Bankruptcy Forum

Bark-Stop Collars for Dogs-Dog Lovers

danaf
03-29-2008, 04:36 PM
Friends, let me tell you - I couldn't really afford to buy this item but I have 2 mini schnauzers, one of which is well over a yr old and screams on the top of his lungs over everything. His barking & screaming was over the top and nothing we did would stop him - and I mean nothing. I've always had dogs and am usually very good at training them but this one is seriously inbred, or troubled - or maybe it is because he had different owners before us. I tried socializing him but to no avail. He loves other dogs but where people are involoved, he's a maniac. I also have a yorkie who likes to 'talk' however when I tell her to shush, she shushes. Booty Boy on the other hand was out of control as he never obeyed us. His noise caused us stress, my neighbors didn't appreciate it - and we could never have company over. I finally decided I had to do something about it.

So today I bought a Petsafe Bark Control Collar for him. I let him wear it for a while so he could get used to it. Then I turned that sucker on. It shocks him when he barks.

Folks - I have a brand new dog! God Bless this product. This was the best 100 bucks I spent all year. He's been quiet as a mouse all day! (which is not the norm). He's still happy, still wagging his tail. So honestly, I don't care who thinks its cruel - I love my dogs and treat them very well. I did everything I could do before being reduced to buying this product. This thing works like a charm. I'll take it off of him a night time but right now, I am a very happy woman and I know my neighbors are happy. He was so bad that I would have considered having his vocal cords removed but my husband wouldn't allow that as he thought it was cruel and I suppose it was. So this was really the best next alternative. And I am extremely pleased that it is working.

Just an awesome product!!!!!

Minnymouth
03-31-2008, 07:28 AM
Depending on the breed, there are just some dogs that you have to use drastic measures with in order to get results.

Regarding the electric collar........... it has the same effect as the electric fence. The fence the dogs realize when they get close to it they are going to get shocked. Some will even jump it KNOWING they are going to get shocked. But all in all it is an excellent product, that once the dog learns, you can take the fence down and they will not cross that imaginary line. I've seen it in action myself. And this was on a pair of german shepherds. They would NOT cross that fence line, imaginary or real.

Try something.............. Use the collar only when your gone from home. When you get home, take it off.......if the barking starts tell them NO, and put the collar back on. When they quiet down, take the collar off again.... put back on if they start barking a lot. Won't take them long to realize that if their quiet, they don't have to wear THAT collar. Use the command of "quiet" or "shsssssss" when you scold them for barking. Be consistant with you command. Soon you won't need the collar at all.

Once they learn what you expect from them, they will conform. And you will have a quiet animal most of the time.

Let them bark (that's their way of talking), but let them know when its excessive. They will learn the limits. Once they learn the consequences of their barking, they will listen to you when you say be quiet.

I have one beagle that barks excessively if she hears something outside, until I give the command "that's enough" - "quiet".... and she knows what it means. She knows my command and tone of voice means what I say. And she quiets down.

Most of my dogs over the years have been trained to command by the snap of a finger. I can give a command, and if I snap my finger, they KNOW I mean business. And most of these were big dogs, shepherds, labodors, etc.

I've never used an electric collar, but I'm not saying I wouldn't either. I demand obiedence and they know it, cause if I didn't most of them could knock me off my feet or drag me very easily.

I have very happy, healthy, loving dogs. They are treated like people around my house and they know it. Spoiled rotten, but I'M THE LEADER OF THE PACK, and they know it.

My dogs talk to me and everyone, but not excessively. They greet everyone and then go lay down. I do not allow them to stand at the fence and bark and bark.

I do not scream at them, I use controlled voice commands, and the tone of my voice tells them I mean business.

I visited my brother (has 5 kids) one summer and took my dog. One week later my brother said he wanted to send his kids home with me for "training", and keep my dog, LOL. When I used the same tone on his kids, they listened too. LOL.

Most of it is in the tone of voice (no yelling)..... and be consistent with same commands or actions with your hands.

Has always worked for me......... and I love it that my dogs are well behaved around everyone, even around babies.

I'm known as the "leader of the pack"............

debtmonster
03-31-2008, 09:33 AM
Funny you should post this... we have two Jack Russells that bark CONSTANTLY at anything that moves in the yard or within eye distance. Birds, cats, squirrels... you name it. All of the neighbors are beginning to complain and have threatened to call the cops. Getting rid of the dogs was not an option. I tried that with one of them and my wife went ballistic. She called the police on the people I gave them to insisting that the dog was returned. She called all of my relatives telling them to call the people and bug them. The guy I gave him to was PISSED like hell.

So we ended up getting the dog back and now I have to deal with all of the BS. We need one of these shock collars badly, but I can't afford it right now. As it is right now, I don't even have money to buy groceries. I've been living on saltine crackers and peanut butter just to eat. Fortunately the dogs are not expensive. It's about $15-18 for a large bag of dog food every 3-5 months.

my4devils
03-31-2008, 09:49 AM
My inlaws used this for their lab mix- it worked great! He no longer needs to wear it and only barks if he senses danger. I hope it works as well for you! Now if only they could make something like that for kids?!?!?

Totally kidding- dont call CPS on me.

JollyGG
03-31-2008, 12:07 PM
I don't have a barker, but I did have to get a shock collar that goes with an radio fence. We have a digger and she would dig right under the fence and wander the neighborhood. It was hard on both of us the first couple times she got shocked. The first day she didn't want to go into the back yard at all and would huddle on the deck in fear of getting shocked, but in no time flat she knew her boundries and has the run of the yard again. It is so nice to know that when I get home at night she will be in the yard without a doubt. Even if the gate is left open she won't go past that burried wire that activates her collar.

