How sensitive are the bark collars? Can the sensitivity be adjusted? Can another dog barking make it zap the dog that is wearing it, for instance, if the dogs were crated next to each other?

There are adjustable ones, and they generally are based on the vibrations of the dog's vocal cords, not sound, so a nearby sound or barking dog should not effect it.

That said, how effective they are also varies. Some dogs respond very well, some resist it. Some dogs learn to only be quiet when wearing the collor, and know when it's off they can make as much noise as they want.

Also, it really can only be worn when the dog is alone. When with other dogs, they tend to team up and destroy the damn thing by chewing it up.

I was field training with a friend who had a Labby that always barked when she was sent on a water mark. One day, she put a bark collar on the dog and sent her on a water mark. As usual, as the dog lept into the water she barked. She was so startled (and probably stung) by the bark collar that she began to yelp. The more she yelped, the more she got stung. Well, you get the picture. We finally got the poor dog back on shore and got the collar off. It took a couple of tries before the poor girl got her confidence back up to enter the water.

The point is, start with baby steps in a controlled environment. I'm not familiar with how to use/train with a bark collar, but I would hope there are some manuals/instructions available to help you do it the right way. Just a warning not to just put the collar on and expect to be able to leave right away with no negative effects.

By the way, I have heard other people say that another dog's barking can set off some bark collars, so read the product description to be sure...

Good luck!

Charlie loves his bark collar!! When we pick it up he comes running and sits quietly while we put it on him.
Weird, huh? We bought a Tri-tronics collar for around $100 and have been very happy with the results. It works on vibration and not sound so it is not set off by other dogs. Charlie's over all barking when he is not wearing the collar is down a good 75% and he only barks after the squirrels taunt him too much and he can't take them anymore. The other dogs have not touched the collar and it looks and works as well as the day we took ot out of the box.

Have heard of a zapped dog freaking out and attacking the ones around it, thinking they were biting her because of the zap of a bark collar.

My complaint is with one young dog that starts barking to go out way too early. I usually let the dogs out of the crates about 6 AM, but this one dog starts barking around 5, and will not shut up. So, if I used a collar, it would only be when this dog is in the crate. Other than that, I do not have a barking problem.

I've used Tri-Tronics brand bark collars in the past & they work well. The new one will show with the number of light flashes when you turn it off how many times the dog was corrected while wearing it. It's designed to be set at any level but you start on the lowest level & work your way up until the dog learns not to bark. It's worth the 89.95 to keep your neighbors & spouse happy!

I use a the yapper stopper by dogtra http://www.dogtra.com/ and I only have to set it on the first level. Love it