Note: This is a review – click here if you want to go directly to the product.

My favorite citronella collar is the Innotek Anti-Bark Spray Collar. I’ve tried a couple of different collars on my Scottish Terrier named Apple but this is the one that fits the best.

It also seems to have the most effect, I’m guessing either because of the aim or the potency of the citronella spray. Apple wasn’t distracted enough with other collars so she’d continue barking a few more times after the spray, but the Innotek startles her enough to forget whatever she was barking at.

One problem is that without the bark collar on, Apple knows she’s safe and continues barking. But thankfully she’s only nuisance barking when I’m at work and unable to comfort her alone at home, so that’s fine.

Also, the battery and spray canisters don’t last for a very long time, probably around 2 weeks for me. Of course, this will differ depending on how often your dog barks. They’re not exactly cheap either, like $10 for a canister and $5 for batteries. Thankfully, Apple figured out pretty quick that it was the collar spraying her and learned to stop barking when she had it on, so I only had to buy refills once. After that, just having the collar on was pretty much enough.

I only used the bark collar to buy us some time – I was really busy in my career and didn’t have time for proper training for Apple. Unfortunately her barking was getting out of hand and the cops were called on us for noise violations while I was at work, so this device was a lifesaver. After my big project at work was finished and I finally had some free time, Apple and I did some dog training which removed the problem entirely.

The course we went through was Dove Cresswell’s which I very highly recommend. She’s a popular Hollywood dog trainer and has very positive teaching techniques. It’s a very fun course and extremely easy to understand. Best of all, the lessons are in video format, which is so much better than a PDF for showing you how to do the training. There’s even a full 60 day money back guarantee, which made me feel a lot better before I bought. The training does take a little time though, but it’s a great investment – Apple is now better behaved than ever, even without the bark collar. She even learned a couple of new tricks to impress the guests with!

Click here to check out Dove’s course.

Click here to read more reviews about the Innotek citronella collar.

A lot of people tend to prefer shock collars versus citronella collars, but I always thought that was super inhumane. I mean, who wants to get electricity coursing through their body? Not me, and I certainly wouldn’t want that for my dog Apple either.

But I get it – if you’re at your wit’s end to find a solution for your barking dog and your neighbors are breathing down your neck, there’s not really many options and you might feel like you have to do whatever it takes. But I just found some academic research from Cornell University that says citronella collars are actually MORE effective than shock collars!

Check it out here: http://www.news.cornell.edu/chronicle/96/6.6.96/barking.html

Basically, their research says that dogs actually tolerate strange odors less than painful shocks, so they learn not to bark faster using a citronella collar versus a shock collar.

So please, if you’re considering a shock collar, you shouldn’t anymore!

Instead, take a look at the Innotek bark collar here!

Here are some quick videos of various dogs who have anti bark spray collars on. As you can see, sometimes it takes them a couple of barks to figure out to stop, and other times the dog is smart (or surprised) enough to stop barking immediately!

Unfortunately I don’t have a video camera so I can’t record Apple’s reactions, but they’re basically the same.

I hope it helps you decide whether or not a training collar is right for you and your pet!

There are different types of no bark collars out there, so why pick the citronella collar?

Well, first let’s take a look at the options available:

• Electric / shock collars
• Ultrasonic devices
• Professional dog training

Obviously, professional dog training is the best option. I personally highly recommend Dove Cresswell’s training program – she has lots of easy to follow videos with really insightful lessons on how to train your dog. Apple and I went through her course and it helped her behavior a LOT! However, it takes a bit of time and I had a busy schedule with my career for a long time, so I wasn’t able to dedicate the hours to train her.

→ Click here to learn more about Dove Cresswell’s dog training program.

Next up, we have electronic shock collars. These anti bark training collars work by sending an electric shock when it detects that the dog has started barking. They do tend to be more effective than citronella collars at stopping barking. Unfortunately, although scientific studies show that their use does not harm dogs psychologically, they seem to be quite painful. Some folks have experienced their dogs getting some nasty looking skin irritation from the collars. Also, shock collars are getting banned in some places like Wales. You can read more about these issues on Wikipedia here.

Lastly, we have ultrasonic devices. I’ve done a lot of research and the general consensus is that these bark deterrents are basically useless. The theory is that when the device sense the dog barking, it emits ultrasonic noises which dogs are sensitive to, and they’ll stop barking. In practice, it’s not fair to other dogs in the area plus they don’t seem to mind all that much. They probably think it’s just some noise and has nothing to do with their barking. I have some friends that bought the ultrasonic no bark machines and all of them agree – they don’t work.

So why citronella collars then?

A citronella bark collar is just a special type of anti bark collar. You simply put the collar around your dog’s neck, aiming the nozzle at your dog’s snout. If the training collar detects that your dog has barked, it will spray a harmless citronella mist, surprising your dog and teaching it not to bark. This negative reinforcement gives the dog immediate feedback that barking is bad, training it to stop barking.

It’s very important to make sure to point the spray at the dog’s snout, otherwise it will not have the maximum effect. Many people who report that the citronella collar doesn’t work forgot this essential step.

The spray is a mix of water and citronella oil, which is completely natural and harmless plant oil commonly used in candles and mosquito repellant. It smells citrusy, but is unpleasant to a dog’s sensitive nose, rewarding it to not bark.

There are sensitive electronics in the spray collar that detect both the barking sound and the vibrations in your dog’s throat caused by the barking to make sure that it was actually the dog wearing the training collar that barked instead of another dog in your house or in your neighborhood. This makes sure that your poor dog does not get punished undeservingly from another dog’s barking.

Citronella bark collars use batteries to send out the mist and also containers of citronella spray. These are all refillable or replaceable so that you can use the collar over and over again if necessary. However, many dogs quickly learn to stop barking so hopefully you won’t have to keep using it!

To control nuisance barking, dog owners are looking for options to keep the neighbors happy and maintain their own sanity. Shock collars and citronella collars are both easy to use (they work on their own), but differ in approach.

Shock Collar

Also referred to as an electric collar or electric dog collar, a shock collar is a no-bark device that works with a vibration sensor. Whenever the dog engages in barking, the collar causes a sensation of physical pain to the dog by releasing an electric shock against the skin of the neck by completing a circuit. The collar has different levels that determine the strength of each electrical shock that is delivered to the dog. These different settings also exist to take different dog sizes into account.

Citronella Collar

Also known as a citronella dog collar or a citronella bark collar, this device includes a microphone and a nozzle. The microphone detects whenever the dog barks, and the latter delivers a burst of citronella spray (instead of an electric shock) upon barking. Citronella, as a plant essence, is a natural substance with a smell that people tend to enjoy, but dogs do not like.

Effectiveness

According to the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, electric shock is less effective than a spray of fragrant essence. Cornell’s website also reports that electric shock did not work on half of the studied dogs at all. The study showed that nuisance barking was either completely eliminated or minimized using a citronella collar with an efficiency rate of 88 percent.

Comparison

Individual dog owners who have used shock collars have reported burns on the dog’s skin and also observed hair loss around the neck areas. The 1996 May-June issue, Vol. 32 of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association reports that dog owners who tried both anti-barking methods also preferred the citronella collar over the shock collar as a more effective tool.

Since electric collars are illegal in Europe, animal lovers also prefer a citronella bark collar for humane reasons. Other concerns about the shock devices include that impatient dog owners may use them at the highest setting, even on smaller animals.