PetSafe Basic Bark Control Collar for Dogs 8 lb. and Up, Anti-Bark Training Device, Breeds, Waterproof, Static Correction, Canine - Automatic Dog Training Collar to Decrease Barking

First, I hate bark collars. I hate when they're used as a crutch by lazy owners who want to leave their dogs out all the time, but don't want to have their neighbors complain when the dogs voice their boredom. I've always been against shock collars. Then I adopted a 10 yo, stubborn ox of a dog who would not stop barking. I really don't think she realizes that she is barking half the time, she just gets in the zone and keeps going. It was awful, absolutely awful. And mind you, I do NOT keep my dogs in the yard for extended periods of time. I let them out to potty (and play if the weather's nice), but they live indoors. She just needed to be outside for a minute or two before something caught her attention and the ridiculous barking started (and wouldn't stop).I strongly suggest to anyone with a dog that barks to try some training to see if you can curb the barking. Dogs bark; they're dogs. I have three dogs, and I had never considered a bark collar for either of the others, even though they would bark sometimes. If the barking got out of hand, a scolding from me would stop it. No big deal. The third dog defied all training attempts, and in the end I caved in and got a bark collar.First, I tried a citronella collar that would spray under her nose when she barked. That worked for less than a week before she decided she didn't care - barking was much more fun. I didn't like that the spray collar would not give a warning before spraying, either. With this Petsafe collar, when the dog barks, they are given a warning vibration. If they choose to continue to bark, the vibration turns to a low correction and escalates. Most dogs should respond after the first warning, or else the first correction. Mine usually does. Actually, she got to the point where she knew what having the collar on meant, and she just didn't bark. It's an absolute miracle.***PLEASE*** Not all dogs are meant to have these devices used on them. I still strongly believe that. One of my dogs is a very soft dog that easily has her feelings hurt (she is neither scared nor submissive, just soft). I would never, ever put this collar on her. I have no doubt it would cause fear issues, and I beg of anyone who is looking to buy this collar (or anything similar) to consider all options before subjecting your dog to physical corrections. Know your dog and what such things will do to it. The dog I use this collar on will come to me, tail wagging, to get the collar before she goes outside. She knows what it does and chooses not to act in a way that will get her corrections.NOTE: Less than a year after I purchased this collar, I had to send it back. The battery lasted almost a year, which is great. When the dog started barking again, I realized that she had discovered the collar no longer had any power over her. I purchased a pair of new batteries from the local pet store, but when I tried to remove the old battery, I could not. The area where you should be able to insert a coin and then turn the battery to the left just came apart and stripped off. I did not leave the dog out in bad weather or for extended periods of time, so I'm not sure what caused it to get locked in there so good. The upside of this is that as soon as I contacted customer service and proved that I had had the collar less than a year, they provided me with two exchange options. I ended up sending the collar to them, and they sent me a new one once the old one was received. It only cost me the shipping one way and didn't take very long.My dog regressed to her bad habits for a couple weeks while I purchased batteries, contacted customer service, shipped it out and waited for its return. As soon as she had it on her (and she made sure it was working), she has been a dream outside in the yard again. She does not bark, and she does continue to come eagerly to get her collar on when it;s time to go outside (and a couple times while outside and we realized we forgot to put it on her). Not only does it keep my neighbors from hating her (and us), it makes us like her more, too!Despite my issue, I am giving this collar 5 Stars for ease of use, the varying degrees of correction (including the very important warning), and the wonderful customer service and warranty policies. From now on, I will be removing the battery periodically just to make sure it stays in good shape.

Our three-year-old German Shepherd, Ollie (short for 'Olivia'), ordinarily doesn't bark too much. But, while she loves to go for rides in the car, once in the car, she barked frantically and uncontrollably for the duration of the trip. The noise was deafening and she threw spit all over the place; not too nice for the other passengers. A year earlier, we installed an Invisible Fence around our yard, which works with a "correction" collar, and Ollie took to that extremely well. She knows her boundaries and loves to run and play within them. When a dog trainer suggested that a no-bark collar would be the best way to solve the barking-in-the-car issue, I researched several collars. Some were more expensive than this one, but this brand was strongly recommended by several sources. Even PetSafe has some different types of collars, but I tried this one. I was amazed at how quickly Ollie learned the Invisible Fence process, so I should not have been surprised when she got this collar. But I was. I'm so grateful that it works. The first time she wore it, she barked once in the car and then, blessed silence. Since then, a month later, she occasionally "tests" the collar, but then remembers that it's not the right thing to bark in the car. One bark and that's enough. I only use the collar in the car. Ollie learned quickly when it's OK to bark and when it's not. Once out of the car, she doesn't go bonkers with barking, but she knows that, if needed, she can bark again. I love this dog!A few notes:Before I got any correction collars, I was concerned about the effects on Ollie. Several sources that I trust told me that correction collars are proven ways to train dogs and that the dogs will not be hurt. Ollie has proven them right. With each collar that I got, Invisible Fence and No-bark, I tested the "corrections". Even at full strength, it's not as bad as some static electricity shocks I've gotten. When Ollie is corrected, she looks annoyed, but not hurt. She hasn't gotten a correction from the Invisible Fence in a long time, but the no-bark collar correction seems to be just a reminder to her that she takes in stride and adjusts her attitude. After the reminder, she's still a happy passenger in the car, watching the world outside go by.With all the millions of dogs out there, I don't assume that this will be the solution for every one. It works great for Ollie, but some dogs may not learn how to deal with it. I was very skeptical before we got the Invisible Fence how it would work for Ollie; less concerned before we got the no-bark collar. I'm thrilled that she accepted both. And, as she may no longer need the Invisible Fence collar to stay in the yard, I assume that, eventually, she may not need the no-bark collar to stay quiet in the car. I don't consider either collar a burden to the dog and she doesn't seem to mind them either.Other reviewers of this product said that the batteries don't last long. Of course, if the dog wears it all the time and barks a lot, the battery will be used up more quickly. A month after getting this collar, and using it only for once-a-day car rides, we're still on the first battery. I have two more ready to go and I'll check the low-battery light daily. I'll make a judgement later as to whether the battery lasts long enough. The replacements should be a little cheaper; do a little shopping on the internet before you buy extra batteries.Summary, while it may not be everyone's solution, it's saved my ears and kept the spit out of my car. I'm very happy with this collar.