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I'm looking at a couple of ultrasonic devices -- the kind that emit (and I'm quoting here) "unpleasant tones" to "interrupt and stop" undesirable barking behavior. It emits an ultrasonic sound heard only by the dogs.

 

I know that there is some recreational barking going on sometimes when I'm not home, so I'm considering something like this when I'm not there to intervene.

 

Anyone have any experience of heard of anyone else's experience with these devices? I'm not particularly concerned about alarm barking, but recreational barking -- I can do without.

 

This is out of the Foster's Smith catalogue (not an informercial.)

 

Opinions?

 

Thanks.

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They sell the one that looks like a birdhouse that you can use against your neighbor's dogs.

 

I've heard of those. One problem I see with the "unpleasant tones" approach is all dogs in the vicinity are punished, not just the barker. Similar to the concern I have with sound activated collars. The dog next to the problem barker barks for some reason and the currently quiet dog wearing a collar gets zapped. At any rate, I have no idea how effective the tone is at quelling barking. I take it you have a problem barker, Vicki?

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I have a barker so I tried an ultra sonic device. It worked until she got used to it then it was useless.

 

I didn't like that the other dogs had to hear the tone because of one barker. IMO they aren't worth it.

 

 

We tried 2 and they were both a waste. We also have no luck with collars on the worst offenders.

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I have not had experience with the ultra sound ones but I used a shock one (I know you are not supposed to use such thing on a border but back then I was ignorant and it was a last ditch measure) on my previous dog. He had a very distinctive bark and annoyed the neighbors and it was getting to the point where we might have had to give him up which for a dog who had spent 6 months in the pound was not happening.

 

We discovered a couple of things: It did work but only if it was on tight enough to make me think I was being mean. Other wise he took his paw and moved it from his throat and of course it no longer worked (took him about a month to figure that out), the other criteria was it had to be fully charged as he did test barks to see how loud he could go before it kicked on.

 

Our neighbors have tried the citronella ones with their golden and G. shepherd and fund they had no affect at all.

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Thank you for all of your replies. I have 14 dogs, some of whom are rescues, some of whom are vocal. This has been a rough winter and they've been mostly inside. When I pull in the drive, the whole house erupts in barking. Single digit weather, that's OK, because everyone around me within earshot, is inside. I'm trying to nip it in the bud before the good weather comes.

 

I have one border collie who I took back last year. John Henry is 6 yrs. old and his bark is horrible -- he sounds like a banshee. I had gotten a bark collar for him, but he learned to bark in between the zaps (does that even make sense?), although I must say, that it did work for quite a while until John Henry got the hang of it.

 

Maybe an investment of 40.00 is good even if it would be for only a little while.

 

Sligo, my 13 yr. old who still thinks he's manly, but is also going deaf, barks at one other male. No bark collar for him, and I'm thinking that the ultrasound might not work for him, since he is losing his hearing --- not totally deaf, but on the way.

 

Barking had never been an issue with the border collies. After having had shelties for years, and 2 CO's, who don't hesitate to vocalize, but then, they're an LGD breed, having border collies was a welcome change. I have one CO now, Juta, who has a high threshold for pain, so a shock collar wouldn't do much good where she is concerned, and even less, an ultrasonic device.

 

Juta, two rescue boys and John Henry will hear an Amish buggy coming down the road, long before they see them, and start barking --- but also quickly settle once they buggy's passed.

 

Annoying yes, but at least they stop. My main concern is recreational barking when I'm not home.

 

There you have it. I'm sure I left out something, but if it's material to this and I remember, I'll post again.

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I've tried an ultrasonic bark controller and I have two problems with them. First, sometimes it doesn't trigger if the dogs are barking in the right direction. Secondly, in a large group the dogs that are noise sensitive will stop but the less noise sensitive dogs may continue barking. If that's the case, then nobody is learning the right thing and everyone starts to ignore it.

Good luck!

Lisa

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I highly suggest you keep your $40.00. When I said it worked until she got used to it, it was only a few days. Really it wasn't worth it.

 

I am now using a can filled with pennies and having better results. I'm also getting more exercise by having to retrieve the can after I toss it. :rolleyes:

 

Good luck in whatever you do. My girl has a high pitched bark that will pierce your ear and give you chills so I do know how annoying it can be.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi, What we did might work for some folks with their "barkers." The various collars we purchased never worked with our dog for more than a week or so.

 

Then I was reduced to sounding like a fishwife telling Travis "Quiet!" in a voice loud enough to be heard over his barking.

 

Stupid of me to "bark" at a barker. (I'm sure the neighbors were thrilled.)

 

So, I took some canvas, cut it into a strip (like a wide collar), sewed a bit of Velcro on either end instead of using a buckle, and, using a small piece of nylon screening, I sewed a little "pocket" onto the new "collar" that also closes with Velcro. (The whole project cost pennies, took about an hour, and required very little sewing skill.)

 

Into the pocket, I insert one of our Cobra walkie-talkie radios (weighs about 2 oz), and turn it on to a channel that no one in the neighborhood uses.

 

When Travis barks, I use the other Cobra radio and "call" him. He hears the ring tone and then he hears my voice right in his ear, "Quiet!" For really bad cases, you could raise your voice, but the normal tone seems to work with Travis.

