I guess how you use the collar depends on the individual dog. I don't use the collar all that much. I normally let him bark it out and leave him alone. It is a natural thing, and I don't want to lose my "alarm system." But, sometimes it's just too much. Even the instructions tell you not to play with your dog with the collar on as you are screwing with their natural tendencies to bark. It also tells you not to leave the collar on more than 12 hours.
At my girlfriends the neighbors complain, so I use the collar more over there. Often, he will quiet down by just putting the collar on him, and I've heard many stories about people just showing the collar to their dogs to quiet them.
I did put the collar on myself, but "my" barking would not trigger it.
The big problem with these collars is when the dog cycles the collar over and over. The shock makes the dog bark more, and that triggers the collar starting a cycle that is only stopped by the technology in the collar, which in many collars will cut the collar off.
IMHO barking is something that is very difficult to control without an external device for the average dog owner. The device you use depends on the dog, and yes, you must be extra careful with a dog as small as a Yorkie. BTW, the collar does sound an audible tone before it does anything. The idea is not to shock the dog, but for the dog to stop when he hears the tone. |