Citronella Dog Collar – What Are They

What Citronella Dog Collar Are and Do they Work?

The citronella dog collar is commonly used within the dog training industry to help control nuisance barking.citronella dog collar This type of collar directs a citronella spray up at your dog whenever he barks. The newer models respond both to the sound of barking and also the vibration of the vocal cord.

 

 

Do Citronella Anti-Bark Collars Work?

Whenever there is some new gadget for dogs on the market, pet owners want to know immediately if it works. A study conducted at the Cornell Animal Behavior Clinic seems to indicate that the citronella collar does. About 90 percent of the dog owners who participated in this small study did have success with it. In addition, the collar has received a rating of four and a half stars on Amazon with more than a thousand reviews from owners of the product.

 

The Pros and Cons of Citronella Dog Collars

As with any product, there are pros and cons to using it. Probably the best reason for using this type of collar is the fact that it is so humane. Instead of subjecting your dog to small electric shocks, you are actually using an odor to change the negative behavior. Some animal lovers even like the smell of citronella-especially when compared to that all-too-familiar "doggy odor." It is also important to note that the collar typically allows for quieter barks, so your dog will still be able to communicate needs without getting sprayed.

However, there have been some reports that the citronella spray can stain furniture if the dog is lying on a couch or chair when he starts barking. Also if you have a small dog, it can be very difficult to size the collar down because it is rather large. And if you forget to turn the collar off, you face a few consequences. Of course the battery will run out, and you also eliminate all types of barking-even playful barking if it happens to be too loud.

 

Conclusions and Recommendations

In short, the citronella dog collar is a good solution for dogs that have a nuisance barking problem. However, there are a few situations in which it generally isn't recommended, including:

  • If you have more than one dog, the collar will be ineffective because it does spray the wearer even if he is not barking but another dog in the vicinity is barking.
  • Be sure to target the use of this collar. The battery doesn't last very long, and it isn't meant to be the equivalent of debarking surgery. Just put it on your dog during specific times when you don't want him to bark (like when you're gone at work for the day or you will be coming in at late hours and don't want to wake the neighbors, etc.)
  • Start out using the collar only in situations where you will be present and you know he will bark.
  • Use the collar with it switched off after he's trained.