No Bark, All Bite: The dangerous consequences of bark collars

Whether the sound is “woof, woof,woof,” “bork, bork, bork,” or “yip, yip, yip,” we can all agree that there is a certain line between acceptable dog barking and barking that becomes a nuisance.Sometimes we can tune out our dogs’ occasional barks, but sometimes it can be aggravating. In some cases, barking can be so serious to the point that our landlord is threatening to evict us from our home or apartment. This is where barking can be very problematic. I would be lying to say that my dogs’ barking does not aggravate me from time to time. I think we all can get aggravated. But what do we do about this if the barking is serious? What do we do if we face serious consequences to our dog’s barking?

If you search “bark solutions” on Google, the first several “solutions” are shock collars designed to distribute a short, painful electric shock whenever the dog growls or barks. Because of the sudden, short-term effects that it has exteriorly, this appeals to many people. To the untrained eye, it may seem like the behavior has been resolved, but eliminating this simple form of communication may have lasting, serious effects on your dog as well as the relationship your dog has with you. Using the shock collar is just a band-aid for the underlying issue. Just because the dog is not barking does not mean the root of the problem—the dog’s emotional response to a stimulus—has been resolved.

Dogs bark for a variety of different reasons. I group these reasons in a few different categories. First, dogs bark out of stress, anxiety, or fear. This is a very primitive response. Dating back to the earliest dog, even before domestication, puppies separated from its litter or mother whined for the mother to come find it. If we think about leaving our dogs alone, whining and barking is a response in attempt to draw the handler back to find them. If the dog is afraid or unsure when alone, a dog may bark when it hears a noise to warn or fend off any potential attack, or alert any other dog to its presence. Think of this as a defensive mechanism. Dogs will protect their territory from potential “threats” (such as a person walking a dog in the neighborhood, or a mailman approaching the porch) by barking. The next reason dogs bark is lack of physical and mental stimulation. Dogs may bark just because there is nothing else for the dog to do and it is occupying the dog. When a dog barks it is a release of energy the dog may have pent up. I see this in my Australian Shepherd, Berkley, when he doesn’t get adequate exercise: he is much more likely to bark. When he is properly exercised, he is much more likely to calm down and relax even when fire sirens or honking horns are heard nearby.

The last reason some dogs bark is because it is pleasurable to the dog. Some dogs just enjoy barking. Think of an excited dog: an excited dog may bark at the presence of a certain person or dog simply because the dog wants to greet their—new or old—friend. To summarize why dogs bark, barking is a common communication tool that they use when they are unable to use their primary form of communication: body language. One thing that many of us fail to realize is that body language is how our dogs communicate, even more so than barking. There is a sequence that a dog will escalate through when trying to communicate with people or other dogs, commonly called “The Canine Ladder of Aggression.” The signs begin more passively, such as the dog licking its lips, yawning, turning its head away or body away. If the animal or person does not pick up on these signals, the dog will escalate to communicate vocally by barking, then growling. If the person or animal still doesn’t “comply”, the dog then escalates to the last stage, snapping and biting.

The canine ladder of aggression parallels with the human ladder of aggression ( Shelley-Grielen). If you think about a conflict between two people, one person may passively avoid eye contact, fold their arms, and walk away, but as the conflict continues, the person may start to raise their voice, scream or clench their fist. The final phase in line with the dog’s snapping and biting is a person throwing something and punching or kicking. One person ignored all the prior signals, and the last resort is physical. This is where things become dangerous. By putting a shock collar on a dog, you are eliminating the dog’s usual method of communication. We have established why dogs bark, whether it be fear, excitement, or pent up energy. Being a normal form of communication, shocking a dog for barking is as unfair and cruel as hitting someone in the face for simply talking. Look at it this way: let’s say I believe there is a fire in the building and I’m running in to tell everyone about the potential threat. I’m full of energy, I’m loud and frantic because I want to make sure everyone gets the message I’m trying to communicate. Let’s say someone punches me in the face for speaking. Eventually, I might learn not to “speak,” but that does nothing positive for my emotional state. Similarly, barking is a manifestation of what the dog is feeling. Shocking the dog does not solve the real issue at hand, it just conceals what we perceive as a problem. If we eliminate this form of communication, dogs will often skip those body-language warnings and directly resort to biting. It has been proven; multiple studies show that using aversive training methods can jeopardize both the physical and mental health of dogs (Ziv). This means that aggression can be an unwarranted side effect of shock collars. Dogs that get shocked for barking often intensifies the dog’s nervousness and this increases fear (Cooper, et al). What this means is using a shock collar can make the behavior—fear—worse in certain situations.

