Good Dog! test dogs Chops and Katie also tried ABS collars. Chops was first. As the evil UPS truck approached. Chops and Katie were facing each other. When Chops barked, the collar sprayed Katie in the face. Both dogs were silenced. Katie was fine, as the spray is safe. Chops was unhappy wearing the collar and having her bark controlled. She politely requested that we take the thing off her, and we obliged. The next time she started barking, we merely had to show her the collar - and she stopped barking immediately. Now, when she barks, we ask her "Do you want the Collar?" And she stops barking! No wonder top behaviorists love this product! The ABS collar is a safe, humane behavior-modifying training tool. It does what it's supposed to. and does it well, without electric shocks. It's perfect for a kennel or a multi.dog family, as well as a single dog with a barking problem. It also works if your. dog howls. (One howler was saved from euthanasia by the ABS collar.) The ABS collar can also help if your dog barks due to separation anxiety. If he's really anxious, though, he may chew instead, requiring some behavior training. The biggest problem we found was that there's no on/off switch. Once the battery is in, the collar is on, and the bark sensor is powered up. The battery runs down in 4 to 6 months. Animal Behavior Systems. Inc. suggests removing the battery whenever you take off the collar. If you happen to forget and need a new battery, it'll cost you about $3.50 for a replacement. The battery is an unusual type, but it's easy to find. We'd also prefer it if the collar allowed "one free bark" before spraying. That way the dog could still alert with the bark, as is his instinct, but overbarking would be controlled.
Animal Behavior Systems recommends that the ABS collar not be exposed to temperatures above 104 degrees F. (That includes leaving the collar - or your dog - in a car in summer's heat. But you know better than that.) Also, the unit is water-resistant, but not waterproof. Don't let your dog go swimming while wearing the collar.
Another problem is false alarms. Head-shaking can set off the collar, but the sensitivity of the collar can be adjusted to account for that. A hidden adjustment requires only a very small screwdriver but then quieter barks may not set it off.
How long does the citronella supply last? The collar's reservoir holds 45 barks worth. Because most dogs learn not to bark after the first squirt or two, the citronella supply lasts longer than you might think. The refill canister that comes with the collar should be good for 150 sprays. Reloading the collar is easy and took us just a few seconds.
The ABS II is now available for the same price. It's smaller, lighter and sprays with more force (better for problem dogs and very small dogs). But it doesn't have adjustable sensitivity, and the plastic is black so you can't see when it needs refilling. It comes with a new, larger 275-spray refill can.
©1997 Good Dog Magazine. All rights reserved. This article may not be reprinted or excerpted in any form, printed or electronic, without permission from the publisher.
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