Dog Training, Health and Products By Zoey Dog!!

Bark Collars   

Zoey Dog 

            “Ruff!”  

          “Ouch!!” and I jumped.   

          This used to be the usual patter around my house the last couple of weeks.  I will admit that ever since I was a bitty baby Lab, I have enjoyed barking every now and again.  As I grew up, nobody ever told me I shouldn’t be barking.  After all, barking is how us dogs try to talk to you, even if you don’t always understand us.  

          Well, that was before my family needed to move to an apartment and leave our house behind.  This was so different for me.  Our neighbors were connected right to us, and there was no backyard at all.  I didn’t have anywhere to go outside and play.  My family was so busy working and going to school that I sat around all day doing nothing by myself.  So, I started doing a little bit of window watching and talking to myself.   

          It didn’t take long before the neighbors could hear me, and they started to complain to my owner and the landlord.  My owner brought home a new collar for me to use one day after work.  It didn’t look my normal collar at all, and it was a little heavier to wear and had these two little pointy prongs that pinched into my neck a little bit.  She tightened it up and said she got it okay and that it should fix our problem with the neighbors.   

          Great! Problem solved!  

          I went to rest for a bit and stretched out.  I had just drifted off and was dreaming about fast, furry bunny rabbits to chase when I detected a noise.  Hey! The kids were home and running about, and I jumped up to play with them.  I barked out of excitement to greet them and ask them to play.  Sometimes they did, but it usually took a bit of barking to get their attention.   

          “Ouch!” What was that? I had barked and instead of joy, I felt this shock to my neck that made me jump.  I hunkered down and ran for the bedroom.  “She’ll be okay” I heard my owner tell the kids.   

          I peeked my head out later in the evening when I heard my owner calling for me to eat dinner, and I ran out, forgetting all about the earlier shock, and eagerly greeted her for my dinner.  I wagged my whole behind in excitement and jumped around her.  She was taking too long to stir my food! …and I barked to let her know.   

          “Ouch!!!” I high-tailed it to the bedroom again and didn’t come out again all night.  “Zoey, it’s okay” I could hear her call, but I would forego dinner tonight.   

          I guess my owner could tell I didn’t like my new collar at all, and I didn’t understand what was happening.  The next day, She told me I wouldn’t have to wear it anymore, and she put my old collar back on.  Tonight, she said, I would have a visitor.   

          It turned out that the visitor was what you people call a dog trainer, and he gave her lots of ideas to help my barking out instead of using that ‘bark collar.’ He gave her special toys that she could put my dinner and treats in; he told her I needed more exercise and walking time; most importantly, he suggested that everyone do things with me when I was quiet and good.  He said that if they rewarded me when I was quiet, I would be more likely to be quiet more often.   

          He really taught her how to figure out what made me bark and then identify how to correct some of it in a nicer way than the collar.  I was so happy when he was done visiting and working with me.  From that day forward, I have never had to wear the collar again, and my family is doing so many wonderful things with me and for me.  And, for my part, I am not barking nearly as much anymore either!