My dog dozes on the lanai most of the day and night. People come and go outside and she continues to doze. That is until she hears someone who, for some reason, raises her hackles. Then she rushes to the fence barking madly. I have to jump up, run to the door and yell, “Hey, knock it off.” Then go outside and help the victim down from the tree and apologize profusely. After reading of some of the marvelous inventions on your site (i.e. Custard Speed Bumps and Flocking Road Cones, for example), the idea came to me to automatically and instantly stop her barking as soon as it started without my intervention.
This is not an “E-Collar” where the trainer carries a small transmitter that delivers a shock to the dog when the button is pressed. Nor one that shocks at a loud noise.
It involves a collar encasing a tiny digital recorder, cpu, microphone and speaker with a snippet of voice recognition software. This is completely automatic, “voice-activated” and reinforces training rather than delivering pain.
The collar is programmed thusly:
1)Press RECORD DOG and cause the dog to bark into microphone.
2)Then press RECORD CHASTISE and record your scolding phrase.
3)Attach to dog, snuggling up the speaker against the base of the skull.
4)Then click ON and it’s set to go.
Operation
The collar fits snugly with the speaker at the base of the dog’s skull for greater sound transmission. It’s activated only by the sound recorded (that’s what the voice recognition software is for you see). A deluxe model might be offered capable of monitoring several sounds of unwanted behavior like jumping onto the sofa, digging up the rose bushes, etc.
The specific sound triggers the playback of your reprimand that loudly resonates through her head. The dog will think you are standing right over her and quit immediately.
An add-on option could be a recorded apology to the injured party, “Oh, so terribly sorry to have frightened you. Please accept my apologies.” And if they think it’s the dog speaking, well duhhh.
Other Possible Applications
This principle could have broader applications. For example, producing a soothing lullaby when your baby cries or telling hubby to roll over when it picks up his snoring. Of course the attachment method would have to be reengineered unless you don’t mind your kid wearing a dog collar. For Hubby… nah… you’d love it just the way it is.-- MauiChuck, May 16 2005 a quick google... http://www.google.c...&btnG=Google+Search...reveals 14,500 hits for "bark activated collar" using many methods, including sound. [ato_de, May 16 2005] Press RECORD DOG and cause the dog to dig up the rose bushes into microphone.-- zeno, May 16 2005 Well I don't normally bun ideas involving talking dogs or an overuse of the word "hubby", but I quite like this idea. Odds are on I'd just set it to random noises and use it to scare people though.-- hidden truths, May 16 2005 Egad El D! That's a terrible alternative! (shutter) Besides. It makes them think they have laringitus and they keep pestering you for the Listerene.-- MauiChuck, May 16 2005 I think you will find this is Baked. But if you don't want your dog to bark, what the heck did you buy a dog for? Go swap it for an aardvark or something.-- DrCurry, May 16 2005 Yeah. And fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly. Sheesh! Lighten up. :-)-- MauiChuck, May 16 2005 <75% irrelevant aside>We have a cocker spaniel which came without a brain. I tried yelling at her when she barked inappropriately, but this just convinces her that there is really something wrong and therefore worth barking at. I finally figured it out - I just bark at her as loudly as I can, and she shuts up. I think she thinks that, as long as I'm barking, she needn't bother. Sometimes I worry where this might lead.</75% ia>-- Basepair, May 16 2005 So, is there a device that will turn the dog back "on" when you want it to alert you to i.e. housebreakers?-- nick_n_uit, May 18 2005 So the dog gets scolded every time it goes near a tree? Hardly seems fair.-- justaguy, May 18 2005 Good point *nick*, but in my neighborhood there are more children than housebreakers. Lucky lucky, eh? Does your dog bark at trees? I think not, Justaguy. But if so he needs therapy.-- MauiChuck, May 19 2005 The point to this silly invention, and it is silly, is that the dog gets reprimanded by his master. Thus reestablishing training behavior rather than an electric shock or somesuch nasty thing. And the "master" need not be present. Am I getting through to you folks in hyperspace?-- MauiChuck, May 19 2005 random, halfbakery