ANTI-BARK/TRAINING COLLARS
Problem barking should always be assessed by a behaviorist. Never use any sort of anti-bark collar without expert advice. There are reasons why your dog barks and a suitable modification programme should be implemented. There are occasions where an anti-bark collar may be used temporarily as part of a behaviour- modification programme.
There are several types of anti-bark collar available: citronella collars that deliver a spray of citronella every time the dog barks, air-shot collars that deliver a blast of cold air rather than citronella and electric collars that deliver an electric shock.
In my opinion there is no place for electric dog collars in behavioural medicine. They are barbaric. Imagine how you would feel if you were to receive an electric shock each time you tried to speak.
Dogs are given no recourse to alternative behaviour. In fact, they are often left alone and unobserved during the day, wearing the corrective collar while their owners are at work. As a result, many of them end up as quivering wrecks, hiding under beds and shaking when their owners arrive home because they do not understand what is happening to them. These symptoms are exacerbated for dogs suffering from anxiety-based disorders.
Remote-controlled electric collars are used by some trainers to control dogs that chase livestock or cars. They should only be used by a n experienced person, and then only in extreme circumstances, however, there’s no guarantee that the dog won’t revert to its former behaviour
based disorders. These collars deliver a spray of citronella into the dog’s face whenever it barks. Some dogs become nauseated and vomit, others learn to ignore the spray and yet others stop barking while wearing the collar, but soon start again when it is removed.
Air-shot collars automatically emit a short jet of very cold gas in response to a loud bark. The sudden release of this gas causes an unpleasant mild to severe tactile sensation under the dog’s chin in and a hissing noise that momentarily startles it. These collars can also be operated by remote control, which makes them useful in modifying car chasing behaviour.