# Has anyone used WuffStop to stop barking or other sound devices?



## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

I just read a review of WuffStop, which uses high frequency noise that we can't hear to stop barking. 

I looked thru YouTube and there are other ultrasonic devices that also say they do this, not only for your dog, but annoying barking by a neighbors dog or even to keep your dog out of your garden.

Has anyone actually tried one of these, and what happened? I'd like to try it; whenever I take Bella in the car. This is the only time she goes nuts with barking.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

https://www.clickertraining.com/how-to-stop-unwanted-barking

(a small paragraph in the article) 



> Evaluate the situation
> When you deal with barking, it's important to look at the whole situation. Barking is sometimes a symptom of another problem—for example, fear, boredom, or stress. If you fix the problem, the symptom will likely go away. However, if you simply treat the symptom, the problem will just manifest itself in a different way—one which may be worse! *Treat the problem not the symptom.*


With some previous dogs, my Chihuahuas specifically, I used a method described in Jean Donaldson's book, Culture Clash. (highly recommend) Her method of bark training is to teach bark on cue and quiet on cue, volleying back and forth. It's described very specifically, the order in which the various steps take place is vitally important and all that she describes after the initial part of the training is important. My Chihuahuas took to this way of learning _very_ well. But it takes some time and practice. But not as much time as you might think. The first part goes quickly. The building on it for all kinds of situations, durations etc takes some more time. The cool thing is, is that you can use the bark on cue as a fun trick. The teaching of an incompatible and opposite behavior is very effective and that same concept can be applied to many behaviors. 

The problem with punishing barking is that punishment means don't do it. Ever. There's no way to say to the dog bark when there's an intruder. Don't bark if there's a nice person walking on the sidewalk. Don't bark when you hear other dogs barking. But you can bark when you hear birds singing. Confusing at best. Since we're usually not hoping to extinguish all barking, which would be pretty impossible, since they're dogs, we're hoping the dog will stop when asked. Nicely. That's where this kind of training comes in. We're not punishing the behavior as with an aversive tool that is unpleasant to the ears or a nasty thing sprayed at the dog like a citronella collar or a shock from electricity coming out of a collar. This is to teach the dog to stop when cued. (verbally and with a hand signal) And it teaches the dog the contrast between bark and quiet. So that helps him learn faster. 

Other than that, I don't know anything about the high pitched gizmo. I have used a "silent" whistle to add to my several kinds of recall cues. (that was with my dogs before these ones) I've gotten incredibly lazy these days. lol.

Good luck. If you still like the idea of that kind of device, maybe someone else here has knowledge of it.


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

I used one, it worked for a while but then Zephyr got used to it and after that he just ignored it.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Buck came to us, sort of trained to “no bark” in his crate. I kept that up. I didn’t want to discourage alarm barking, but wanted to minimize false alarm barking and going on and on and on. I checked out every alarm, when he was younger, and if it was something worth barking about, I said “Good job!”, and added “Enough!” So, no I never used Wuffstop. Buck’s senses of hearing and smell are so much better than mine, I need him to use those gifts and not drive me crazy. Humans bred dogs to bark, so it’s all on us to be the wuffmasters.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

We hung one of those ultrasonic "houses"in our giant ficus, aimed at the neighbor's dogs. They have a schnauzer and Australian Shepherd that bark whenever I open my patio door. They would bark non-stop for hours. The device was effective, but we have to make sure it is as far way from our dogs as possible. They do not like the sound at all, especiailly after undergoing rattlesnake avoidance training. I think they hear the device click on and off. At any rate we managed to break the barking frenzies. Eventually the batteries need to be replaced and I sort of forgot about it. My daughter hates it because she can hear the sound. So,yeah, it works but it also annoys anyone who can hear that high frequency.


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## Eric (Jun 26, 2019)

A rescue dog we owned used to bark almost non-stop when she was in her crate or confined to room where we were not present. For the first few months we had her, we couldn't trust her to sleep in a dog bed all night, because she wasn't fully house-trained (she was already about 1yr old when we got her). So we decided to try a bark collar, the kind that uses electrical stimulation.

Let me tell you, we set it at the lowest level, and the dog freaked out for the first 10 seconds. Bark followed by stimulation, which produced another bark, and so on. You might judge me poorly for this, but I honestly found it quite hilarious, knowing that this level of stimulation wasn't really hurting the dog (I tested it on myself first).

After that initial "orientation" to the device, the dog was silent. For the first week or so, she would occasionally forget about it and let out a bark, and would immediately silence herself. After a couple of weeks, we switched over to the "dummy" unit, which was just a plastic box that looked and felt like the active unit, but didn't actually do anything. We would put that on her at night, and she would immediately quiet down.

I don't know if we could have removed the device altogether and gotten her to stay quiet in the crate, because thankfully after a few months, her house-training improved to the point that we had her sleep in our room outside of the crate.

