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bigack

Who has the 'Bark Off'??

15 years ago

We got one of these things for dog barking, my question is, isn't the little thing in the center supposed to light up when it's on? Mine doesn't, and I'm wondering if it's working. Just curious.

Comments (25)

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    It does NOT work! My neigbor has one and I also saw the demo on tv and they said it doesn't work either. Don't waste your $$

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    It was the Chubsters that recently bought one. ChubbyRat
    I'm pretty sure. Uh oh, Joann, it's too late! It seems
    that Bigack already bought it!

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  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I don't know about the light, but my sister's DOES work! If you turn it on and make a loud noise close to it, it will emit a high pitched noise. My neighbors gave me one, because it didn't work with their dogs (they have Pomeranians) Best I could figure out, you don't leave it on, but keep it close-by and turn it on when the dog starts barking. By the time I do that, mine have usually already stopped barking at whatever they were barking at! lol
    My sister's dog (a yapping Chihuahua) stops barking as soon as she turns it on!

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I threw mine in the trash....Never stopped a single bark out of that fool dog we have....

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I fell for the erroneous commercial hook,line and sinker...IMHO it is a hoax and does no work at all!!!

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Had one and it didn't work, was a waste of money.....

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I bought two, one for our two dogs and one for my neighbours two dogs. All four dogs still bark and it hasn't stopped a single bark in any of them. Total RIP OFF! Unfortunately we humans can't hear or see if the thing even is working.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    The one I bought works, thank goodness.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    We bought one and it doesn't stop our dog. We think it might be because she is old. :-) Have you heard about the cell phone ring that kids have and older people can't hear it ringing but the kids can? Maybe it is the same for dogs. Sandy is 11 years old, and gets bossier every day. If we don't jump when she says so, she barks.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Now I'm curious about the ringtone!!! LMBO

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I think it works on some dogs. You can take it back to the store or return it to the seller.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Depending on the integrity of the seller ...

    ... if you send it back - they got the machine ... you don't.

    Plus ... they got the money ... you don't.

    Not my idea of a good bargain/business deal.

    ole joyful

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I have a Pomeranian and she isn't a yappy barker, so I am glad I don't have that problem. I hope you get a solution to your baking problem.

    Sue

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Mine works on 1 of my dogs but the other two either don't hear it or don't care.

    Linda

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I'm usually a lurker on this forum, but we do have a "dog silencer pro" by Good Life that has worked wonders on our neighbor's dog. The light does come on when it picks up a bark and the dog stopped barking continually after just one day! Woohoo! I does still allow the dog to bark if there is a need to....like fear or danger, etc.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    You teach a dog not to bark by redirecting them when they bark inappropriately.

    All dogs should bark to alert. Shocking a sensitive dog out of barking is counter productive. A dog that is highly driven to bark needs to have the drive redirected.

    Everyone wants an instant pill these days. Training takes time and patience. It's the responsibility of an owner of a pet to to train it.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I bought one to keep the neighbors dogs from barking constantly! My own dogs do bark,but they know what Be Quiet! means.I don't expect an "instant pill" for my own,I work with them.But the neighbors dogs are a different story,She does not correct them at all and there are 7 or 8 of them.So I bought the Bark Off....and it works on them! I only use it if we want to sit out front in our yard.I don't need to use it much anymore and I'm glad.Because my Rover HATES it! As soon as I turn it on,he RUNS out the back door and hides.At least I know it's working because of his actions! LOL! Oh and no,my Bark Off shows no lights or anything.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    We bought a bark off and it works. You press the button, it makes a sound only a dog can hear It also shoots out a light like a flash light. There are three settings-Good dog, attention and Bad dog. DEfinitely would try to get a refund. See if you can find a toll free phone number. They might even mail you a free replacement. As OJ said, don't just mail it basck. You'll be out the money and the bark-off.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    That's fine to say it Wildchild but I have been trying to keep my two mini poodles to stop barking needlessly ever since we adopted them. They have learned basic commands fairly well, but even our dog trainer that gave the lessons at our house has not been successful at keeping them from barking. She trained our two with our neighbour's two dogs and we couldn't get any of them to stop their barking when they see each other. It isn't as if we haven't tried many different ways but none of them have been successful. Patience I have, but the neighbours in the house behind us have absolutely no patience. They have loud potty mouths and I am tired of their yelling.

    We don't allow the barking to continue and bring them right in when they start. Unfortunately that means that my dogs don't get to stay outside more than a couple of minutes at a time.

    I really would have liked the Bark Off to have worked when we were outside. It wouldn't have been on all of the time.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Jannie..what kind of Bark-Off do you have? It sounds different than the one my sister and I have. Ours doesn't have three settings, nor can it be used as a flashlight.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    It never fails to amaze me that people think that these methods are humane. If you get past that the ads and paid testimonials you will find plenty of dogs that have become nervous and untrusting due to this and items like it. Chubby Rat's dog is paying the price for the neighbors' dogs. That's just wrong. Like some posters have said it doesn't even affect some dogs.

