The Citronella Dog Collar - Safe And Effective

Studies and testing by animal behaviorists have found that a little squirt of specific aromas beneath the chin of a dog outdoes an electrical shock in terms of effectiveness. Even dog owners, upon trying the two methods, prefer the spritz under the chin. It’s all about behavior modification or in simple English, stop that darn dog from barking.

There are lots of reasons to want your dog not to bark, even though that’s his job. Neighbors, the mailman, a sleeping child, a sleeping spouse or your own level of sanity can all be reasons to try to keep your dogs barking to a minimum. However, there are times when you want your dog to bark; let’s say a prowler comes along. Would you rather your dog welcome him with open paws, lick his hand and show him the way to your home safe? Or should we let the dog bark with an occasional nip at the heels of your next burglar? This is not a trick question, the choice is easy and a citronella dog collar makes the task even easier.

What’s the Best Citronella Dog Collar and How Much?  

There are several citronella dog collars with a price range as high as $90.00 down to a low of $30.00. The best of these, with a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com, is the Multi Vet Gentle Spray Citronella Anti Bark Collar. It sells for just a little over $36.00 at Amazon, is adjustable and reportedly works like a charm. Coming in at second place is the PetSafe Deluxe Spray Bark Control Collar costing a little more (Ouch but it’s worth it). It adjusts to a length of up to 28 inches, holds 50 sprays, is waterproof, and has a quick release and a low battery light. Last but not least, is the Premier Spray Sense Anti Bark Collar. The collar is reasonably priced at about $31.00, adjusts to up to 24 inches, has an on and off switch and is guaranteed to last for a lifetime (I’m not sure if that’s your lifetime or the dogs). All are refillable with refills that have been rated exactly the same as the collars listed above.

There’s More to it than Meets the Eye 

Up until now, we have discussed the benefits of the citronella dog collar on the basis of an anti barking solution. Many of the citronella dog collars, however, come with a remote control to be utilized as a training tool. The use of this depends on by which method you choose to train your dog. The reward method, for example, would not be conducive to using a remote control to emit a fragrance that the dog does not enjoy. There is – amazingly enough – a different collar for that. Training by reprimand, however, would fit in with the use of this collar as a training tool.

Scent or shock? Scent! It’s a personal choice that I would personally choose over a shock collar any day of the week. I had a neighbor once who complained about my dogs’ barking and suggested that we use a shock collar on them. It just so happened that he had two kids who were extremely noisy and annoying. Guess what I suggested to him (wink).