# Citronella collars ???



## moblee (Dec 31, 2006)

(Very) occassionally our dog is left on his own for a few hours,different family members coming & going does not always cover a 24 hour day......,anyway our dog barks because of seperation/anxiety (The neighbour has told me) :twisted: 

And I told her how rare this happens :!: :!: 

My Question, 
Are these (spray) collars any good for controlling barking ?? Or am I barking up the wrong tree :lol:


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## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

I thought citronella was an insect repellent  

If the dog has separation anxiety the best way to deal with it (and only long term solution) is by behaviour modification - gradual desensitisation so it gets used to being left for progressively longer periods and knows that the owner will return. This can be achieved quite quickly

Chris


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## moblee (Dec 31, 2006)

ardgour said:


> I thought citronella was an insect repellent
> Chris


This is why I'm asking chris 

I thought there was a collar that gave a swift short spray when barking occurred.

But I don't want to traumatise him


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

moblee said:


> (Very) occassionally our dog is left on his own for a few hours,different family members coming & going does not always cover a 24 hour day......,anyway our dog barks because of seperation/anxiety (The neighbour has told me) :twisted:
> 
> And I told her how rare this happens :!: :!:
> 
> ...


Hi,

Are you implying, by the use of :twisted:, that you neighbour is twisted and evil because they have told you your dog is barking while you are out?


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## moblee (Dec 31, 2006)

What if I am Bill ?

You don't know the circumstances......She leaves her Cocker spaniels quite often :!:


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## Jented (Jan 12, 2010)

Hi.
It is sad when a dog misses you,and barks to get you backl,can you not ask the neighbour to look after it while you are away,and you look aftyer her dog?. Some dogs can sound very distressed when left on there own,and it can eat at your heart,the neighbour may have lower stress levels than you,think yourself lucky she has not called the RSPCA.
This is NOT a judgement on you,but it is easier to talk about a problem and find a solution where the dog is not further traumatised,than to ZAP it,when all it is doing is wanting to be with you,it probably thinks you are off in the m/h,enjoying yourself without it,LOL.
Sassies Dad.


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## tulsehillboys (Jul 22, 2010)

Leave the radio on at home - often works.


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## bulawayolass (Jul 27, 2010)

Agree with the above. Shock type collars and citronella etc often have bad consequences. 
Instead of solving the problem it expresses in other ways and may end up as destructive behaviour, self mutilation, health problems related to stress or even barking worse.
Also l have known these things fire off at other noises so poor dog may well get zapped when she/he was doing nothing.

Proper training is always the best. Would suggest a proper behaviourist to sort problems it isnt cheap but ad hock or untrained people can make things worse. look at APBC these are the people l always recommend they have a list of behaviourists/region.


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

moblee said:


> What if I am Bill ?
> 
> You don't know the circumstances......She leaves her Cocker spaniels quite often :!:


Just wanted clarification, in case I misunderstood what you said, before I formed an opinion.
I know how easy it is for neighbourly disputes to flair up by simple misunderstandings.


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## ThingyFromWales (Jul 15, 2007)

You could get a trainer to help you with separation anxiety. I think training your dog by leaving and returning frequently after short periods can help. Making the periods of absence steadily longer.
However, rather than a collar, we successfully used something like this 
http://www.safehomeproducts.com/shp2/es/bark-free.aspx
It quickly stopped a yappy dog and we didn't use it for long. It doesn't work if you have more than one dog though apparently.

Good luck, try a good doggy behaviour person. They can be so effective and you will know your dog is understood and dealt with as an individual.

Debs


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

I have been on the receiving end of a neighbours dog have seperation anxiety!! Trust me it is enough to drive a saint to drink.

Please sort this issue out ASAP If you are not present you have no idea just how ***** annoying/stressful/even uposetting it is to have a dog constantly yapping/barking/whining for hours on end.


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## Jented (Jan 12, 2010)

Hi Moblee.
Take heart,your dog must love you,to miss you,so fair play to you and yours,hope you get it sorted with more love,sassy will not be left in a room on her own,but we are the fourth or fifth "Pack"she has had to share life with,(and the longest),there are times when i know!! why she got moved on........."She?" says it all LOL..
Sassies transport manager


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## Westkirby01 (Jan 25, 2009)

We have a dog with separation anxiety.

We got him, when he was 12 years old, from Dogs trust. He was our 3rd 'old' dog. He never makes a sound in our company. As quiet as a church mouse.

He is a wonderful dog with only one problem. He barks incessantly when alone. No damage, just barks. He wags his tail all the time. He loves barking. 

Our solution?

We tried the training, leaving for a few minutes, then extending. No use, the moment we are out of site, bark, bark, bark.

We tried the silly acoustic collars, what a waste. We hear the noise, he never did as he was barking. Can you hear anyone else when you are shouting at the top of your voice?

The only thing that did work was one of the electric collars. He barked, received a shock did not bark. We though cured. Wrong! He would always try one bark after we left. Received a shock, then a few minutes later would try another bark, Received a shock, etc. The shocks made small scabs on the contact area. Rather have him bark than injured.

We tried the citronella. He barks, we see the spray. He keeps barking and the spray runs out. He continues to bark as now no spray.

Have we a solution? Well yes. We never go out without him. 

We do leave him in the car when we go shopping, all four windows open. He is never distressed as we aways see his tail wagging. People come to him and he sniffs and wags his tail. No problems. They leave, he barks. He as a bowl of water on the floor and drinks often. On return the tail nearly takes off, then a drink and a short walk.

As we have a motorhome we never leave him in the vehicle unattended whilst on a site. He is only on his own when we are shopping, and then the van is usually parked in a large carpark.

We travelled france recently. Were never worried that anyone would 'visit' our van whilst we were shopping.

The collars:- citronella, about £20. Accoustic, about £20. The electronic collar £80.

The only effective collar for us was the electric, but you must keep an eye on the dog from a distance to see if the reduction of the bark is permanent or will the dog keep 'testing'.

He is now 15 years, becoming a little creaky, but has a wonderful life. His tail never stops. He will bark today as we do the shop, preparing for the holiday during whcih we will to go the the Northern Motorhome show. Look at the Avatar, he is sitting on the grass by the front.

Hope the information helps.

Regards


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Seperation Distress is exactly what it says - distress. It is usually caused by a dog that is over attached to its owner. Sometimes the cause is frustration at not being included in the outing. The dog is not doing anything deliberately just expressing emotions.
The behaviour can be worked on but needs a concerted effort on the behalf of the owner with the help and guidance of a qualified pet behaviour therapist from either COAPE or APBC. Be very careful not to use one of the many unqualified people out there.
One word of warning - getting another dog is not the answer!!


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