If you are at the point where you need to buy a bark control product for your dog, then you have already missed the small window of opportunity in which a sonic or ultrasonic product would be of any benefit to you.

High-pitched tones and beeps simply do not work on their own towards curing a dog's barking habit. In most cases, the beeping encourages the dog to bark more.

Sonic and ultrasonic tones are a great training tool when used in conjunction with another physical stimulus -- like vibration, spray or static pulse. In these instances, the sonic/ultrasonic tones serve as a warning beep before the physical correction. In time, your dog will begin to associate the physical correction with the sound, and will therefore stop barking before ever receiving the physical sensation. But high-pitched beeps without a follow-up are pointless and ineffective.

Aside from puppies under 4 months, or extremely timid dogs, these sound-only products have very little success in stopping dog barking, and should be avoided entirely. Do not be taken in by their low cost, as you will just be adding that to the total expense when you then have to purchase a bark control product that is proven and guaranteed to be effective.

Vibration products are new to the market, as a direct result of consumer demand for a bark control stimulus somewhere between citronella spray and static pulse.

These products correct barking with a vibration and series of beeps, not unlike a common mobile phone or personal pager. They don't cause the wearer any pain, rather distracting the dog with the buzzing and sounds. For an idea of what the dog feels, put your mobile phone close to your voice box next time it rings, then try to talk normally.

We also carry a vibration collar that allows you to record voice commands directly into the collar -- to be played back when your dog barks. For long-term training goals, this is an invaluable technology, which slowly teaches the dog to associate those specific commands with behavioural correction, with the future goal of having your dog respond to those commands when the collar is not being worn in use.

Vibration products are a terrific starting point for all breeds over 3kg, who have an otherwise placid or gentle nature when they are not barking. In particular, dogs who currently respond to voice commands will see major beneficial changes in their dog's behaviour during and after use.

Some people avoid citronella collars, stating that their dog doesn't mind the smell of the citronella oil. However, the scent of the product is not where its effectiveness comes in, rather the sensation of the spray itself. Some dogs hate citronella, some dogs are indifferent, some love the smell. But dogs, in general, hate being sprayed.

Broadly speaking, citronella spray collars are accepted and endorsed by most veterinarians and animal rights groups. They work by emitting a short, sharp spray at the dog's muzzle when the barking is picked up by a microphone or vibration sensor. The spray itself never comes into direct contact with the dog's eyes, nose or mouth, and the spray liquid is non-toxic and CFC free.

Dogs of all breeds and sizes, who typically display a timid to average nature, are great candidates for citronella spray collars. On these dogs, the cost of upkeep is minimal, because the initial training period should have embedded a strong association between the collar and the barking. From there, ideally, the collar should require less and less filling as you go.

Stubborn or highly intelligent dogs, however, have been known to 'work out' the collar, or develop a tolerance to the spray, making long-term use unsuitable.

There is so much misinformation and deliberate slander out there in regards to static training collars, that it borders on absurd.

Activists and media regularly label the devices as 'cruel' and 'painful', despite never actually trialling them or looking at independent studies that prove their claims unfounded. From real world experience, we are happy to give you the real truth about static correction products.

First, you need to get any idea of an electric 'shock' out of your mind. The static correction is a short, sharp 'pins and needles' sensation that literally lasts a fraction of a second. It doesn't generate heat, so it can't burn your dog. The static pulse is some 3,000 times less the power generated by a standard farm electric fence, and the different models run on batteries commonly used in cameras, watches and video games.

Second, you need to stop looking at your dog as a person with human senses. Dogs have much higher pain thresholds than we do. So what feels like a zap to us, is significantly less so for them.

Static correction collars have the highest effectiveness rating, and are often the only solution for stubborn dogs with stubborn barking problems.