease it, the punishment might make your canine extra fearful, extra prone to bark, extra anxious, and might result in new undesired behaviors.
Ultimately, whereas a bark collar could cease your Dachshund’s barking within the brief time period in an emergency state of affairs, you also needs to work on the barking subject by way of correct coaching and work to deal with the underlying explanation for it.
What Else Can I Do to Cut back My Dachshund’s Barking?
Understanding why your Dachshund is barking can assist you develop a plan to deal with the conduct.
There are a number of methods to assist cease a canine’s barking with out utilizing a bark collar, together with:
Coaching and conduct modification
Instructing your canine the “quiet” command, and rewarding them once they cease barking, can assist to cut back extreme barking.
Instructing your canine to “go to your home” once they begin barking can assist educate them what to do as an alternative of barking once they see one thing that irritates, frustrates, or upsets them.
Observe that coaching a canine to not bark as a lot requires endurance, consistency, and a dedication to altering the conduct, particularly you probably have an grownup Dachshund with a long-standing behavior of extreme barking
Contemplate consulting with an expert animal behaviorist or coach to make sure that you’re utilizing essentially the most applicable and humane strategies to deal with your canine’s barking.
Addressing the underlying explanation for the barking
In case your canine is barking on account of separation nervousness, boredom, or lack of train, addressing the underlying explanation for the barking can assist to cut back or eradicate the conduct.
Desensitization and counter-conditioning
Progressively exposing your canine to the issues that set off their barking, and serving to them to affiliate these issues with optimistic experiences, can assist to cut back or eradicate the conduct.
The “take a look at that” and “go away it” instructions might be useful right here.
Environmental administration
Altering the setting to cut back or eradicate the issues that set off your canine’s barking can assist to cut back or eradicate the conduct.
That is generally known as “setting your canine up for fulfillment”.
For instance, in case your Dachshund usually rides within the automobile the place they’ll see the issues that set off their barking, attempt inserting your canine in a crate within the cargo space the place they’ll’t see canine, different automobiles, and folks out of the window.
In case your Dachshund barks at individuals strolling by your home, shut the blinds or put a plastic movie on the window to obscure your canine’s imaginative and prescient.
In case your canine is all the time barking at noises outdoors, go away a radio or TV on to assist drown out the noise.
Rule out any potential medical or emotional situations
In case you suspect that your canine’s barking is brought on by an underlying situation, it’s vital to take them to a veterinarian for an analysis.
Some examples could be separation nervousness or an sickness or harm that makes them irritable.
Sedate your canine
Now, it’s possible you’ll be considering, how is sedating my canine in order that they bark much less any extra humane than utilizing a bark collar?
The important thing variations are that sedation has no chance of being painful, could be very unlikely to make a canine’s concern/nervousness worse, or result in new conduct points.
Delicate sedation is finest used along side one, or extra, of the opposite strategies above when these strategies alone are usually not sufficient and a quick resolution is required.
It’s additionally vital that you simply talk about this selection together with your veterinarian earlier than making an attempt it.
What About Utilizing a Squirt Bottle?
This subject is ever so barely moving into the weeds in relation to this text.
Nevertheless, after publishing this text, a number of individuals exclaimed they’d by no means use a bark collar and/or they’d proceed to inform me how evil they suppose bark collar are.
A number of individuals adopted that up with, “I take advantage of a squirt bottle of water”, really believing that was a greater possibility.
So I needed to deal with that right here.
Whether or not you select to make use of a bottle of water to squirt your canine, or a can of pennies to make a loud noise, to discourage them from barking, truthfully, that’s actually no completely different than utilizing a citronella or beeping bark collar.
Squirting your Doxie with water, or making a scary noise, is punishment given for doing one thing pure and it doesn’t deal with the underlying subject or present a canine what to do as an alternative.
In my view, utilizing a squirt bottle is on par with the beep, citronella, or vibration bark collars.
I agree although that’s a squirt bottle is a much less invasive possibility than the shock bark collar although, which can be what you consider first once you hear bark collar (lots of people do).
However there’s a downside.
Timing is every thing
Right here is the place a bark collar is a bonus over these different two strategies – timing.
To ensure that your canine to affiliate the punishment with their motion, it must be administered on the first signal of the undesired conduct or seconds after it begins.
People have delayed reactions and poor timing although.
That’s why clicker coaching was born – to assist people enhance their timing as a result of a click on might be delivered rapidly and precisely to mark a exact second in your canine’s conduct.
Timing is the one place {that a} bark collar excels over the spray bottle or penny can methodology.
The bark collar detects your canine’s sound and delivers the punishment instantly in order that your canine can higher perceive the conduct you don’t need them to do.
Can utilizing a squirt bottle work to disrupt barking although? Sure, it undoubtedly can.
I simply wish to be clear that, though it’s a distinct software and administered otherwise, in canine coaching phrases, it’s nonetheless a “punishment” centered coaching like a bark collar is.
Remaining Ideas
Despite the fact that the usage of bark collars is controversial, particularly those that ship an electrical, or static shock, I’m not going to guage anybody from utilizing them on their Dachshunds.
I do suppose they need to solely be used as a final resort below excessive circumstances, like going through eviction or the potential for surrendering your Dachshund to a rescue, and along side a long-term technique like coaching or conduct modification.
I’d slightly see an proprietor, and a Dachshund, keep within the house than be put in dire circumstances as a result of the proprietor is afraid of the stigma related to utilizing a bark collar.
Keep in mind although, Dachshunds had been bred for looking so barking, and alerting you to one thing threatening or stimulating, is pure for them.
Additionally keep in mind that there are numerous causes a Dachshund could bark excessively.
Whereas it could be just because they like doing it, there may be different causes like underlying medical causes or separation nervousness.
I feel punishing your canine for barking below these circumstances is a bit merciless.
Additionally, it could actually backfire as a result of the concern brought on by punishment might trigger extra conduct issues than it eliminates.
As an alternative, if in any respect attainable, exhaust all different choices first, like coaching, addressing the underlying explanation for the barking, desensitization, and counter-conditioning.
In case you do select to make use of a bark collar, I counsel utilizing the least invasive sort (vibration, citronella spray) first to see if it really works earlier than progressing to a static shock sort.
Additionally, It’s vital to make use of it correctly, comply with the producer’s directions and take into consideration the temperament of your canine.
