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Using an anti-barking device for my dog

parrotluv

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the kink I am considering is a high frequency device that sound when the dog barks, will this bother the birds? Will it sound off when the birds squak and bother the dogs when they didn't bark? I have one little dog and barks at almost any little noise she hears outside and sometimes she suddenly barks and runs to the door, scaring the birds and myself at time. Any ideas?
 

animallover

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parrotluv thats a good question.......I have 4 dogs and 2 of them bark at the slightest thing and they bark LOUD and they are little to medium dogs. It can be so annoying. I was considering bark collars also but never thought about it bothering my parrot. I will be interested to find out. Thanks for asking it.
 

Mizzely

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Don't they go off whenever they hear any loud noise? :confused: I'm sure my birds could trigger it!
 

Danita

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Do you have any sort of thing that creates white noise, like a loud air cleaner, or fan or something?
Sometimes that helps.
I don't think a bark collar will work. There is no quick fixes with animals unfortunately. Lots of distraction and rewards, my dogs bark like crazy, but I can see it start and I catch it, distract them and reward.
 

macawpower58

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Is the collar going to admit a high frequency sound? Am I understanding you right?

If so, yes it'll bother the birds I'm pretty sure. Anything that admits high pitched noises (like insect/rodent deterrents) have warnings not to use around birds and hamsters/rats etc...

I'd research more before you decide on something like that.
 

Ankou

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It is my understanding that birds can hear them. I would also suspect a loud bird could trigger it.

Personally, I'm with Danita on this one. It's just like birds, catch the behavior right before it starts, distract and refocus. Praise silence when they would normally be barking.
It also sounds like your little girl may lack confidence too, is she barking out of fear? You could try to build up her courage (carefully) if this is the case, if she gains confidence she may learn on her own she doesn't need to bark at every little noise.
 

Love My Zons

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Dogs bark for various reasons. The barking you describe is what happens here daily. I have two girls who are larger mixed breeds and when I am home alone they are always on a high alert. They bark at everything, someone jogging by the house, someone walking a baby in a carriage, the mailman driving up to the box, you name it they are on it.

It stops when I tell them to knock it off! It is annoying sometimes but I have found that this behavior is happening when I am home alone and the other half isn't here. If they carry on they will listen better with him when he tells them to stop. Some days when I am home alone I end up just running errands so it doesn't bother me. But when I am here there are times when it gets on my last nerve.

My birds also start to carry on and bark but they are not bothered by the dogs.

There are methods I had been told about in basic obedience classes such as a change filled coffee can. Diverting the barking to a shaking that can can make them stop. I am not a pro by far since my dogs barely listen to me :hehe: I let them get away with most everything but still I hear you on this one annoying as can be.

I would NOT use a collar as such with dogs hearing so sensitive to a high pitched device. Behavior can be corrected with positive reinforcement but diversion into play or something good can stop this when it starts.
 

Vega

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There is a bark collar that uses a citronella spray, rather than noises or shocks. The theory is that the vibration of the bark triggers a spray towards their face. I dont know how the spray would impact the birds though. They may have made advances in the collar since I sold them at a pet store 15 years ago. But it's something to look into.
 

Buckbeak

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Five yip-yap little dogs over here in this household. As a last resort and when they are on our last nerve, we squirt them with a water gun. We don't like to do it but when they all get together for a group freakout session, it is just too ridiculous to calm them all down.

I have noticed that even shaking the water bottle as a warning will stop most of them from barking, but at most one squirt at their backs completely shuts them up.
 

parrotluv

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We have two dogs a ••••zu that never barks (she is the obedient one and hates to be in trouble) and the other is a bischon frisee that barks especially when visitors or anyone for that matter is at the door, delivery person, so when she hears something out front she thinks its someone coming to the door. That is when the most barking starts. The citronella I would think is harmful around birds. I did do some search and seems that the birds do not hear the frequency, but wanted to see if others have actually used them around birds.
 

Akoni

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No one has said it yet, so I will. A bark collar is an aversive method. In some dogs, using aversive methods can create or exacerbate aggressive behavior or result in the opposite effect, a fearful dog. Why not spend the money you would have spent on a positive reinforcement trainer, who can help you teach your dog the quiet cue? Same effect, but your dog will like this option a lot more. :) Training is also a good release for high energy dogs. If your dog has access to windows he can look out and gets opportunities to practice barking, it's making this behavior worse as well. Barking is reinforcing; if he's barking at people and they continue on their way, he thinks his barking caused them to move away. My advice is to limit his opportunities to bark and call up a local positive reinforcement trainer.
 

BraveheartDogs

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I am a professional behavior consultant. Barking is a symptom of something. Either the dog is alerting to something, lonelt, frustrated etc. In my experience there are no quick fixes for barking. You have to determine the cause and then train the dog. Bark collars and other devices may make the barking stop but they aren't dealing with the actual causr ir teaching the dog to do something else instead.

And yes, those devices can and do affect birds and also other dogs in the neighborhood who may not even be barking. We actually had a member whose parrot started screaming after the neighbor began using one of these things.
 

HowlsOfAngels

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Personally, I have 5 dogs,two of which can get bored/frustrated and begin barking frantically at our one section of wood fence, this behavior is accompanied by pacing and in one case screaching (only when the yearling gets worked up to that point).

I've managed to lessen the behavior by calling both girls toward me as I run to the other side of the yard, when I have their attention I will redirectthem with some obedience practice or a toy, my girls are very athletic so this can mean anything from leaping shoulder hieght to snatch a toy (the older brat has good aim so she is the only one allowed to do this), playing tug of war or tag, or practicing short stays while I throw in their release word as I ramble and slowly walk away.

If one girl runs back to the fence and the other stays I ignore the deviator until she returns (and why wouldn't she, the other girl gets to play with mom, a high value reward for some). If you can't find a trainer, be creative and focus on what you do want them to do as opposed to what you don't want them to do.
 

dwright27

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I work with dogs also, and I'm with everyone else. Seek out a positive reinforcement trainer, distract and re-direct. Aversive collars can confuse and frighten the dog and yes I think the citronella would be harmful to the birds. If the cause turns out to be anxiety or fear of some sort, perhaps Rescue Remedy could be of some help. But even that can be more of a band-aid solution.
You can also use her barking as a trick. Once you have "speak" on cue, you can start to get the "shush" as well.
 
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