Citronella Bark Collars Buyer’s Guide

The first you need to know is a citronella bark collars are a type of spray bark collar. Other spray collars use lemon juice or water, as the deterrent to curb unwanted barking. But as you might have guessed, a citronella bark collar uses citronella oil.

You might be asking yourself what exactly citronella oil is? Well, it’s natural oil that’s used in a variety of products from insect repellent to certain perfumes. Honestly, it’s a versatile and useful substance.

Citronella oil comes from the leaves and stems of different kinds of lemongrass. And companies use its awful taste to keep your dog’s barking in check. In doing so, these collars use negative reinforcement to make your dog resist the temptation of barking.

In other words, it’s pretty similar to the method used by shock collars, but it’s a lot more humane. In fact, there are certain studies this one that conclude these collars a more effective than shock collars.

As someone who’s always been quite uncomfortable with shock collars, I find this conclusion to be very comforting. With this information, it’s quite clear there’s no reason you’d have to use a shock collar other than as a last resort.

Types of Citronella Bark Collars

Within the citronella bark collar world, there are two types: automatic and manual. In the section below, we’ll discuss the differences between the two and describe situations where each type might be appropriate to use.

Automatic Citronella Bark Collar

As you might expect, an automatic citronella bark collars require little work for you. You simply put on the collar and let it do its purpose. In doing so, these collars rely on a microphone to pick your dog’s barking which then sets off the spray.

However, there are specific complications with these models that frequently pop up. For example, a low-quality automatic citronella bark collar might be set off by other sounds besides your dog’s barking.

If this happens, your dog might get confused about what’s setting off the spray. And since all successful dog training relies on consistency, these accidental activations could cause a huge problem.

Therefore, you must find a high-quality one to ensure this complication doesn’t happen during your training. Thankfully, all the automatic citronella bark collars in this article are of high-quality, so, you won’t have to worry about this with any of these products.

In the end, automatic citronella bark collars are ideal for dogs that are prone to barking when their owners aren’t home. After all, there’s nothing worse than getting constant complaints from your neighbors about your barking dog.

Manual Citronella Bark Collar

Unlike the automatic versions, the manual citronella bark collars are all about giving the owner control over the training experience. With these collars, you’re allowed to control the spray mechanism from a distance.

In other words, you determine when the barking gets excessive rather than the bark collar itself. Although this product is a rare commodity, there’s only a few available in the entire bark collar market and two are on this list: the PetSafe Spray Commander and Barkrite Remote Citronella No Bark Training Collar.

However, I think these collars could come in hand for owners who live in areas with a lot of potential accidental activation triggers. I mean, there’s no reason your pooch should get punished for an action they didn’t commit.

For example, let’s say you live an apartment next to another barking dog, this collar ensures that dog’s barking won’t activate your dog’s bark collar. This collar is a way to avoid your dog getting confused about what exactly triggers the spray.

But these collars are useless for controlling your dog’s barking when you’re not home. Unless it quickly gets ingrained in your dog’s head that barking causes the spray activation.

All in all, I’d recommend staying away from these bark collars unless you have a very moderate barking problem that’s only a problem when you’re in the house.

Remember, your dog’s barking isn’t just your problem; it’s everyone’s.

How Does Citronella Bark Collar Work?

Both the automatic and manual citronella bark collars work in a relatively similar way. However, there are some subtle differences that this section will go over, so, you fully understand how these products work.

The automatic citronella bark collars have a microphone embed inside the collar that’s alerted by your dog’s barking. When the microphone picks up the barking, the collar releases a citronella spray as a deterrent.

If all goes well, your dog will start associating their barking with the hideous smelling citronella spray. As mentioned before, these collars have had issues in the past with accidental activations.

Therefore, the pet product companies who put value in making the best collars possible made a note of this issue. In response, they started putting two-verification systems inside these collars.

In other words, they added another layer of protection against accidental activations by releasing the spray only when the microphone picks up both your dog’s throat vibrations and the actual barking sound.

All in all, if you’re looking to buy an automatic citronella bark collar, I find these two-verification systems are a must-have feature. It might cost you an extra couple of dollars, but it’s worth it with the insurance against accidental activations.

Manual citronella bark collars

As previously stated, manual citronella bark collars come with a remote. This remote allows for the collar to be entirely under your control. Therefore, the training process is literally in the palm of your hand.

