DeeDoo’s Digital Scrapbooking Blog

Lucky’s incessant barking was finally more than I could bear yesterday. I couldn’t take another day of it–something had to give or one of us was going to suffer.

I threw on my shoes and made a mad dash to the pet store. I came home with a bark collar. I wrapped that baby around Lucky’s neck and sent him back outside. Unbelievable! It actually WORKS. Oh, yes, Lucky did still bark a few times, but not very many. And then he just went about doing what he always does–patrolling the fence, watching the trees for squirrels and the roof for birds and squirrels–and acted like absolutely nothing was different. Normally he would bark at every single thing that moved. But now he was barking only once or twice, mind you, in any given 15-minute period. He is outside as I write this, and he’s not making any noise at all.

Unless you’ve had this problem with your dog (or worse yet, with a NEIGHBOR’S dog) you might not understand how maddening the barking can become, and how powerless you feel about controlling it. And the relief that comes pouring over you when you can once again allow the dogs out into the yard without all that, that, that NOISE, it’s worth every penny I spent on that collar. And it took a LOT of pennies.

I had already consulted with our veterinarian so I knew that she was okay with using the new, improved bark collars to help train him with this problem. Don and I have cussed and discussed the idea of a bark collar, with me on the ‘for’ side and he on the ‘against.’ It’s not that I want an ‘easy way out.’ It’s the fact that I believe Lucky’s barking is a compulsive habit he has developed, and I don’t think he can stop by himself once he gets started. But with that collar to remind him he doesn’t get out of control. We had him trained not to bark while we were with him as a reminder, but the minute we would go into the house the barking would start.

Feelings on this subject can be very strong, and I understand both sides of the issue, I do. For me, in this instance, the bark collar was the answer. It means Lucky won’t be scolded repeatedly for something he can’t help. It means our neighbors might start talking to us again. It means we can get some peace ourselves. So for today, all is well in the world of dog here at DeeDoo’s. Ahhhhhhhhhh.

………Hmmmmmmmmmmmm………….Now what I need for ME is a FOOD COLLAR………..