Professional endorsements

Help! I'm Barking and I Can't Be Quiet: A pet parenting guide

Page: 42-49

Citronella spray collars

This is the kind of collar we most often use and recommend. The citronella collar sprays a mist of dilute citronella oil to stop barking. Studies show that citronella collars are more effective than the sound collars and just as effective, if not more so, than shock collars.

The citronella spray itself rarely elicits aggression (we’ve seen that happen with only one dog) or fear. The reason these work is because the dogs are confused by the spray. In fact, one citronella product, Direct Stop (see order from at the back of this book) is often used to discourage aggressive behaviour. Under careful supervision from a qualified, experienced behaviourist, citronella collars can be used as part of a behaviour modification plan even for territorial or aggressively motivated barking. We do not recommend that you use citronella collars for these types of barking problems without professional assistance.