Customer Reviews

PetSafe Ultrasonic Indoor Bark Control, PBC-1000

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(40)
1 star:		(125)

 

 

My family adopted an adult silky terrier who loves the sound of his own voice. Since we don't know how he picked up the barking habit (he was running stray, background entirely unknown) our efforts to break this habit have been trial and error -- mostly error. Suffice it to say that he still barks at everything, and sometimes at nothing.

I saw this product advertised in a catalogue and decided to give it a try. Nothing else was working and I am still reluctant to try shock collars. The Ultrasonic Bark Control device is handheld and operated with a 9 volt battery. The owner's manual states that an internal microphone can pick up the dog's barking within 10 feet and automatically emits the ultrasonic sound that is meant to stop the barking. There's also a red button that you can push to emit the sound, and the dog will hear it if he is within 20 feet of the device.

Having used the device, I can tell you that the noise is out of range of human hearing. I've heard some complaints about other brands being just as annoying to the humans as to the dogs -- not this brand. However, I'm no longer confident that's a plus -- the noise might not be irritating enough. The first day I used the device, it worked beautifully. The dog would bark once or twice, look puzzled, and then settle down. The second day he was barking for a good twenty seconds before my frantic use of the manual button would settle him down. Now, he just ignores the noise and barks 'til his heart's content and our eardrums are vibrating. I'm thinking of giving the Ultrasonic Bark Control device to another dog owner I know in hopes he has more longterm success from it than I did.

I must add that our dog has an unusually stubborn and ornery temperament. For a sweeter-tempered habitual barker, this device might be the perfect solution.

I have a 3 1/2 year old Boxer that barks, cries, whines, and howls when I go to work...ALL DAY...I know, I recorded it. I went to Petsmart and picked up this gadget. Brought it home and it the manual correct button. She bolted. She hates the ultrasonic noise that it makes. It reduced the amount of noise that my dog makes but only in a certain area and I don't crate my dog when I'm going to be away for more than 8 hours.

So if I'm just running out for a few hours I stick her in her crate with this right in front of her but if I'm going to work I use it in conjunction with the petsafe electric shock bark collar.

My girlfriends dog does not really notice it if he's otherwise engaged but my dog hates it. Worth the price in my opinion. Best advice is to take it home and try it. Some dogs react to it. Others don't.

My beagle (13 mo.) cocks her head showing that she hears something with a slight pause in the barking process but does not deter her from barking at a later time. Does nothing for howling and will only go off for loud barks, not smaller barking or any form of whining (even if extremely loud).

Admittedly we have only had it for a few days, but our dogs responded at once. We had trouble for years with them barking when someone was leaving the house (even though other people were still in the house!) or when visitors or delivery people arrived. Every arrival and departure was a major event, noisewise. If one dog started to bark, the other one felt compelled to join in. We tried other measures to control the excessive barking, but to no avail. This device worked instantly. The dogs bark once or twice, CLEARLY hear the sound although we can't, and stop barking immediately. The house has never been so quiet! Our dogs are Pembroke Welsh Corgis, a breed which is known to have sensitive hearing, and when used to herd are trained using whistled commands. I noticed from reading other reviews in which people mentioned their breed of dog that other herding dogs (like German Shepherds) seem more apt to respond, whereas non-herding breeds (like terriers) may be less responsive...no proof, just an impression from my research.

Update on Feb. 22, 2008. This product continues to work well, and our dogs have adjusted to it. Initially they were a little cowed and appeared distressed by what, to them, must be a very unpleasant noise, but they quickly learned that one bark was OK, two was a no-no, and a gentle woof (if they really needed to make a noise, which they occasionally feel they must do as part of their duty to the family) wouldn't set off the alarm. Today it snowed here, and our neighbor plowed our long driveway, which is normally a very noisy affair, dogwise, but there were only a couple of subdued "woofs" as the dogs did their jobs of alerting us to what they perceive to be an intruder on the property and then went back to sleep, rather than continuing to bark until they exhausted themselves, and us. Our house has never been so quiet! I am delighted with this product, and very happy that our dogs have adjusted to it so quickly, and am amazed at how quickly they figured out how to "express themselves" discreetly, when they need to, without going overboard and driving us all crazy! Of course, corgis are pretty intelligent and trainable dogs, and I am as impressed with the breed as I am with the product!

Our dogs didn't even notice it. We have three small terriers and I thought this would be a suitable device for a few house slippers. I was wrong - the kept on barking...

i absolutely love this product. my neighbor has four little yippers and my shepard/chow mix was antogonized by the yipping on our side of the fence. I hung the device on my side of the fence and the noise keeps the neighbors dog from picking "arguments" with my dog. all barking and fighting has ceased. all the surrounding neighbor as well as me can get a good nights sleep now.

I got one of these two years ago in the hopes that I wouldnt have to get a bark collar for ach of my two dogs. I work during the day so my dogs are alone in a dog run both and have run of the house through a doggy door. They were barking during they day while we were gone (Neighbors informed us). I bought one of these and the neighbors said the barking cut WAY down.

I brought it inside on the weekend to watch and see what happened when the mailman came..... it worked great, they would start to bark and the high pitch would chime in and they would stop. Then the high pitch would stop. Then they started back up again and the pitch would start again and they would stop. I guess if you have persistent dogs this wont work well. For mine it cut the barking down to a fraction of what they used to do. It isnt an end all, but definatley helped my dogs constant barking.

It doesn't always go off when the dogs bark, but I can push the button on the top after telling the dogs to stop barking and that sets it off. It seems to have helped us be able to control the incessant barking phases they used to get into. They'd start barking and then kind of fuel each other to keep the bark fest going. We used to be able to yell, squirt them, threaten them, try to bribe them (with treats) and nothing would affect the barking spree. This seems to help stop it.

I bought this product hoping it would solve my problem with my barking terrier. He didn't even notice it was there. I put it near his crate and it still didn't stop him from barking. I pushed the manual button and still nothing. It promises to stop annoying barking, but it didn't stop my dog for one minute. It was a complete waste of my money.

We are returning the PetSafe ultrasonic trainer...because we are getting one that can be used manually OR automatically, instead. The PetSafe device can not be turned off...unless we pull the 9V battery out (pain-in-the-butt!) We will keep it until the new alternate one comes.

We just ordered the "HavaHart Ultrasonic Trainer". It should be here within a week. The feature we like the most is that you can turn it off by turning a knob, and use it manually...targeting the bad behavior directly....with the PetSafe device, you can't.

Our main reason for doing this: Our Husky (non-barker) did his adorable woowoowoo and the device went off, "punishing" the others AND him!!! He hasn't done his woowoowoo since. :o(

We really just wanted this device to shut down our two females when they get their uncontrolable barking going (inside & out)....not to punish them all when they are happy & playing.

We just wanted to give people the heads up before they went out to buy one of the PetSafe brand devices. If all of your dogs bark uncontrolably & you don't care about the manual option, then get the PetSafe brand...they really do work!!!