See, you completely control the collar through a button on the remote control. I wouldn’t like using these collars because I find disciplining my dog to be very difficult: I’m a pushover.

But these collars could be a godsend for a dog owner that has no issues putting their foot down. Honestly, the manual citronella bark collars seem to be designed for dogs that have specific triggers.

For instance, if your dog is always barking at the mailman/mailwomen, you can plan to put this collar on and use it for curbing your dog’s aggression against the mailman/mailwomen.

In other words, these collars are about ridding aggression against specific triggers rather than stopping your dog from continually barking. I mean, these collars won’t help for a dog that barks just because you aren’t home.

In this case, these collars would end up being a worthless purchase. And your neighbors would continue to complain about your dog’s non-stop barking. As an owner of a dog that likes to bark, this isn’t something you want.

Pros and Cons of Citronella Bark Collars

In this section, I’m going to overview some of the pros and cons of using these collars to give you a little refresher. It will summarize many of the points made in the previous sections.

As with the previous section, it will be separated into two parts: automatic and manual citronella bark collars. It’s just easier to separate the two because it’s crucial you understand the advantages and disadvantages of both.

Automatic Citronella Bark Collars

Pros:

Controls your dog’s barking in your absence
More humane than other types of bark collars
You don’t need to do anything besides put the collar on
Less expensive than the manual model

Cons:

Accidental activations can happen
You have no control over the spray
Sometimes won’t respond to high-pitched barks
Some dogs won’t react to the spray

Manual Citronella Bark Collars

Pros:

Have control over the training experience due to remote
No accidental activations
Can be used to curb other unwanted behaviors such as your dog trying to eat out the trash
More humane than other types of bark collars

Cons:

Training stops in your absence
Only one high-quality model on the market
More expensive than the automatic models
Some dogs won’t respond to the spray
Now, that you understand all the pros/cons, it’s time you start thinking about all the things you must consider before buying one. In the next section, I’ll go over what I consider the essential aspects that need discussing.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Citronella Bark Collar

Before buying a citronella bark collar, there are certain things you must consider. In fact, the following the aspects will have you decide which is the best choice for your circumstances.

Neck Size

First things first, you must know your dog’s neck size. If you buy the wrong sized collar, the product will end up being useless. So, do yourself a favor and make sure you understand the exact size your dog needs.

Usually, the collar manufacturer will have a size chart or measurements in the product description to help you. But if you don’t know your dog’s neck size beforehand, these two things will be worthless.

Therefore, get out your tape measure and get to work. If you’re wondering how to measure your dog’s neck efficiently, here’s an excellent guide describing the process in detail.

In the end, don’t rely on an estimate or a general breed range you find on the Internet. Instead, do the work and get the correct neck size to ensure you get the best citronella collar possible. After all, nobody likes wasting money.

Water Resistance

It’s essential you realize most citronella bark collars aren’t going to be completely waterproof. In other words, most of these collars won’t survive going for a swim. And as someone who has a dog that loves swimming, this limitation is a bummer.

But some of these collars are waterproof. I find this feature to be significant and any collar I’m considering must have it. See, I live in a place that’s always getting downpours of rain.

So, I need a collar that will survive the occasional downpour because nature isn’t always friendly and sometimes you get caught outside. Therefore, if you live in a wet place like me, it’s a necessity you get at least a water resistance citronella bark collar.

Honesty, even if you don’t, I’d still get one. After all, it’s going to rain eventually, and you don’t want your brand new collar breaking because of something stupid like a rain shower.

Manual or Automatic

As previously discussed, there are certain circumstances where either an automatic or manual citronellas bark collar might have an advantage over the other. Therefore, it’s essential you decide which type fits your situation better.

For example, I’m gone a lot of the time, and my dog will bark a lot in my absence. He has a pretty severe distrust of the squirrels in my front yard. Due to this, my neighbors will complain about this barking.

Therefore, my chosen citronella bark collar would have to be an automatic one. There’s no way a manual citronella bark collar would help my circumstances unless I had someone come over in my absence.

And that’s just isn’t practical. On the other hand, if you’re just trying to curb the barking of a dog who thinks they’re protecting you, a manual citronella bark collar might be a better option for you.

Two-Part Verification

If you’re opting for an automatic citronella bark collar, a two-part verification system is a must. As we previously went over, this system protects against accidental activations, which are extremely detrimental to the curbing process.

