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Last Updated on February 5, 2023
Wanting to stop your dog from barking is one of the most commonly asked questions on dog forums as well as on public forums such as Reddit or Quora. While there are indeed methods by which you can reduce the onset of your beloved American Bulldog from barking, not all of the methods work well, especially when it comes to owners who are impatient. How then can you reduce, or stop your American Bulldog from barking?
Understanding Your American Bulldog’s Barking Behavior
Before addressing your dog’s barking behavior, it’s important to understand why they bark in the first place. Barking is a natural form of communication for dogs, and they bark for various reasons such as to alert, to defend, to play, or to seek attention. American Bulldogs are protective dogs, and they may bark at strangers, animals, or anything they perceive as a threat to their territory.
How To Stop American Bulldog From Barking
There are indeed some tested and proven methods that can stop your American Bulldog from barking. We always believe in progress in terms of our approach, and hence you will find a variety of options that you can try. Here are some of the methods that have been proven to be able to reduce the barks coming from your companion.
Identifying The Cause of Barking
To effectively stop your American Bulldog from barking, it’s important to identify the cause of the barking. Observing your dog’s behavior when they bark can provide valuable information on the cause. For example, if your dog barks when they see a stranger, it’s likely that they’re barking out of fear or to protect their territory. On the other hand, if your dog barks when they see you or another family member, it may be because they’re seeking attention.
Desensitizing Your American Bulldog
If your dog barks at specific stimuli, such as strangers or loud noises, it’s important to desensitize them to these stimuli. This can be done by exposing them to the stimuli in a controlled and positive environment, and rewarding them with treats and praise. Over time, your dog will become less reactive to the stimuli and will bark less.
Establishing Clear Communication
Establishing clear communication with your American Bulldog is essential in reducing excessive barking. Consistently using positive reinforcement techniques, such as treats and praise, can help train your dog to understand what is expected of them. Additionally, using commands such as “quiet” or “no bark” can also be effective in reducing barking. However, it’s important to remember to only use these commands when necessary, as overusing them can lead to confusion for your dog.
Socializing
Studies have shown that dogs who socialize a lot do not bark that often as compared to dogs who prefer to be kept alone. This is really because when they are in a social environment, they do not see the need to get attention from others. Also, there will be fewer triggers as compared to them being alone. I have first-hand experience in this, as when my dog is in the house with me, she tends to bark at the slightest of noise that she hears. On the contrary, when I dog-sit other dogs in my house, my dog will not bark even when the same trigger is present! Talking about the wonders of socialization.
Entertain Them
We all know that dogs do bark just to get attention from people. So what is a good way to entertain them so that they will not bark? Give them some chew toys! There are so many of them online, you are simply spoilt for choice!
Train The American Bulldog Not To Bark
Of course, the best way to reduce the barks is actually to train the American Bulldog itself. There are various ways at which you can achieve this, and the most common method is by using commands to shush the dog down.
To do this, you have to be firm in your commands. Once your dog listens to your command, always reward your dog with a praise and at times, a treat. This is what we term as positive reinforcement of behavior. On the contrary, do not reward your dog unknowingly at all if they show negative behavior. If you do so, you are actually negatively reinforcing their undesirable behavior.
Of course, other than using commands, you can also use bark collars that are suitable for your American Bulldog. These anti-bark collars will issue out stimulus to help distract your dog from the trigger. These stimuli are not harmful to dogs. Of course, you have to be very picky on the anti-bark collar that you purchase for your dog as some of them might not be too suitable for the American bulldog.
So which are the recommended anti-bark collars that you can purchase?
Bark Collar For American Bulldog
Before we make our recommendation for the Best Bark Collar For American Bulldog, there are some questions that we would want to attend to first.
The first question is this: Why specifically for American Bulldog? To be honest, we did not think of doing this review, until a fellow dog owner mentioned to me that he loved reading our reviews on the various products, but he is wondering if we could recommend an anti-bark collar for American Bulldog for him. This is because he owns an American Bulldog with a barking issue. I do know offhand of some good bark collars that he can purchase for his canine companion, but I know that not all collars are made the same, hence I decided to review some of the top few recommended ones that I have used on my dogs.
As for purchasing the best bark collar for American Bulldog, we will need to look closely at the dog’s size, temperament, ferocity and of course its strength. All this will eventually play a part in selecting the ultimate anti-bark collar!
Best Bark Collar For American Bulldog
#1 Choice: SportDOG Brand NoBark 10 Collar
#2 Choice: Pet Resolve Dog Training Collar with Remote
#3 Choice: SportDog SD-825 Waterproof Shock Collar
#4 Choice: PetSafe Deluxe Big Dog Bark Control Collar
SportDOG Brand NoBark 10 Collar
The SportDOG Brand NoBark 10 Collar is a high-quality, reliable and effective barking control solution for dogs of all sizes and breeds, including American Bulldogs.
The collar features a unique, customizable dual-sensor system that ensures only the barking of the dog wearing the collar triggers the correction, minimizing the risk of false corrections. The correction levels can be adjusted to 10 levels of intensity, ensuring a safe and effective solution for dogs with sensitive skin or those that are resistant to barking control.
Additionally, the collar is waterproof, submersible up to 25 feet, and built with rugged, durable materials that can withstand tough play and outdoor activities. It also features a low-battery indicator, ensuring you never run out of power unexpectedly.
The SportDOG Brand NoBark 10 Collar is perfect for American Bulldogs because it is a reliable and effective solution for controlling excessive barking. American Bulldogs can be prone to excessive barking, and this collar provides a safe, humane and effective way to manage this behavior, helping to reduce stress and maintain peace in the household.
