Bark Collar Buying Guide

We define a bark collar as a collar your dog can wear that corrects your dog’s behaviour when it senses barking. This is a collar you put on your dog for short periods of time, preferably whilst you are at home, and you don’t need to push a button for your dog to be corrected.

A training collar is a device that trains a specific behaviour out of your dog, such as climbing onto furniture, jumping up on people, or recall issues. These collars come with a remote, so you control when your dog is corrected. Over time, your dog will have the specific behaviour corrected out of them.

It’s important to note that a training collar cannot auto-detect the behaviours you choose to be corrected, whilst a bark collar auto-detects barking. Read our training collar buying guide here.

	What Does it Do	Dog Personality it Suits
Sound	Emits a beep sound to act as a warning or correction.	Dogs that respond well to sound-based cues or those sensitive to higher intensity corrections.
Vibration	Vibrates against the dog's neck. Some collars allow you to adjust the vibration strength, making it a stronger correction if needed.	Dogs that are sensitive or may not respond to sound.
Static Shock	Sends a static shock to the outer neck. Some collars also beep before sending the shock as a warning.	Stubborn dogs or dogs that require a higher level of correction.

Please note: We currently do not stock any vibration collars that are remote-free, thus all of our vibration collars are considered training collars in our buying guides.

Choosing the correct bark collar depends on your dog, its size, its personality, and your preferences. Here are a few key factors to consider before you purchase a bark collar.

What sort of correction does your dog need? If you haven't tried a bark collar before, it's recommended to start off with a sound or vibration collar first. If you have a highly stubborn dog, then using a static shock collar may be more suitable for your needs.

Sound-based dog collars emit a beep sound to distract your dog from continuing its barking. This is the best option for those who have a sensitive dog or for dog training beginners.

Vibration collars provide a stronger correction than sound alone and are ideal for dogs that may not be responsive to beeping sounds. Some models allow you to adjust the intensity of the vibration, ensuring it matches your dog's needs.

A static shock collar sends a small static shock when it senses barking; we recommend you try them on yourself (in your hand) first. Testing the device on yourself helps you understand what your dog will feel and know what level you're comfortable setting the device at. A static shock collar is an effective training tool for stubborn dogs and owners who have tried every other training method to no avail.

If you are unsure which sort of correction you prefer, try using a sound or vibration collar first. If your dog continues barking through the sound and vibration, move onto a static shock collar option. 

Most static shock collars have a variety of intensity level options. Some go as high as 127, others are on a 1 to 10 scale. This allows you to control the intensity of the static shock, and ensure you are never harming your dog. Again, we recommend trying the collar in the palm of your hand to ensure that the intensity is acceptable for your dog.

Make sure to buy a collar that suits the size of your dog. For both bark and training collars, it’s very common for them to provide a size guide based on weight. This is to ensure that the collar will fit your dog’s neck. By buying a bark collar that has a weight range your dog falls into, it’s very likely the collar will both fit your dog and be comfortable for them to wear.

If you know your dog loves to dunk its head into the water bowl, frolic in the rain, or likes to play rough, make sure you invest in a collar that can last. Most of our collars are waterproof, with some even being submersible. When looking at each bark collar, make sure it matches your dog’s lifestyle.

There are a variety of contextual personality traits you should consider when investing in a bark collar. Considering personality is important; your dog needs to respond appropriately to the correction and not have their behaviour be overcorrected.

If you have a dog who is anxious or sensitive and you think may react negatively to feeling a static shock, a sound or vibration collar is a perfect fit for them. It provides enough of a distraction to teach them to stop continuing with their excessive barking, without adding to their anxiety.

If you have a dog who is stubborn, determined, or perhaps was a rescue dog who came from an abusive environment, a static shock collar is usually a better fit. This allows you to correct your dog’s behaviour without getting into any worrying situations, and you’ll quickly get the best out of your dog. Most dogs tend to learn from static shock collars very quickly. In a short period of time, both you and your neighbours will get some quiet.