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Originally Posted by edumma  Hi, Chantel. I had the same problem with Remy my puppy. At the age of 9 weeks the neighbor was complaining about her barking ( well I had to admit it was unusually loud for a 2 1/2 lb yorkie !)So like you I tried voice reprimands and the tapping on the nose but those didnt work. Sooo.. drastic measures were needed... I bought a citronella collar with a remote control. I felt awful making her wear this heavy collar and the first time she barked I gave her a short spray , it knocked her on her butt, but she stopped barking. Keep in mind the collar sprays an odorless spray and it is a sharp mist that shoots up in front of the face ,not into the face directly. Remy learned very quickly not to bark at every thing. I made her wear the collar off and on for a few weeks. OH ,I should mention that every time she got a spray I gave the command NO BARK! Remy is now 16 weeks old I havent used the collar for about 2 weeks now but I have switched over to using a squirt gun that has a good sharp squirt to keep reinforcing the NO BARK rules , as she will test the rules from time to time. Most of the time I only have to show the squirt pistol now and she is quiet. I didnt like having to resort to heavy handed training but she was never hurt by the spray..there is no electric shock with this type of collar.
Eileen |
I also use this collar when my dogs get into the barking mode or forget their manners. I think it is very humane. Barking is a hard habit to curb because it is a natural instinct in a dog, but not necessarily acceptable on a continual basis. I generally allow my dogs 1-2 barks (ie: if someone comes to the door etc) then I say the command "Quiet". They do pretty well, but it goes in streaks and when we are on a down slide I bring out the collar for reinforcement. The spray basically "startles" them which causes them to stop the bark and allows you to give the command you choose. I'd much rather try this tactic then have my neighbors peeved at me for a barking dog.
good luck,
Kathy