There are many makes of anti-bark collars available to buy, some use electric shocks others are more humane and use a combination of sound, smell and spray to disuade your dog from barking. Anti-bark spray collars are a humane way of dealing with nuisance barking and are twice as effective as shock collars.

There are many types on the market and selecting the wrong one can be an expensive mistake to make.

Types:

There are two main types of - sensor triggered (by the barking of the dog who is wearing it) and remote anti-bark collars, where a hand held unit is used to trigger the device at a chosen time. Anti-bark collars can have a number of uses besides preventing your dog from barking - the remotely activated collars can be used to train dogs to stop digging, destructive behaviour and scavenging, so the name 'anti-bark collar' can be a bit of a misnomer.

Proper use:

It is important to remember that there are no quick fixes for permanent behaviour change. Whilst an anti-bark collar, when correctly fitted and used, will dissuade the vast majority of dogs from barking immediately, when the unit is taken off your dog will revert back to their normal behaviour. For long term and lasting improvement anti-bark collars should be used as part of a training programme. Your local dog training club or obedience school will be able to give you advice and help on why your dog behaves the way he does and ways to give long term improvement.

How to chose:

If you purely wish to stop nuisance barking the standalone unit is ideal, as they are triggered by the sound of your dogs bark and emit a spray under your dogs nose as soon as he barks. No timing is necessary from you to cue the corrective spray. Standalone units are not as expensive as the remote anti-bark collars.

Remotely activated units are a better choice for modifying destructive behaviour or when you have many dogs. The standalone are triggered by a microphone, so a loud enough bark from a dog standing close to a dog wearing an anti-bark collar can sometimes be picked up by the microphone and cause it to spray, even though the dog wearing it hasn't barked.

Price is always a determining factor and some makes of anti-bark collars are more expensive than others. As with all things you get what you pay for:

- the Dynavet range are pricier but are worth the investment if you intend to use it for more than one dog or if you run a dog obedience school and lend or hire them to owners. They are more the most robust and reliable and have an excellent repair service included with the guarantee. The Dynavet remote unit is also effective over a greater distance than other makes. They are distributed by Company of Animals who also provide a Behaviour Help Line to assist you with your dog's training - ideal if you find it difficult to get to your local dog training club.

- the Multivet range are less expensive and perfect for all owners who have acquired a new dog and need some immediate relief from excessive barking or unwanted behaviour, say a rescue dog or one of the smaller more vocal breeds, without spending too much and if you don't intend to use the unit again. MultiVet still provide a repair service, but the units are not as robust and no behaviour advice is available, so for the best long term results attending behaviour classes is also a good idea..

Brand comparison:

	Multivet Anti-Bark Collar Contains: Adjustable collar, battery, device, refill 2 Year Manufacturers Guarantee No behaviour help line Suitable for all sizes of dogs Relatively inexpensive
	Dynavet Aboistop Compact Contains: Adjustable collar, battery, device, refill 2 Year Manufacturers Guarantee Behaviour advice line available Suitable for all sizes of dogs More expensive than other makes
	Dynavet Masterplus Pro Contains: Unit, battery, collar, remote control with battery and strap, refill, carry case. 2 Year Manufacturers Guarantee Behaviour advice line available Suitable for all sizes of dogs Range 300m - works through doors, walls and windows More expensive than other makes
	Multivet Spray Commander Contains: Adjustable collar, battery, device, refill 2 Year Manufacturers Guarantee No behaviour help line Suitable for all sizes of dogs Range 85m - signal can be affected by topological conditions. Relatively inexpensive

All products come with fitting instructions and it is important you follow them to ensure the unit works correctly and so as not to void your guarantee.

Should you need to contact either company for help with repairs or to claim under your guarantee you can contact them on the numbers below:

Multivet - International Freephone 00800 68584838

Dynavet - Company of Animals 01932 566 696