Neighbors complaining...Anti Bark collar..help?

[JJDBike]

We love our rescued GSDs. They are enjoying a great life. Problem is they, or at least he (large young male) barks when we're gone.
My next door neighbors just broke it to us that neighbors are talking about us & complaining. Soemone even mentioned calling the police! Imagine our embarassment and concearn. We exercise them, leave the TV on, give them chew toys/bones etc... The only thing I can think of is an anti bark collar.
I did a search and found "dog silencer pro". Apparently it dosen't administer an electric shock as others do but emits a high pitched sound that apparently stops themfrom barking?
Anyone ever heard of this? Could it work?
Any other ideas or advice?
Thanks.
JD

[LisaT]

How long are they left alone? And how are they left -- in the yard? kennel? house? crated? How many dogs, ages? Is it just the one barker?

[JJDBike]

Good questions and I should have been more specific.
We have one older make Yorkie. One approx 6 yr old female GSD and one approx 2 yr old male GSD. He is THE barker. We did an experiment today (w/ the help of our neighbor) and figured it out.
They are not left alone for more than 4 hours ever. Generally it is more like 1:30. They are each in their own crate. Most likley the cause is seperation anxioty. I hate the idea of an anti-bark collar but the thought of our neighbors hating us and possibly calling the police?
Hopping for advice here.
Thanks again.
JD

[LisaT]

You might try leaving kongs with treats to distract him? Does leaving a radio on help at all?

You might try crating him away from you, when you are home but in a different room, with a kong, and see how that goes? Small increments, and then work up to longer?

[windwalker718]

Anti bark collars may be a necessity, but one caution is that if all dogs are wearing one it will activate when the barker starts in and punish all the dogs. I had a friend stay with me years ago with a Mini Schnauzer who barked CONSTANTLY... that real high pitched fingers on the chalk board kind of bark... She was fitted with a bark collar (shock version) on low setting and within a few days had almost completely stopped her nonsense yapping. We had a dummy collar which we exchanged for it, and as long as she had that on she was good... take it off and she'd start again. Realize that it may have to be a permanent fix for your problem as when it comes off he may revert.

BTW, when my friend returned home she took the collar off and now both her Schnauzer and her Bishon bark 24/7 so loudly that you can't even talk to her on a phone. She just yells @ them and it increases the noise... doubt she notices THEIR barking over HER barking... LOL

If it comes down to a collar or surgical antibark... I'd go with the collar. Surgery is extreme and the vocal cords DO GROW BACK.

[JJDBike]

Originally Posted By: LisaTYou might try leaving kongs with treats to distract him? Does leaving a radio on help at all?

You might try crating him away from you, when you are home but in a different room, with a kong, and see how that goes? Small increments, and then work up to longer?

Thanks Lisa. I did all of those things. Intrduced crate as a game w/ treats. Small increments gradually increasing. TV, radio, treats, etc. etc. etc...
Personally I don't want them to think they can never bark & think the neighbors should suck it up and get over it... but I do have to live here and don't need a noise ordinace fine.
Thanks

[JJDBike]

Any experenve w/ that "dog silencer pro" that uses high pitched sound vs electric impulse?
Thanks.
JD

[zyppi]

have you tried putting a light cover on the crate?

[JKlatsky]

You should be aware that if the barking is a stress relieving action related to the separation anxiety, stopping the barking without actually treating the anxiety can result in another behavior that relieves the stress- like destruction, crate breaking, chewing etc. They have all of this anxiety and they have to put it somewhere- Pacing, barking, etc. If you shut down one outlet it might find somewhere else to go...

For regular noisy dogs we have friends that use the regular old bark collars with great success. The citronella collars didn't work well for them. The dog would move the collar and not get sprayed...or bark and deal until the collar was empty.

[MaggieRoseLee]

The barking is when they are in the house crated?

I'd WAY up the amount of exercise when I was home and on weekends. Miles and miles and miles of off leash romping, or the equivilent.

DOG classes and training. It's amazing how the mental stimulation and interactions of weekly classes, homework, 'job' helps calm our dogs and relaxes them.

Herding and tracking are AMAZING to help many of our dogs calm and focus to relieve general and specific stress.

I think if you can work on alot of interactions, exercise and socialization when you are home......... having a dog mentally and physically exhausted when you leave will help enormously.

Frankly, this is what I HAVE to do with my dogs so they behave, so I'm not saying it's easy. Just what I have to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc3pNhDOuwU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kro4NqlaA24