See, accidental activations can cause a dog to be unsure about what exactly releases the spray. If the association between the spray and the barking doesn’t form, these collars become effectively useless.

More importantly, this sense of confusion can make neurotic or nervous dogs become traumatized because they don’t understand why their being punished. It’s just isn’t something you want your dog going through.

Therefore, ensure the automatic citronella collar you buy has two ways of detecting your dog’s barking. Don’t traumatize your dog because a collar without a two-part verification system is cheaper. In the end, it isn’t worth it.

What Kind of Batteries Does The Collar Use?

In your research, you’re going to find most citronella bark collars use small, disposable batteries. However, certain citronella bark collars use rechargeable batteries.

I’d personally prefer rechargeable batteries. I don’t like the idea of having to replace the batteries when they die continually. But I can see the logic in choosing a citronella bark collar with disposable batteries.

Let’s be honest; this collar isn’t going to be your dog’s permanent collar. It’s a product that you’ll need for a short period to help curb an annoying behavior. And a collar with rechargeable batteries is probably going to be more expensive.

But even with this in mind, I’d still choose a collar with rechargeable batteries. I just like the idea of never having to change the collar’s batteries. See, I’m terrible with mechanical stuff, and even something as simple as changing batteries could end up being a nightmare.

Are the Spray Can and Batteries Included?

At some point during your Amazon search, you may come across one of these collars with an incredibly low price. Most likely, it’s priced this way because it doesn’t come with the spray can and batteries included.

Don’t make the mistake of buying these collars. Ultimately, purchasing these separate spray cans and batteries will be more expensive than one with these features included. It might seem like a bargain, but it’s not.

Companies do this to trick customers into thinking they’re getting a bargain.

Instead, they want you to buy the spray can and batteries they sell separately. It’s a way they can get their customers to pay more for two or three products than they would for one all-inclusive collar.

Overall, it’s just a way for these companies to squeeze more money out of their customers. Don’t fail victim to this trap and research each product thoroughly. It will help you save money in the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, we’ll try to answer any remaining questions you have regarding citronella bark collars. It will attempt to relieve you of any doubts or concerns you still have about these products.

Are citronella bark collars safe?

Although the ingestion of citronella in high doses may be dangerous to dogs, these products are relatively safe. You might be asking yourself how that works? Well, these collars don’t carry a lot of it.

In fact, it’s only about 10 percent or so of the substance that’s is used to curb your dog’s behavior. Therefore, there isn’t an enough to poses your dog’s health with a significant threat.

But the use of these collars does become problematic in certain situations. For example, dogs with breathing problems shouldn’t have one of these collars. It will only make their ability to breathe more difficult.

In any case, you should consult with your vet before considering purchasing one. After all, it’s always good to get an expert’s opinion on whether or not a pet-related product is appropriate for your dog’s particular circumstances.

Where to buy citronella bark collar?

Just like any other pet product, Amazon is an excellent place to find the top citronella bark collars. In fact, all the collars in our product review section have hyperlinks linking you to their Amazon page.

However, there are other sites that you can also use and find incredible deals. For instance, Chewy is a fantastic site ready to fulfill any pet-related product needs you have; honestly, you should check all Amazon’s prices against Chewy’s just in case they have a better deal.

Out in the real world, local pet shops or big chain stores like Wal-Mart should have citronella bark collars for sale. Most likely, they’ll be more expensive at these stores, so, I recommend buying online.

Which one is the best for a small dog?

Let’s face it; the biggest yappers among dogs tend to be the small breeds. For example, Chihuahuas are notorious barkers that can drive their owners up a wall with their constant barking.

With this in mind, I think it’s important to single out what’s the right collar for these little divas. In my personal opinion, it’s the first one on our list: the PetSafe Gentle Citronella Anti-Bark Resistant Collar.

See, this collar singles out that it would be appropriate for dogs weighing six pounds and up. This range is lowest among the collars mentioned in this article. Therefore, it’s the best option for small dog owners.

In other words, it has a broader range; therefore, there’s less of risk that your dog is too small for the collar to work appropriately

Conclusion

After reading through this article, I think you’re ready to make a responsible decision about buying a citronella bark collar. I feel fairly confident that the best citronella bark collar for your dog lies within this article.

However, if it doesn’t, at least you now know what you should be looking for in one. In the end, I hope this article makes your decision a lot easier and less stressful. Trust me; I know how stressful buying pet-related products can be.