Every so often I get a message from a reader who’s dealing with 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 discovered extra about canine habits and coaching, and as extra research on punishment and canine habits have come to mild.
I used a bark collar on my first Dachshund Chester as a result of I didn’t know something about canine habits or coaching and that’s what was really useful to me.
It labored.
His barking decreased and ultimately I simply needed to present him the collar to get him to close up.
However I additionally suppose again on these recollections within the context of what I do know now, and a few of what I noticed in the course of the time I used a bark collar on him breaks my coronary heart somewhat.
However the backside line is, I’ve seen a bark collar work, and I do suppose utilizing one is a viable choice 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 usually works by detecting the canine’s barking by way of microphone then emitting a loud noise, giving a gentle electrical shock (typically known as a static shock), vibrating, or spraying a deterrent like citronella oil.
Those that administer a shock or vibration usually have a number of ranges starting from 2-7.
The one I used on Chester had a setting I may alter to the next stage if it wasn’t working.
I’ve seen some bark collars that alter the depth robotically, thus beginning at a low stage and escalating to the very best if a canine doesn’t cease barking.
Some bark collars will administer the deterrent constantly 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, folks discussing a bark collar have been referring to the sort that emits an electrical shock.
Though that’s nonetheless what most individuals consider if 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 elucidate 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 me however I’ve discovered extra about every of those over the previous few 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 after they bark (though I’ve seen a minimum of one mannequin that had a distant so the proprietor may ship the stimulation).
A canine e-collar, often known as an digital collar or distant coaching collar, is a tool that’s utilized by an proprietor to coach and management a canine’s habits.
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” after they bark and it’s meant to punish the canine so that they be taught that barking is unhealthy and cease.
When you can usually alter 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 general canine coaching technique (habits modification).
It may be used to appropriate a variety of behaviors, resembling barking, digging, leaping, biting, and escaping.
The electrical stimulation emitted from a high-quality eCollar will be adjusted in incremental ranges (usually 1-100) to swimsuit a canine’s sensitivity stage.
Different Forms of Bark Collars
Like I mentioned, most individuals consider a “shock collar” when they’re contemplating a bark collar.
Nonetheless, It’s value noting although that not all bark collars and e-collars ship electrical shocks.
Some use different strategies resembling ultrasound, vibration, or citronella spray to discourage barking.
All three of those different varieties of bark collars are thought of to be extra humane than electrical shock bark collars, as they don’t trigger discomfort or ache to the canine they usually’re much less more likely to trigger destructive negative effects, resembling worry or aggression.
Additionally of be aware, a few of these different varieties of bark collars make a warning beep or tone earlier than the stimulation/punishment, so the canine can be taught to answer 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 habits.
Research by the Animal Habits Clinic at Cornell’s Faculty of Veterinary Drugs counsel that citronella oil bark collars may be simpler than electrical shock collars (supply).
Nonetheless, 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 destructive response to it for the reason that citronella oil is poisonous to canine (the collars solely comprise a small, most likely inconsequential, quantity of the oil although).
Citronella collar negative effects embody a rash from topical publicity and melancholy, hypothermia, vomiting, and weak spot if the oil is ingested.
In case you decide to make use of this sort of bark collar, make sure to monitor your pet intently for any response, make sure to clear the oils out of your canine’s fur in the event that they construct up, and focus on the protection of citronella oil along with your veterinarian in case you have a pup with medical situations resembling respiration 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 usually works by emitting a collection of vibrations at a particular 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 habits.
Some vibrating bark collars even have adjustable vibration ranges, so you’ll be able to 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 particular 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 habits.
Some ultrasound bark collars even have adjustable sound ranges, so you’ll be able to 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 relies on 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 as a result of boredom or lack of train, a bark collar could not tackle the underlying explanation for the barking and should not successfully cease the habits.
It additionally relies on which kind of bark collar you utilize. Not all canine will reply to the identical destructive stimulus in the identical method.
Some canine could also be deterred by a bark collar straight away.
Nonetheless, I’ve seen many Dachshunds who ignore, or tolerate the punishment, and proceed to bark their heads off anyway.
Generally although, a bark collar will work.
The bigger concern is the potential penalties, or negative effects, of utilizing one.
For instance, in case your Dachshund is consistently 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 to be able to cease it, the punishment may make your canine extra fearful, extra more likely 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 concern 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 may help you develop a plan to deal with the habits.
There are a number of methods to assist cease a canine’s barking with out utilizing a bark collar, together with:
Coaching and habits modification
Educating your canine the “quiet” command, and rewarding them after they cease barking, may help to scale back extreme barking.
Educating your canine to “go to your home” after they begin barking may help educate them what to do as a substitute of barking after they see one thing that irritates, frustrates, or upsets them.
Addressing the underlying explanation for the barking
In case your canine is barking as a result of separation nervousness, boredom, or lack of train, addressing the underlying explanation for the barking may help to scale back or eradicate the habits.
Desensitization and counter-conditioning
Steadily exposing your canine to the issues that set off their barking, and serving to them to affiliate these issues with optimistic experiences, may help to scale back or eradicate the habits.
The “have a look at that” and “depart it” instructions will be useful right here.
Environmental administration
Altering the setting to scale back or eradicate the issues that set off your canine’s barking may help to scale back or eradicate the habits.
That is typically known as “setting your canine up for fulfillment”.
For instance, in case your Dachshund usually rides within the automotive the place they’ll see the issues that set off their barking, attempt putting your canine in a crate within the cargo space the place they’ll’t see canine, different vehicles, and folks out of the window.
In case your Dachshund barks at folks strolling by your own 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 exterior, depart 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 attributable to 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 so 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 worry/nervousness worse, or result in new habits points.
Gentle sedation is finest used along side one, or extra, of the opposite strategies above when these strategies alone should not sufficient and a quick resolution is required.
It’s additionally vital that you simply focus on this feature along with your veterinarian earlier than attempting it.
Observe that coaching a canine to not bark as a lot requires persistence, consistency, and a dedication to altering the habits, particularly in case you have an grownup Dachshund with a long-standing behavior of extreme barking
Contemplate consulting with knowledgeable animal behaviorist or coach to make sure that you’re utilizing probably the most applicable and humane strategies to deal with your canine’s barking.
Remaining Ideas
Regardless that using 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 beneath excessive circumstances, like dealing with eviction or the potential for surrendering your Dachshund to a rescue, and along side a long-term technique like coaching or habits modification.
I’d fairly 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 have been bred for searching so barking, and alerting you to one thing threatening or stimulating, is pure for them.
Additionally keep in mind that there are various causes a Dachshund could bark excessively.
Whereas it might be just because they like doing it, there is also different causes like underlying medical causes or separation nervousness.
I believe punishing your canine for barking beneath these circumstances is a bit merciless.
Additionally, it will possibly backfire as a result of the worry attributable to punishment may trigger extra habits 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 determine to make use of a bark collar in your Dachshund, It’s vital to make use of it correctly, observe the producer’s directions and have in mind the temperament of your canine.