I get a ton of emails from Bark Off, all hinting at the same thing. Does Bark Off work? Until now, it’s been difficult to understand this debate because most of the reviews we were able to see were testimonials about the Bark Off commercial. The product is so new that it would take time before consumers could use it enough to know how effective it is or not.
We recently got our first look at what a real person, with a real dog barking problem, had to say about the product, and it should come as a relief to all of our ears. I always suspected that this ultrasonic dog bark control device had some merit, but like many other people, I was wondering if it was humane or would it hurt my dog? The answers come below.
The product tester was Connie from Buffalo, New York, who had written to a television station asking the local news product review department about the Bark Off ultrasonic bark control device. They decided to check it out and asked Connie to be the guinea pig.
Her problem was three small dogs that loved to bark and practically drove her crazy. It was hard for her to talk on the phone when the dogs barked and if someone knocked on the door, she forgot. I’m sure there were other times when barking was not well received, but this is what Connie mentioned.
Connie was given a sample of the Bark Off and once she turned on the battery-powered device, an ultrasonic wave was emitted as the dogs barked and then went silent. Hmmmm, sounds good to me.
The Bark Off device stayed with Connie for further testing, eventually giving it a “two thumbs up” review. She was diligent and even tried it on her neighbor’s dog with success. Connie had some reservations, and I’m glad this was brought up. Sometimes we want our dogs to park. A dog is instinctively protective, and there is nothing better than a dog’s bark to alert us to danger. Whether it’s a warning of danger in the middle of the night, or a sign to us that our toddler is up to mischief, we all appreciate our dog’s barking at these times.
We’ve probably all heard stories about a dog who saved the day with some sort of heroic action, so turning off our dog’s ability to alert us to danger doesn’t sound like a win-win. So Connie, and I’m sure many others found a simple solution. She just turns it off during those times when it’s okay to hear some noise.
However, I would like to point this out. The barking device works only after the dog has barked at least once. It is the sound of the barking that activates the ultrasonic pulse, which cannot be heard by humans, to be released and ultimately calm the dog. So even when the device is activated, your dog will have a chance to “speak his mind” at least once. In my case, this would be enough to alert me to some danger. But, if you’re in the kitchen and the dogs are in the yard with the kids, I’d keep it out just in case.
So I’m thrilled with Connie’s Bark Off review because here’s a real person who was in the news about her results. We have a product that works well and if you saw the three little chatterboxes driving her crazy, you would be just as impressed as I am.
