Risks of the Citronella Collar

Citronella collars are very effective in the prevention of excessive dog barking, but there are certain risks involved. However, the risks of a citronella collar are minimal, compared to the risks associated with electric shock collars.

  1. Operation

    • The citronella collar is an electronic collar that is activated when a dog barks or when a dog goes too close to an electronic boundary line. It sprays a small burst of natural citronella on the dog when activated.

    Collar fright

    • Some hypersensitive dogs develop "collar fright," becoming anxious when the collar is placed on them.

    Allergies

    • In a small percentage of cases, a dog might have an allergy to citronella, causing it to break out in a rash or scratch when the collar is activated.

    Danger

    • Since citronella collars are not breakaway, there is a risk that they will get "caught" (hung up) if a dog is going under a fence or is playing with another dog.

    Treating symptoms

    • There is a risk that a dog owner will only treat the symptoms of a barking dog or a dog that runs away by using a citronella collar. This will prevent them from finding out the underlying cause of the bad behavior.