Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)----Update----
A few months after I wrote this review, the device suffered an electronic failure and quit working. Fortunately it was still under warranty. The return process was painless (except for having to pay to ship it back to the manufacturer) and I received my replacement (either new or refurbished, I cannot tell) in a very reasonable amount of time. I was happy with the return/exchange process (except for paying for return shipping). A few days later, I hooked the item up, and it cannot detect Conan barking, therefore it does not activate. Although I originally rated this product high, due to two failed units, I cannot recommend this product.
Pros: It works. It really works. It brought peace to our household. Our next door neighbor (not the one who owns the barking dog) thanked us for hooking this thing up. Keep reading for a more detailed explanation.
Cons: The efficacy relies on a direct-line-of-sight with the perpetrator and then frequent tinkering with the bark detection level control knob. This may require the use of ladders and extension cords. If the remote control would allow a display of whether or not the devices works while in silent mode as well as a way to adjust the bark detection control knob the unit would win five stars.
More: This device silenced the neighbor's dog in two days, but I understand dog training so your results may vary. This device will stop nuisance barking (barking for absolutely no reason) but it will probably not stop dogs from barking for legitimate dog reasons (somebody is walking by, a car drives by, somebody is too close to the fence, etc).
My neighbor's dog is a huge animal with a very deep bark. I don't know the dog's name but we call him "Conan" because he has such a loud, strong, deep irritating bark. Even though Conan is a good 50 feet away from our house I can hear the bark inside every room of my house. When he barks it practically rattles the windows. Thank God they bring him in at night or else I wouldn't be able to sleep. I'm assuming that the owners must be deaf. I've never seen them use sign language, but there is no way that any reasonable human being would put a dog as loud as Conan right outside of their house and pretend not to hear it. Well, maybe they aren't deaf. Maybe they are crazy or perhaps from a different planet like Bizzaro World where people feel that a dog barking loud enough to make the paint peel off the walls sounds soothing like a babbling brook or an ocean surf. But I digress. I decided to take action and I purchased this device from the manufacturer's web site.
It arrived in about 3 days. I skimmed over the instructions and plugged it in. I pointed it at my own dog, a German Shepherd, to see her reaction and when the ultrasonic (quiet) mode was activated she ran away from it and hid. So I knew it was doing something.
Day One: Following the instructions, I adjusted the control so it would go off when Conan barked but not so sensitive that it would just activate at random times. Knowing what I do about dog training, I know that it's very important for the device to operate only when the dog barks. From my upstairs window I have a filtered view of Conan through tree branches and I put the device in between the window and the screen pointed directly at him. On day one as Conan barked we could see him looking in our direction. But the barking was greatly reduced. I didn't know if it was coincidence or not.
Day Two: I haven't heard Conan. I didn't even know he was outside until I banged on the window (which activated the unit) and he gave a couple of barks (which also activated the unit). Then he shut up again.
Day three: Where's Conan? I can't hear him! This is Saturday, Conan Bark Day, and no Conan. I'm worried now, did he die or run away? Where is my neighbor's dog? So I approached the fence line towards Conan. Woof! Woof! Woof! He is still there, but quiet until disturbed! When I retreated about 20 feet he was silent again. Of course the unit was countering his barks with the ultrasonic sound.
Day four: I haven't heard Conan at all. I'm not even sure he is outside.
Days five through 14: I can see Conan but I can't hear him. This device works as advertised. If I approach the fence, Conan starts barking. When I retreat, he stops barking. This is a huge improvement over 12 hours of non-stop barking for absolutely no reason. I am lucky that there is a good 20-foot buffer of land that we don't use for any reason between us and Conan. Based on what I've observed, if we used the 20-foot buffer area he would still bark, however the device has not been used in that manner. So your results may be different, and so may ours if we decide to use that land and re-train Conan again.
Conclusion: It worked for us. The device came with a remote, but because of it's limited function, I've never used it. The device emits a loud, but inaudible to humans siren when it detects sounds like a bark. While effective, the technology doesn't seem like rocket science to me and even though it was effective, $100 seems like an awful lot of money for something that I suspect will eventually be available from a Chinese manufacturer for $9.99. If I was the manufacturer of this device, I would price the product more commensurate with what it does. It is not a canine mind control device, it's just a microphone, a speaker, and a few cheap circuits enclosed in a plastic case. But like I said, it works. If your peace of mind is worth spending $100 for $9.99 worth of electronics, this is the device for you.
----Update----
A few months after I wrote this review, the device suffered an electronic failure and quit working. Fortunately it was still under warranty. The return process was painless (except for having to pay to ship it back to the manufacturer) and I received my replacement (either new or refurbished, I cannot tell) in a very reasonable amount of time. I was happy with the return/exchange process (except for paying for return shipping). Of course, now I will always worry that the device will die again as soon as the warranty expires and then I'll be out of luck. Check back after a few more months for the update....
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