A constantly barking dog can aggravate one person, one street or even an entire neighborhood. Simply because the owner shows no inclination to stop their dog from barking doesn't mean the neighbors have to suffer through it without acting. There are several sound-emitting devices, including The Bark Stop, which can be effective in halting incessant barking.
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Function
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Sound-emitting devices are set on a pole or in a tree above any fence line, with the speaker pointed in such a way that there's a clear line of sight between the device and the dog. When the dog barks, the device emits an ultrasonic tone that is only audible to dogs. Some devices also only have an effective range of 50 feet, which means the device is wasted if the dog stays out of range.
Features
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Sound-emitting devices are standard in that all brands have speakers that must be pointed at the dog in order for them to work. In some cases, the device may have a tone setting that is audible to both people and dogs. Sometimes, affecting the owner may work quicker than solely targeting the barking dog. According to BarkingDog.net, there are also some devices that only emit the tone audible to both.
Dog Silencer Pro
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The Dog Silencer Pro is designed to work at ranges of up to 300 feet, and can emit a tone audible to humans and dogs or just to dogs. According to UltimateBarkControl.com, the Dog Silencer Pro uses proprietary technology to fluctuate along the scale of either sonic (audible to humans and dogs) or ultrasonic (audible only to dogs) sounds. The product description also states that the device uses patented technology to make sure its tone is only activated when a dog barks.
Good Neighbor Barker Breaker
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The Good Neighbor Barker Breaker emits only a tone audible to both humans and dogs. According to BarkingDogs.net, this device has an effective range of 50 feet and visitors to their site have reported fair to middling results from using the device. The device's tone is 90 decibels, about the same as a power lawnmower and, according to company information on BarkingDogs.net, dogs find the tone 3-5 times more bothersome than humans do.
The Bark Stop
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The Bark Stop emits a tone of up to 110 decibels, and comes with settings for making the tone audible to everyone or only to dogs. Product information from Viatek (BarkingDogs.net) states the effective range as no more than 35 feet, but rates the device for both indoor and outdoor use. As with the Good Neighbor Barker Breaker, BarkingDogs.net doesn't endorse the product because of negative reviews from visitors to the site.
Price
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Prices for a freestanding sound-emitting anti-barking device can run in excess of $100 depending on model, number of decibels, indoor or outdoor use, and effective range. Shorter-range devices may be cheaper than the longer-range ones, but it's worthwhile to consider whether to purchase something that will affect the offending dog anywhere it goes or that only works when the dog comes close to the edge of its territory.
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