white male consumer

After doing a bit of research – and tripping across a good deal on Amazon – I bought a spray-type no bark collar for my dog. Baja does respond to a “hush” command, but not reliably, and it’s hopeless when we leave him in the car alone. But he enjoys his rides.

Broadly, there are three choices in terms of collars: shock, sonic / ultrasonic, and spray. I was initially thinking of a shock collar, because he responded so well with the “electric fence” which works on the same principle. (A small shock to correct bad behavior, be it barking or running out of the yard.) But spray collars – which release a non-toxic (but obnoxious to the dog) odor upon barking – have high success rates in independent testing. Citronella is a popular scent option. The idea is that the dog is able to associate his nuisance barking with something he hears, smells, feels, and sees. As opposed to the shock, which can confuse some dogs (as well as increase anxiety).

Baja does not nuisance bark much other than when left alone, indicating separation anxiety as the cause. But it’s also his only bad behavior when alone, so I’m hopeful it can be solved.

I also bought a clicker to aid with training. Mostly so I qualified for free shipping.