Device Suggestions for Bark Correction

[ptw]

I have two dogs - one is a 25lb 12 year old whippet mix, and the other is a 50lb 2 year old lab mix. The older one has become more and more prone to barking at anything - delivery drivers dropping off packages, people walking down our street, squirrels in the yard, the wind. This then sets off the younger one, and they both bark and get very worked up. I think this has also been teaching the younger one to bark more of her own volition.

I am looking for some suggestions for training devices to discourage the barking. My wife suggested an ultrasonic device which makes a high-pitched noise when detecting barking, but since I can't hear the noise myself I would be concerned that it is going off all the time and causing my dogs anxiety. I work from home, so I could conceivably get a manual one, but I suppose I don't know how loud this sounds to the dog either.

I was considering dog collars, thinking that I could get one which also served as a training collar. I would be specifically interested in ones which have strong vibration, hoping to avoid the need to use shock. I think I have narrowed my options down to the following:

1. Garmin Sport Pro - pro: automatic bark detection option, con: not recommended as often as the others
2. Dogtra 282C - pro: highly recommended, reportedly stronger vibration, con: no automatic bark detection
3. Educator EZ-902 - pro: highly recommended, 7 vibration settings, con: weaker vibration?

I wasn't sure on this last point, as the ad copy for the Educator says they employ a "tapping" which is actually more intense than vibration, but I had read some other reviewers on here saying that the Dogtra's vibration was more effective.

Any suggestions?

 

[tke129]

@ptw Have you trained an alternate behavior like a food scatter? Are you blocking stimulus from the outside with window treatments, noise machines or other distractions? Do you have any way to decrease the stimulation while you train an alternate behavior?

I don’t love bark collars ESPECIALLY for multi dog households because if one dog barks both collars are likely to activate which is not going to help the dog that wasn’t barking. Also it’s tough to get good training levels on the bark collars like on a regular ecollar. I would consider other ways to train through this and consider a bark collar to be a last resort, and that goes triple for a two dog household.

 

[ptw]

@tke129 I agree about not liking shock based collars for this, I would be focusing on vibration. In addition, I was considering using it first in a manual mode (as you can see, 2/3 don't even have an automatic bark detection mode) to attempt to distract them from their barking.

Based on your suggestion, I will start with the food scatter. Blocking stimulus by keeping the blinds closed all day would not be a desirable solution for us, and they would still go crazy when delivery drivers drop off packages.

 

[tke129]

@ptw Be careful with vibration- it is gentler to people but many dogs find it more distressing than an electrical stim.

Things like covering the windows are temporary solutions meant to stop the practicing of behaviors while you teach an alternate behavior.

I highly suggest getting an in person trainer, based on your knowledge of these things and how difficult this training can be.

 

[toney9113]

@ptw This is a Fakespot Reviews Analysis bot. Fakespot detects fake reviews, fake products and unreliable sellers using AI.

Here is the analysis for the Amazon product reviews:

Name: Anti Barking Device, Dog Barking Control Devices Up to 50 Ft Range Dog Training & Behavior Aids, 2 in 1 Ultrasonic Dog Barking Deterrent Devices, Indoor & Outdoor Anti Barking Device Safe for Dogs

Company: Humutan

Amazon Product Rating: 5.0

Fakespot Reviews Grade: F

Adjusted Fakespot Rating: Insufficient reliable reviews

Analysis Performed at: 03-07-2024

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Fakespot analyzes the reviews authenticity and not the product quality using AI. We look for real reviews that mention product issues such as counterfeits, defects, and bad return policies that fake reviews try to hide from consumers.

We give an A-F letter for trustworthiness of reviews. A = very trustworthy reviews, F = highly untrustworthy reviews. We also provide seller ratings to warn you if the seller can be trusted or not.

 

[jaenalyn]

@ptw I dont think the Garmin device can do vibration in bark suppression mode, but of the three it has the best auto-rise setting