 

It's so funny when he stops barking and looks around. "Where is she?" :rolleyes:

 

For the price of the Cobra radios (which we use elsewhere, anyway), it's worth it. We use rechargeable batteries, too, so that's not even figured in the price of silence.

 

Maybe this suggestion will help someone.

 

Mary Huber

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Mary

That's awesome, I have a friend that did a similar thing for a dog that would mark the couch when no one was looking. It only took 4 or 5 training days w/ her hidden out of his view for him to quit marking. :rolleyes:

 

I was pretty impressed with those results considering he was a rescue who wasn't potty trained at all when she got him.

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That's a great story, Jumpin Boots!

 

I was thinking that a cell phone would work as well as a Cobra radio (and probably be much smaller, too, although a few ounces one way or the other wouldn't make much difference). With the cell phone, you couldn't use your voice, but maybe having the ring tone set to the William Tell Overture would stop a dog from barking, ya' think?

 

Everyone has an extra cell phone lying around these days, it seems.

 

Excuse me while I call my dog... :rolleyes:

 

Mary Huber

 

=============================================

 

Mary

That's awesome, I have a friend that did a similar thing for a dog that would mark the couch when no one was looking. It only took 4 or 5 training days w/ her hidden out of his view for him to quit marking. :D

 

I was pretty impressed with those results considering he was a rescue who wasn't potty trained at all when she got him.

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I am SO trying that walkie talkie thing. I am dying to know how Solo would react. I think our walkie talkies have belt clips, so I could just hang one on a collar.

 

Jett and Solo will both alarm bark if people are in front of the house. We live on a cul-de-sac and have a large front window, and sometimes my husband has to sleep during the day (before/after night shifts) so this can get annoying. So far I've been able to silence Jett by reprimanding her, but Solo is a tougher cookie since he is quite territorial of the house. What has worked best has been for me to come and look out the window and tell Solo to sit and praise him ("thank you"), at which point he apparently feels he has done his job.

 

I like this because I don't want him to stop warning in case there actually is an intruder someday. This would not be a great solution for recreational barking when I am not home, however.

 

I tried a citronella collar on Solo for barking at sheepdog trials, where it is annoying and makes one very unpopular. It did not work as Solo quickly learned to turn his head to avoid the spray, and would usually end up buried in his neck ruff anyway. It DID work on my ex-Yapillon, until Solo set it off once by barking while sitting next to Skeeter. I have never seen such an angry-looking Papillon. "WTF man!?! I was just sitting here doing nothing!!!" Anyway, after that every time the collar went off Skeeter would bark MORE, obviously frustrated and confused as to why the collar was spraying him. Finally, Skeeter got to the collar one day (I forget where I left it, lying around I guess) and chewed it to bits.

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It DID work on my ex-Yapillon, until Solo set it off once by barking while sitting next to Skeeter. I have never seen such an angry-looking Papillon. "WTF man!?! I was just sitting here doing nothing!!!" Anyway, after that every time the collar went off Skeeter would bark MORE, obviously frustrated and confused as to why the collar was spraying him. Finally, Skeeter got to the collar one day (I forget where I left it, lying around I guess) and chewed it to bits.

 

I just about pee'd my pants laughing, :D the idea of an angry pap is so cute sounding. I'm not doubting they can be very serious little dogs, but typically appear so happy and open-hearted. Talk about a major bc sabotage. :rolleyes:

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Happy? Open-hearted? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

If only you'd met Skeeter...

 

People like to talk about "little dogs who think they're big dogs" but the thing about Skeeter is, he's a little dog who knows he's a little dog and is really, really pissed about it.

 

That said, he is a very cool little dog and I am sorry he no longer lives with me, but his campaign against Solo was looking increasingly suicidal and he's much happier where he lives now than he was having to share me with two Border Collies.

 

But anyway, what they say about Papillons and barking is true. If you are not into barking, do not not not get a Papillon.

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and tell Solo to sit and praise him ("thank you"), at which point he apparently feels he has done his job.

 

Funny you should mention that, Ceana protects the house as well. When Ceana and Twist (the 1/2 Maremma foster) would sound the alarm I took the advice of the boards and would tell Twist "You got them, they're all gone! Thank you!" Ceana always has responded the same way. We just tell her "Thank you," for scaring off whatever big nasties are outside. She will stop barking and get that proud dog look for a job well accomplished.

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When Travis barks, I use the other Cobra radio and "call" him. He hears the ring tone and then he hears my voice right in his ear, "Quiet!" For really bad cases, you could raise your voice, but the normal tone seems to work with Travis.

 

I love it! I'll pass the idea onto some friends with barky dogs.

 

My dad bought one of those ultrasonic bark controls and mounted it by the front door. I wish he had asked me first, because I could have told him that it wouldn't work. The only time their dog barks is if he sees a dog outside (which isn't often). I'm fairly sure he bought it because he thought it would help Diocese with his reactivity at the front door when we are visiting. Problem is, once D is really reacting he is in a different world and doesn't usually hear a thing. A little annoying sound isn't going to stop that.

 

I could see it being useful for recreational barkers, but neither of ours are.

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