So while I hate for her to get shocked I appreciate the results.

debtmonster
03-31-2008, 01:20 PM
What about one of these?

Bark Stopper (http://cgi.ebay.com/Safe-Ultrasonic-Dog-Bark-Control-ANTI-BARKING-Collar_W0QQitemZ320233466311QQihZ011QQcategoryZ667 74QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Any good or waste of money?

tinroofrusted
03-31-2008, 01:51 PM
Good questioning.

We have two Poms that like to yelp like someone has killed them everytime someone comes to the door and it's embarassing.

I have thought about something like this, but it always seemed kind of mean.

debtmonster
03-31-2008, 02:39 PM
Yeah, but what about those speaker things that you put outside and when your dog or the neighbor's dog barks, it puts out some annoying high pitched sound to make them stop? Do those work?

LisaM
03-31-2008, 08:34 PM
Good questioning.

We have two Poms that like to yelp like someone has killed them everytime someone comes to the door and it's embarassing.

I have thought about something like this, but it always seemed kind of mean.


Luckily our dogs aren't huge barkers. They like to talk to us, but they know when its time to be quiet, too.

Tinroofrusted, your post reminded me of something that happened in December. My lab was going nuts - and he's the most laid back of our 2 dogs. I looked out the window and the UPS guy was waiting for me to come to the door. I put the doggie gate up and opened the door. The guy was nice enough to haul my huge package inside and my lab jumped the doggy gate, did a weird yelp, and ran right out the front door and hopped on the back of the UPS truck and just sat there to go for a ride. I was so embarrassed. The UPS guy was laughing so hard, I thought he was gonna fall over.

Silly doggies...

Anyway...Back to the OP's post...I'm sure the bark stop collar was a hard choice. I'm glad it seems to be working and you have a quiet dog DanaF. :)

debtmonster
03-31-2008, 09:10 PM
Yeah, but what about the speaker and not shocking the dog? Plus the speaker will work on an unlimited amount of dogs, plus the neighbor's dogs. I just want to know if it works.

twuoo
04-04-2008, 04:43 PM
Sometimes you can resort to cheaper things for training....

1. Try a squirt gun or water bottle. Tell them "no bark" and if it continues...blast them with the water. It's harmless, but might be enough to distract and redirect them to a toy.

2. Fill and empty aluminum can with several pennies to make a rattle. Put tape over the the hole. When your dog barks...say the "no bark" and rattle the can at them to scare them. Again, it might be just enough to distract.

I don't know if these will work, but it won't cost you $100 to try.

robivi3
04-04-2008, 04:52 PM
My dogs are like two old ladies minding everyone's business and watching from the front window. However the bark is great and they are not excessive. We have a neighborhood "retard" who leaves his barker outside but they are a little distance away. i want a collar for him, the dumbass owner who totally ignores the dog for hours on end. I want that every time the fool thinks he needs a pet for the collar to zap him with 700 volts at maybe 40 amps, good enough to fry him.

I think you picked a good way to handle the issue, you know best. other things are time consuming and not effective when you have to be away for awhile. In the case in our area the people are home (the wife) but chooses to ignore the animal, they are savages and most likely first generation pet owners. I am waiting to see if they corn-feed the dog which could mean something else. thir ignorance just burns me, but the dog pays by being left in the sun.

danaf
04-04-2008, 05:15 PM
debtmonster - I can't answer your question because I don't know. What I do know is this collar has been totally effective. I don't leave it on him all the time because he should be able to bark once in a while. But he's quieted down quite a bit now. In terms of other products, I can't say either. I went with what was proven effective and it has been.

debtmonster
04-04-2008, 06:34 PM
Somebody here must know. If it does work, it will keep BOTH of my dogs quiet, plus the neighbors behind us. I would need at least 3 shock collars for them all. I would hate to buy that speaker thing only to find that it's ineffective.

twuoo
04-05-2008, 04:09 AM
The speaker thing was ineffective for all 3 of my dogs.

It picks up on the loud barking and beings to emit a loud pitched sound that is supposed to disrupt the dogs, but we can hear it too.

So it was obnoxious for all of us....lol.

sophie
04-24-2008, 02:13 PM
Which collar did you buy? There's so many of them.

Thanks!

PaKettle
04-24-2008, 04:25 PM
All I can say is "Good for you!" to all you RESPONSIBLE dog owners who don't let your dogs bark excessively!

I live in an apartment in a big city and over the years I've had my share of problems with dogs that bark excessively. Some people just leave their dogs penned up all day to bark while they're at work, or - worse, in my view - sit in their living rooms and just let their dogs bark their heads off and anything and everything.

I wish someone would invent a humane way for NEIGHBORS to stop the neighbors' dogs from barking!

Luckily we do have a reasonable Animal Control office here and one time I forced the issue and the neighbors and I had to appear at a meeting wtih animal control authorities. They sided with me, said the owners could not allow the dog to bark incessantly, and told him to etiher keep the dog quiet or they'd take his license to own a dog away from him. He moved, no doubt so he could go on bothering other neighbors who might not be so pro-active.

I like dogs and hope to have one myself when I live out in the country in retirement or semi-retirement. But people who have dogs in the city and leave them penned up all day in tiny areas are not doing the dogs - or their neighbors - any good.