Having a pet in your life can change your whole perspective on it. But keeping a pet, such as a dog, safe and healthy can be quite challenging, especially if you are limited on time. When it comes to dogs, although barking is part of their nature, it can become a real problem if it’s not managed. To keep your dog silent and prevent it from disturbing your neighbours, investing in a collar is a smart move.
But buying just any collar won’t do the trick. Although there are different types of dog collars, the most effective one, in this case, would be a bark collar. Small dogs are often the ones that wear these collars since small breeds are known for being louder. No bark collars for small dogs are mainly used to control barking, not eliminate it completely. Correcting the behaviour of your dog and keeping it from barking when it’s on its own can also be a reason to buy a bark collar.
Are Bark Collars Safe for Small Dogs?
No matter the breed or size of your dog, all bark collars are made to correct and prevent your pup from becoming a nuisance. You can safely control your small dog’s barks as all collars to stop dogs barking for small dog are designed to correct their behaviour, not punish them.
Types of Bark Collars
Ultrasonic
This type of bark collar sets off every time your dog barks and it uses a sound as a stimulus. This sound cannot be heard by humans so you’ll rest assured no neighbours will be annoyed by it every time your dog tries to bark. Some ultrasonic collars to stop dogs barking for small dog also use vibration together with the sound for a more effective correction.
Static
While you might think that sending an electric shock to your dog’s neck is inhumane, that’s not the case since the amount is so little it can’t harm them in any way. In fact, static collars are some of the most effective devices. But if you don’t want to expose your dog to static shocks all day, you can target its snout.
Citronella
This type of small dog bark collars spray a cent which is usually citronella or lemon that is safe for pets and humans. The smell of that scent is unpleasant for dogs and thus it disrupts their behaviour. Citronella bark collars detect your dog’s barking with the help of sensors. Different dog breeds may react differently to this so make sure that the product you’re getting is made for your dog.
Vibration
Only small dog bark collars will send a vibrating sensation to your dog’s skin. These devices work by having a sensor which needs to be placed on your dog’s neck. This way your dog can detect the vibrations and stop barking.
Important Features to Look For
Neck Circumference
For a no bark collar for small dogs to be effective, it needs to fit your dog’s size and neck circumference. The former is what you should pay attention to when it comes to the fit of the collar. You don’t want the collar to be too loose as the sensors won’t work well. But you also don’t want the collar to sit too tight as it can leave marks and bruises on its neck even if the collar doesn’t get triggered. Make sure to measure your dog’s neck diameter so that when you’re looking for a collar, you know exactly what to get. Usually, the manufacturer states which dog breed their collars are compatible with.
Weight
Your dog’s weight is also important as it helps determine the type of collar they need to wear. There are collars made for dogs as heavy as 55 kg and as light as 1.3 kg. If your dog weighs less than 1.3 kg then you shouldn’t put any sort of bark collar on it. Weigh your dog if you haven’t and look for the manufacturer’s recommendation on which sort of correction output you need for the collar to be working with. Too high of a shock or impulse can hurt your dog, but a level that’s too low might be ineffective.
False Triggers
Another popular feature that the majority of no-bark collars have today is the false trigger proofing. This prevents barks from other dogs to trigger the collar. This way your dog won’t get capped or sprayed for no reason at all. This can have a negative effect on your dog. Your dog will be easily scared as it won’t associate the correction with anything. This feature is handy especially if you use a collar that relies on sound alone to detect barking.