To solve the issue of barking, the formula is simple. Figure out why the dog is barking, eliminate what is reinforcing the behavior, and teach and reinforce a new behavior. The solution to a barking dog has much less to do with the actual barking behavior and more with the dog’s emotional state. Whether it is nervousness or pent-up energy, we must first figure out why our dog is barking and eliminate the trigger. If the dog is barking due to lack of mental or physical stimulation, the answer is easy: exercise and train your dog. It’s not uncommon for us to believe that we provide adequate physical exercise for our dogs when the reality is we rarely even come close. Letting our dog run around aimlessly in the yard or going on a walk around the park may be adequate for some dogs, but it is not the case for most dogs and especially the average dog. Walks and free time are good for our dogs, but we also need to incorporate structure to make the dog work its brain. High-intensity activities such as games of tug and fetch, mixed in with training or brain games can accomplish exactly what we want in much shorter time. We can also add “scent work games” in our dog training to help challenge our dog mentally. This not only helps tire our dogs out and satisfy their urge to be up and moving around, but it also helps them use their brain to problem solve certain situations. You’ve probably heard that “a tired dog is a good dog”, and while there is some truth to that saying, it is much more complex. I would phrase it, “a physically exercised and mentally stimulated dog is a complete (and good) dog”.

If the dog is barking at passerby’s, consider keeping the dog out of a front room where the barking occurs. Avoid leaving the dog unattended where the dog can practice the behavior or consider buying a tinted or frosted film that you can apply to the front window to hinder clear visibility. You can find this at places like Lowe’s or other home-good stores. Another option to help with the issue of barking is to teach a new, more appropriate behavior. This could be as simple action such as crossing the room and laying on a mat or rug. In Dee Ganley’s book, “Changing People Changing Dogs: Positive Solutions for Difficult Dogs”, Dr. Ganley shares a story of one canine client that would bark intensely at any guest at the front door. When the doorbell rang, the dog would bark, pace and lunge at the new person, making the encounter uncomfortable for the guest as well as causing the owner great embarrassment. They eventually taught the dog an alternative behavior: whenever the doorbell rang, the dog was trained to run over and push a chair across the dining room (Ganley et al). Does this mean you have to teach this exact behavior to your dog? Not necessarily, but it gives a small example of a trigger and a new behavior. So instead of your dog barking at the mailman, maybe you teach him to run to you and lay down or run to a rug and lay down. Then reward that behavior heavily. If your dog suffers from isolation distress, you can teach the dog to get comfortable in a crate when alone. Use tools like “Classic Kong” or treat dispensing toys to keep the dog occupied. The hollow inside of the toy forces the dog to problem solve and “work” to get the food out. This is time consuming for the dog and exercises the dog’s mind in the process. Make sure your dog gets something extra special before being left alone so your dog learns to associate that you leaving leads to a big reward and not the perceived doom of being left alone forever. To train your dog how to be comfortable in a crate, follow Susan Garrett’s “Crate Games” videos (click here) to help teach your dog to love his or her crate.

In conclusion, we have identified the long-term effects that shock collars, particularly bark collars, have on dogs. We have identified the cruelty of neglecting our dog of this basic form of communication, regardless of how frustrating it can be. Do not shock your dog for the sake of your convenience. Not only is training more ethical, but it is also more effective, especially in the long term. If you cannot offer your dog physical and mental stimulation and aren’t willing to work with the dog, I would highly consider finding someone else to supply the dog of these basic needs. There is never a correct or justified reason to use a shock collar. We chose our dogs; our dogs do not choose us. Do not affect your dog’s relationship by putting this terrifying device around their neck.

Works Cited:

Cooper, Jonathan J., et al. “The Welfare Consequences and Efficacy of Training Pet Dogs with Remote Electronic Training Collars in Comparison to Reward Based Training.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, 3 Sept. 2014, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0102722.

Ganley, Dee, et al. Changing People Changing Dogs: Positive Solutions for Difficult Dogs. DeesDogs, 2008.

Garrett, Susan, director. Crate Games Part 1. YouTube, YouTube, 28 June 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8HNO79bZMY&t=185s.

“Handout: Canine Ladder of Aggression.” dvm360.Com, 17 May 2017, veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/handout-canine-ladder-aggression.

Shelley-Grielen , Frania. “AnimalBehaviorist.us.” AnimalBehaviorist.us – Reading the Canine Ladder of Aggression, 2017, www.animalbehaviorist.us/dogs/reading_the_canine_ladder_of_aggression.

Ziv,Gal. “The Effects of Using Aversive Training Methods in Dogs-A Review.” Journalof Veterinary Behavior, Elsevier, 22 Feb. 2017,www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787817300357.