You have tried every training method and every trick, visited with several animal behaviorists and talked with every trainer you could find. You are at the end of your rope, the neighbors are complaining and when the police officer showed up at your door a few minutes ago, you were ready for him to take you away in handcuffs. Instead, he gave you a verbal warning about disturbing the peace and told you to do something about the noise but you explained to him that no matter what you do, your dog still barks. He said two things - something about a citronella collar and if that does not work, it could be time to visit the vet. What is a citronella collar and what does he mean by a trip to the vet?

Citronella or bark collars are electronic collars used to control barking. They have a small box that, when it detects a bark, it releases a spray of citronella oil as a form of aversion training. It does not hurt but the face full of lemon oil is enough to make anyone stop barking! They work extremely well but with a caveat – most dogs learn that it is only necessary to stop barking when the collar is on meaning that to have a silent house, the collar must stay on at all times. A few dogs may also learn to bark through the lemon which leaves your house with a lovely lemon Pledge scent but this is not harmful to your dog.

When purchasing a bark collar, buy the best quality you can afford. They are designed to take an impact and to be worn by an active dog but not all are designed to last for years of hard use. Choose a collar that is appropriate for the size of your dog – most manufacturers now have a small dog version that is less cumbersome for a small dog.

There are also remote controlled bark collars and shock bark collars but both come with the same warning as the citronella collar – they only teach the dog not to bark when they are wearing the collar. The remote collar also requires you to react quickly and effectively when they are barking – something that is difficult to do when you are busy or at work. When looking to buy a shock bark collar, look for one that has technology designed to read the level of intensity required to stop the nuisance barking.

Newer on the market are ultrasonic barking devices that come as both a collar and a separate box unit for use within the house or yard. These devices emit an unpleasant ultrasonic sound when they detect a bark that only dogs hear, breaking the bark pattern quickly and without the lemon scented side effects. However, these too come with a caveat – they do not work in a multi-dog family where there are one or more noisy dogs and one or more quiet dogs as any dog within 50 feet are punished for the bark of the noisy one.

If all else fails, the last option is having the dog debarked. Debarking is a surgical procedure that ranges from taking the edge out of a dog’s bark to removing the vocal chords completely. It sounds barbaric but when all training fails to eliminate the bark and you are at the end of your rope, debarking might be the only option that allows you to keep your dog. Talk to your vet about the procedure and be ready to explain all the training methods you have already tried on your pooch – most vets hate doing the surgery and will only perform it when everything else has failed and there is an imminent threat of you being forced to give up the dog.

There are many options out there for stopping, or at least limiting, the impact of your dog’s barking on both your life and that of your family and neighbors. Training is essential but for many instinctual barkers, that is not enough. Research your options and try a bark collar – they work well for nine out of ten problem barkers. The last option is debarking and if it is a matter of giving up your four-legged friend or having them debarked, the decision is pretty easy!