Is a bark collar the same as an anti-barking collar?

Our Bark Collar and anti-barking collar have evolved over the last couple of decades to address the problem of dogs barking excessively. It’s only natural for dogs to bark when they are excited or feel threatened. However, sometimes dogs get in the habit of barking too much when they are bored, frustrated or looking for attention. If dogs don’t respond to conventional training methods, barking collars can be a useful training and management tool to teach your dog an acceptable level of barking.

It is a misconception to think that barking collars and anti-barking collars stop your dog from barking completely. This is simply not true. Anti-barking collars allow your dog to bark for an acceptable period of time before giving them a warning sound that says, “hey that’s enough barking!” If the audible signal is not enough to deter their barking, a harmless electrical stimulation provides another short warning. If the dog continues to bark, the bark collar emits further warnings. Quality suppliers of anti-barking collars have built a safety feature into the design which stops the warning signals from being emitted after a couple of minutes or so have passed. This is to address the possibility of your pet being in real distress. Barking collars have had a bit of a dodgy reputation due to cheap below standard models available online. It is important to choose a quality anti-barking collar such as those developed by Dogwatch and distributed through Hidden Fence.

It is interesting to watch a dog learn the parameters of the barking collar. They very quickly learn their way around the warning signals, learning just how much they can bark before the stimulation kicks in. Some pets develop a low growl which sits just below the threshold of triggering a warning to stop the bark. The outcome is much more socially acceptable, while still allowing your pet to express themselves.

Historically, there has been confusion over the terms barking collars and anti-barking collars. This is partly because different manufacturers promote their products differently. Technically from a grammatical perspective, you would think that a barking collar would encourage or teach your dog to bark more. Actually, the term barking collar has been adopted as a shortened version of the term anti-barking collar. The term anti-barking collar is more accurate as it suggests discouraging barking. However, the shortened version “barking collar” is commonly used.

So really the difference between a barking collar and an anti-barking collar is all in the name and how those terms have been used historically. If you are considering a barking collar for your dog, a google search of both terms will help you.

In Australia, a reputable company to deal with is Hidden Fence. They value quality and the safety and welfare of your dog. Additionally, they offer further training to help you and your dog learn how to correctly use the barking collar. Training could simply be in the form of instructional videos or could actually be onsite depending on your needs. Give them a call to see how they can help you.

Check out our bark collar in our webshop.