The Citronella Dog Collar - Good or Bad?

Almost every dog needs a collar...But when a collar works in a way that lessens the barking, it is obviously an added advantage...Dog collars come in various types, of these there are three main types that can be available anywhere in the market....The citronella spray collar is the most widely used and preferred of these types...

Another type of a dog collar is a sound dog collar...This type of collar emits a peculiar sound the moment the dog barks...The trick is that this sound is purely ultrasonic, this implies that it can be heard by the dog alone...There is absolutely no reason for anyone else to get disturbed by the sound because it cannot be heard by the human ears...When the dog realizes that it can hear something unusual the moment it barks, it'll stop doing that...Gradually, as the dog understands this phenomenon, the barking will cease...

The same is with the electric shock collars...The difference is that the dog gets a shock whenever it barks, it works like a physical punishment to the dog for barking...Since these collars inflict physical pain upon the dog, they are not preferred much by dog owners...

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Now, let us take a detailed look into the whole concept of these citronella dog collars and understand why they are better than the others...These collars, as mentioned earlier, are quite popular...Many dog owners prefer these collars because studies have shown that negative psychological effects occur after using the electric shock collars on dogs...

Also, since these citronella collars inflict no such pain and are perfectly harmless, they should be used more...Another reason for their building popularity is the studies released by the Animal Behavior Clinic at the Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine...They suggest that the citronella collars are even more effective than the other electric shock ones...

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Big Dog Spray Anti Bark Collar (Value Pack)

This spray bark collar has an off and on switch, it's waterproof and adjusts to the size of your dog's neck...The all natural lemon scent is safe and effective for your dog, helping to eliminate the barking problem...

Deluxe Spray Bark Collar

This spray collar made by Petsafe sends out an all natural lemon scent when your dog begins to bark...The lemon spray is a fine mist and will not go off if another dog barks within your neighborhood...

Dog Training Remote Spray Collar

This remote spray collar is waterproof so now your dog can go swimming and you won't have to remove the collar...This anti bark spray collar is approved by the SPCA as it's harmless to you and your dog...

Innotek Anti-Bark Spray Collar

This citronella spray collar comes complete with collar, battery, spray device, citronella spray refill, and training manual...It has an adjustable collar and will fit most dogs...

The citronella dog collars are a kind of spray dog collars...Other than citronella, spray collars can also contain water or lemon juice...The collar harbors a microphone in it, this microphone acts as a sensor...When the dog barks, the collar senses the sound with the help of the microphone sensor, it immediately, upon sensing the sound the collar then squirts the liquid that is housed inside it...

The idea behind this whole mechanism is that the dog will get discomforted by this sudden spraying of liquid and will get distracted from barking...Eventually, these sudden spurts of unpleasant liquid will cause it to stop barking in order to avoid being sprayed with it in the face...

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The citronella collars are much more effective than their electric shock counterparts...There have been many instances proving that dogs continue to bark even when they get these shocks from the electric shock dog collars...Perhaps, the shock scares them into barking all that much more...On the other hand, the citronella spray dog collars have proven to be more efficient...

The odor of these spray collars is so unpleasant that even when they are replaced with a substitute, the dogs don't bark...The idea of being sprayed again with the unpleasant liquid makes them refrain from barking again...They so greatly fear the citronella spray that even when it is not being used, its memory stays fresh in their mind...

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Another question that disturbs the mind of dog owners is that whether these citronella dog collars are humane...Of course, these collars are more humane than the electric shock collars but do they come along with any other disadvantage? Instances have also been reported where-in the microphone sensors are so sensitive that they even pick up the barking of other dogs...This leads to unnecessary punishment of the dog to which the collar is actually attached...The dog would be simply rebuked for having done nothing at all...

Another problem with using these dog collars is that they have adverse psychological effects on the dog...Dog owners should understand that it is natural for dogs to bark, it is an integral part of their means of communication...It is extremely wrong to impede something that is a part of their natural behavior...Also, just imagine how ironic the following situation will be...A burglar is trying to intrude into a house and the dog cannot bark for fear of being sprayed with the citronella...The masters wouldn't be alerted to the burglary that is happening because the dog isn't barking...

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Although these collars work well, it is always better to train the dog and teach it to obey you...If a dog is bought or adopted, it is the master's responsibility to take complete care of the dog and not use anything that might harm or hurt it in any way...Giving the dog enough love and time will have the desired effects in the behavior of the dog...But, of all the other various devices used to stop dogs from barking, citronella spray dog collars are the most safe and harmless of the others...

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Page created October 3, 2010
Last updated May 18, 2012

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