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By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Tara and Marcus Bauer adjust a citronella collar on
their dog, Bo. The collar, which emits a spray of
citronella when Bo barks, is aimed at discouraging
dogs from excessive barking.

Smelly collar
spurs dogs to stop
chronic barking

The collar squirts blasts of
citronella to distract nuisance
barkers and give neighbors serenity

By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

AMONG pet owners the saying goes, No matter how bad something smells, it smells interesting to a dog.

That saying will be tested this week on Oahu dogs with a new anti-barking collar. The Hawaiian Humane Society is distributing six test collars that emit a puff of citronella scent every time a chronic barker opens its yap.

As soon as a dog barks, a microphone on the $105 collar triggers a squirt of citronella, better known for warding off mosquitoes, under the snout. The sensation would be similar to a sales clerk spraying shoppers' noses with perfume any time they spoke.

"They see it, they feel it and, most importantly, they smell it," said Dave Gomez, director of the Humane Society's shelter operations. "Hopefully, it will distract them and eventually deter them from nuisance barking."

Problem barkers annoy many in Hawaii. In 1999 the Humane Society received 2,386 official barking complaints, Gomez said.

The society has some chronic barking cases several years old. But little can be done, except to cite the owners with fines as high as $100.

Two neighbors must complain before the owner can be cited. Two incidents within six months warrant a $25 fine, which goes up to $50 and finally $100 for ensuing incidents.

The typical scenario is of a dog that acts like an angel around its owner but can't stop barking or howling as soon as the owner drives off, Gomez said. And it keeps barking until the owner returns.

For the neighbors stuck behind, it can be torturous. Even shutting the windows and putting on the air conditioner won't drown out the noise.

"We often act as mediators in neighborhood disputes," Gomez said.

The citronella won't harm dogs, but the Humane Society hopes the dogs will find the smell repugnant enough to quiet down.

The Humane Society, a private nonprofit organization, is distributing the collars free to longtime chronic barkers with the cooperation of their owners. Gomez and his staff will teach the owners how to use the collars on their dogs.

"We want to do everything we can to alleviate the problem," Gomez said, "before it escalates into neighbors becoming angry."

Gomez said the collars, from Animal Behavior Systems of Tampa, Fla., may stop the barking in as little as two weeks.

At the very least, the dogs will be mosquito-free.