    It all comes down to a dogs drive. The device will either send the dog into a frenzy or it will set up a fear reaction.

    Same people and so called trainers who promote this stuff are the same ones who refuse to use any type of physical dominance over a dog.

    The poodles? You go out with them. They don't get to go outside by themselves until they earn it. If they bark inappropriately a stern quiet and a light rap on the nose with a finger or 2 should do it. Then remove them from the situation.

    Bigger dog? Do a freaking take-down if you have to.

    My DD become "step mom" to 3 little yappers who sometimes piddled in the house. Crate training, a firm voice and consistency had those dogs behaving like (almost) perfect little darlings within weeks. Even the third one who'd been re-homed to them from a neglected environment. No yelling, no hitting and no mechanical irritants.

    If I caught someone using the device on my dogs they would have to have it surgically extracted.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Wildchild, the barkoff is not a shock collar, it's just an ultrasonic device.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Bigack I am quite aware of what we are talking about.

    Because my Rover HATES it! As soon as I turn it on,he RUNS out the back door and hides.At least I know it's working because of his actions!

    Nice. Does nobody see the psychological abuse that this poor Rover is experiencing?

    Different dogs respond in different ways to artificial stimulation. According to reviews many dogs don't even notice it or perhaps it aggravates them into barking more. Other more sensitive dogs can become nervous and frightened. That is NOT training.

    Unlke other things that a person can try on themselves sonic "training" aids can only be experienced by the animal.

    I think about the animal's needs, not my own.

    It's like the idiots who use gentle leaders instead of prong collars on hard to control high drive dogs. The PERSON sees it as better because it appears so much nicer. Never mind the danger to the dogs vision or neck if it the dog should suddenly lunge.. But a lot of dogs will fight and struggle with the "gentle" leader because it takes away what nature intends for them. PEOPLE are horrified at prong collars but many dogs are overjoyed when they see them because they know it's walk time. A well fitted prong collar properly used is the most humane and least dangerous training collar around.
    But PEOPLE perceive them as some horrible torture device because of how they look.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Wildchild, let me tell you about these poodles. I have worked with them constantly for the last 6 months. I have gone outside with them each time and have done all you suggested. The only thing it accomplished was that now they don't want to go outside without me and bark at the door immediately to be let in unless I go outside with them. I have tried the commands shhhhhhhhh and quiet. I have tried distracting them. I have tried clicker training. They are not neglected with me, I have tried everything I can think of. I do not let them bark outside for more than a minute, if they don't get quiet, we all have to come back in the house.

    When we got them, they were 3 years old and had never seen a Vet. I swear they must have been puppy mill dogs from their behaviour. Their first adoptive home did not work out. They found them too difficult to handle. They were not house broken, didn't get along with cats. We were told they were housebroken and got along with cats. They were terrified shivering creatures that looked like no one had even groomed them. They were very underweight. They didn't even know how to play and did not know any commands. All they did was shake and cuddle close to each other.

    It must have been a split moment of insanity that made me take on these two. The Humane Society surprised us with grooming them for us by a volunteer and started their shots. We took them to the vets and continued with all of their immunizations, did the deworming and fattened them up (too much with all of the clicker training). We did a lot of training with them teaching them the basics, taught them to play with toys, and have tried very hard to get them over being scared and terrified little creatures. Our vet is really pleased as well at the changes in their behaviour and how well they have settled down. They certainly are different dogs now. They love their crates. They have never attempted to chew anything we have not given them. They certainly have come a long way. We all think they were puppy mill rescues.

    Barking still is an issue. The Bark Off was our last attempt. We trained with our neighbours dogs to try and get them used to each other so that they wouldn't bark. If they all start to bark, our neighbour comes out and we discipline the dogs together at the same time. Neither of us keeps our dogs out for long stretches only because the neighbour behind us gets agitated so quickly and believe me, we are well aware of this as his potty mouth has words I would never use around children. To say he is unreasonable and grouchy would be an understatement. Our other neighbours without dogs are fed up with HIS behaviour and are sympathetic with all we have done to get our pooches to behave. We have worked very hard with their training. They do their sit, down, stay commands really well now. They love playing and their training continues. I have been told that barking is an issue with poodles that may never be stopped completely but I am still working on it. Unfortunately it becomes a game with them....bark...quiet....bark....quiet. Lets see who gets the last word in! I am now trying hand signals.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    But the point is it (the bark off) didn't work.

    I'm not criticising you. I'm critical of these products.

    As long as you are doing what you can with the dogs and it sounds like you've done a great job then tell the mean neighbor to go pound sand. If they aren't out by themselves nuisance barking then he needs to shut his pie-hole.

    Are they barking because they are excited to see each other? Then that is playing or greeting (unless they are aggressive toward each other) and a certain amount during regular hours should be tolerated. Can you and your neighbor with the dogs let them play together?

    The neighbor sounds like a real ass. Maybe a nice loud whistle in his ear would do the trick or as a last resort a taser? LOL

    Sometimes people who behave that way do it because nobody says or does anything to put it end to it. Someone needs to train the neighbor.