Pros: People’s choice for Best Training Bark Collar For American Bulldog. 10 levels of correction. Waterproof.
Cons: Only meant for 1 dog
Our Rating: [usr 5.0]
Pet Resolve Dog Training Collar with Remote
This Pet Resolve Dog Training Collar with Remote is one of the best training bark collar for American Bulldog. Not only does it have an adjustable collar, it is able to train up to 3 dogs simultaneously. All you have to do is to purchase additional collars for your dogs.
First of all, one of the top reasons why we have chosen this as one of the ultimate training collars for American Bulldog is that it allows you to correct your dog’s behavior via the 10 levels of correction. This means that you are able to customize the correction based on your dog’s tolerance to the shocks. A tougher dog will require a higher level of correction, while a timid dog usually requires a lower one. In addition to that, it does have the vibration or sound only mode, which can be applied to dogs who are extremely timid! This is one of the most wanted features in training bark collars for all dogs!
When you choose a good anti-bark collar for the American Bulldog, you must ensure that it does have a rechargeable battery. This will help you save cost in the long run. Also, if your American Bulldog loves to swim, then this particular model will be good for her. This is because this training collar is completely waterproof! Also, the entire system can work up to 3/4 mile away. This is good as you can train your dog over a distance, instead of keeping them on a short leash.
Pros: Editor’s choice for Best Training Bark Collar For American Bulldog. 10 levels of correction. Can be used for up to 3 dogs. Waterproof. Long range.
Cons: Not automated.
Our Rating: [usr 4.9]
SportDog SD-825 Waterproof Shock Collar
One of the top contenders for the best training collar for American Bulldog is this SportDog SD-825 Waterproof Shock Collar. In fact, it is one of the top sellers for training dog collars too.
As per the previous model that we have reviewed, we are very particular about the correction levels that the Bark Collar For American Bulldog has. In the SportDog SD-825, it has 7 levels of static correction stimulation. In addition to that, they too have the vibration or tone only mode. This allows you to cater to a wide range of temperament for your American Bulldog.
The battery is completely rechargeable, and it takes up to 2 hours to charge it fully. When fully charged, it can last from 50 – 70 hours. Of course, it is completely dependent on the frequency of usage. As for the range, it can be used up to 1/2 mile. Being completely waterproof, your American Bulldog can jump into the pool with this collar still on it.
Similarly to the previous model that we have reviewed, this SportDog SD-825 can be expanded for usage up to 3 dogs.
Pros: Reader’s choice for Best Training Bark Collar For American Bulldog. 7 levels of correction. Can be used for up to 3 dogs. Waterproof. Long range.
Cons: Not automated. Can be a little bit expensive.
Our Rating: [usr 4.8]
PetSafe Deluxe Big Dog Bark Control Collar
Last but not least, we have the PetSafe Deluxe Big Dog Bark Control Collar
. If you have been reading the articles that we have written, you will realize that we have selected this PetSafe Deluxe Big Dog Bark Control Collar many times. This is because of its features as well as its popularity amongst users.
First of all, the entire bark collar for American Bulldog is automated. It does administer static correction to your dog, but the whole process is automated. The bark collar will first detect if your dog is barking. This can be done using 2 verification process. When a bark is being heard, it will try to correlate the information with vibration at the vocal chords. If there is vibration, then it will administer the static correction.
Once the verification process is complete, and your dog is indeed barking, then the Bark Collar For American Bulldog will send a very small static correction to your dog. If your dog continues to bark, the level of intensity of the static correction will increase. As a safety measure, if your dog barks for 15 times or more within a period of 1 minute and 20 seconds, the entire Bark Collar For American Bulldog will shutdown for 3 minutes. This is to prevent the collar from shocking your dog excessively.
This Bark Collar For American Bulldog is completely waterproof, and it can be used up to 5 feet in depth.
Pros: Author’s choice for Best Bark Collar For American Bulldog. Progressive levels of correction. Waterproof. Automated. Safety measure.
Cons: Cannot be used as an outright training tool.
Our Rating: [usr 4.8]
What Factors To Consider
As mentioned above, there are several aspects that you will need to consider before you purchase the Best Bark Collar For American Bulldog.
Size
For American Bulldogs, they are considered a large breed. They are strong and muscular, and they have a fierce looking outlook. Their neck size ranges from 45.7 cm to 61 cm, or 18 – 24 inches. Hence, when you purchase the Best Bark Collar For American Bulldogs, you would want to consider the size of your dog’s neck. As a guideline, try to add in 1 to 2 inches of additional length when buying the Bark Collar For American Bulldog.
Temperament
American Bulldogs are known to be extremely social creatures. They can be confident and hence assertive in their actions. Being active dogs. they love to run in the wild and chase after wild animals. In addition, they are very loyal and protective of their loved ones. Hence, their barks can sometimes be loud. Since their temperament can be volatile at times, make sure you choose a bark collar that has multiple levels of intensity. This will allow you to cater the static correction to your dog’s temperament.
Ferocity
This is pretty similar to the temperament of the dog. If your American Bulldog has a high level of ferocity, then you should find a good bark collar that can enable to control and restrain your dog.
Strength
Last but not least, the strength of the dog does come into play. If your dog is strong and tends to chew into things, then you might need to consider getting a bark collar for your American Bulldog that is resistant against their chews.
Conclusion
Bark collars can be a helpful tool in training your American Bulldog to stop excessive barking. When choosing a bark collar, it is important to consider the size of the collar, the correction method, the training needs of your dog and your budget. With the right bark collar, you can effectively train your American Bulldog to be a well-behaved and obedient companion.