I know some people would view such a device as unkind to the dog, but in our case it allowed us to transition into a much better situation. If we hadn't been able to do this, I don't know if we would have kept the dog. As it turned out, this dog went on to live with us happily for another 10 years until she passed away. So, I have recommended electronic bark collars to people who have a difficult time solving highly disruptive barking behavior. These days there might be better methods, such as teaching the bark/no bark behavior, but if you need some peace and sanity in the meantime, a collar will do the trick almost instantly.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

charmed. I find it interesting your daughter cn hear the sound. Mine does too and she hates it. I have those ultrasonic deices in serial room to prevent insects and it rives her crazy also one of our neighbors had a field camera in the little green space behind our home and she could hear that too whenever she went out with the dogs. I can't hear a thing and neither can the other in my house. I wasn't totally believing her, LOL.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Haven't tried that one but in the past had one made by pet safe. I thought it worked int he beginning but it didn't for long. My past rescue chi would bark lazily if anyone came into our bedroom, including my husband. We eventually learned to just put up with it and he learned to stop after about 5 minutes. I do like the use of a bark collar.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

Charmed said:


> ... At any rate we managed to break the barking frenzies...
> 
> My daughter hates it because she can hear the sound. So,yeah, it works but it also annoys anyone who can hear that high frequency.


Years ago in DC, a big one was used to discourage nuisance teens from hanging out in a popular downtown area known as Gallery Place. This was the old Chinatown, still with good Asian restaurants, a large movie theater and retail stores. Back in 2010, business or city leaders placed a high pitch frequency device just outside of the Metro called _'The Mosquito'_. My then 14 year old daughter saying she and her friends hated the noise. She found a YouTube video for me to hear it - and I couldn't. 

_"...the distributor for the Mosquito said the device is particularly effective on youths ages 13 to 25, because that is the age at which humans can hear the highest pitches. "When a youth hears the sound, they find it extremely annoying and will leave the area in a few minutes... The sound is benign, will not harm anyone, and is very effective in moving loiterers from an area."(link)_

Well, it also ran away teen and young adult shoppers, movie goers and diners. A lawsuit was filed and it was removed from the area.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

The success of some members here make me think this kind of device might be effective for Bella's non-stop car barking - but also for our more vulnerable members with *mobility issues* or or who can't easily intimidate or fight off a potentially aggressive dog while walking their poodle. 

It's small and built like a flashlight or remote control, and you press the button for a momentary or longer noise. 

*I found better priced ones* on Amazon for $20 and just ordered this one and 9 Volt batteries: 

*MEIREN Anti Barking Device, Handheld Dog Repellent and Training Aid with LED Flashlight, Ultrasonic Bark Control Device*. 


Here's the write up, sounds promising, eh? 

ULTRASONIC DOG REPELLENT -- It can generate 130dB of ultrasound to protect you from dangerous dogs while walking, jogging, or bicycling.

HANDHELD DOG TRAINER -- Dogs will learn to stop barking and all other unwanted behavior by associating disobeying with getting bombarded with this harmless sound. Deter unwanted behavior such as digging, chewing on furniture, jumping on guests, or barking within 30 ft.

APPROPRIATE TRAINING -- Please train your pets with patience. You can give the pet an appropriate reward to strengthen his memory when he behaves well.

MULTI-FUNCTION DEVICE --The 0th gear can be used as a flashlight, the I gear can train the dog, the II gear drive away the dog, the snake, the fox, the wild cat. Our improved version in 2019 is higher quality than other products on the market.

GUARANTEE -- If you're unsatisfied with our items, please let us know and we will make things right: full refund or a free replacement, whichever you would prefer.


We'll see, I'll let you all know how this thing works out!


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

That’s a great idea for our neighbor’s nonstop barking Australian Shepherd. Whenever she hears us outside, she goes off. I was afraid Buck was going to chime in and ruin all of our training, but so far, he doesn’t engage. Other neighbors have two Giant Schnauzers that were always barking. I don’t hear them anymore, so maybe they got a Wuffmaster


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Yes I will look forward to your review..If it works I my invest in one. Yesterday while walking a neighbors elderly dog we had a medium sized dog run out of the neighbors house (who had or hs pittbulls) this one was not a pitt and really seemed harmless but it was running up to us barking while the owner yelled and yelled for it to get in the house. It eventually did and we weren't frightened by it at all, just more of an annoyance. Something like that would have been helpful, wouldn't harm the dog but would make it back away. Sounds promising.


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

Mufar42 said:


> Yes I will look forward to your review..If it works I my invest in one. Yesterday while walking a neighbors elderly dog we had a medium sized dog run out of the neighbors house (who had or hs pittbulls) this one was not a pitt and really seemed harmless but it was running up to us barking while the owner yelled and yelled for it to get in the house. It eventually did and we weren't frightened by it at all, just more of an annoyance. Something like that would have been helpful, wouldn't harm the dog but would make it back away. Sounds promising.


It would also affect your dogs, so I don't know that I would use it in this situation. Usually I just turn and face the dog directly and say "go home!" in a very stern voice.


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