Its been a while since I provided an update on the Adaptil calm collar, and as a primary product I use to manage our dogs barking in our apartment, I thought it was about due. Read along to see the results of my Adaptil Calm Collar Long Term Review
How does the Adaptil calm collar work?
Adaptil collars are pheromones that help reduce stress in dogs and puppies. They work by releasing a scent into the air around the dog, which helps calm them down. Most can be worn up to thirty days before needing to be replaced.
The collars are usually activated by a dog’s temperature and most can be worn for up to 30 days before needing to be replaced.
Our Nuisance Apartment Barking Problem
It all began when we moved into an apartment, our 15 year old cocker spaniel and beagle, were always house dogs. But not used to the small environment like an apartment. Along with other techniques and strategies, we also purchased and use the Adaptil Collar.
Over a couple of months, the dogs began to calm, this may not be 100% attributed to the collar, but a wider approach taking in many methods to manage the problem. See the following post for a list of my top 10 items.
Can the Adaptil Calm Collar help older dogs?
A question that I regularly get is: Can the collar help older dogs. Its a good point to consider, seeing as most data suggests you cant teach and old dog new tricks. But what I would say, we are not teaching a new trick here, in fact, its part of the dogs natural emotions to be calmed by its mother.
From my experience with our two dogs, I am happy to report, that it has made a difference in their overall mood and stress, specifically reducing their barking when we are away from our apartment.
It did take a month or two for the collar to work effectively, and I would put this down to, any calming technique doesn’t normally work overnight. You cant expect to put the collar on and then have a wonder dog. It takes time to adjust and for the dog to feel comfortable with the pheromones the collar emits.
Long Term Pros:
- Continues to aid in the calming effect for our two dogs
- Low cost, no pain, simple solution.
- Easy to place on dog and change
- Took a little time for collar to work, but now delivers consistent results
- Highly recommended to be used along with other strategies. (see other ideas here)
- No bulky items hanging from dogs neck, and no batteries needed
- Works well on older dogs
- Easy to try and test for a couple of months with limited cost
- Available in many countries
Long Term Cons:
- Does not provide an immediate result like shock collars. Needs time to work
- Ongoing cost to purchase each month, but results do continue as well.
- May not work for all dogs, some dogs just don’t pick up on the scent.
Long term review summary
If you review an earlier post, when we just moved into the apartment, to how the dogs are going now, you will see its black and white. The first month was terrible, I had notice from the land lord, people complaining, coming home during my lunch break and constant high stress.
Now, I leave the dogs all day, rarely check on them with the google cameras, and know they are happy and calm all day with little barking. Yes, towards the time I come home, they wake up and start to make some noise but a far cry from what it was like.
As I have said all along, a multi-strategy approach will deliver the best result. Its not just one item or product that will likely make a huge difference. Combine multiple methods into a plan and thats when you will start to see some traction.
For the collar in particular, I rate this as a 8 or 9 out of 10. It was and still is a core component of the overall strategy and see it as a fundamental item if you are experiencing a barking problem.
As mentioned, it may not work for all dogs, but you need to give it a couple of months to see results. Dont expect a quick fix like others have reported.
Where to buy? All good pet outlets sell the collar, most have a discount off RRP. Amazon also stock the collar if you prefer to shop online.
I also see it has capability to help with other problems, so let me cover a few for anyone that might not just be trying to stop barking.
What else can the Adaptil Collar be used to help manage
The Adaptil calm collar has been an important tool to help manage our dog barking problem. Its continued to provide good results, and while barking can been seen related to other disorders, I often dont talk about them. So I will cover a few other areas where the collar can also provide benefits.
Adaptil Calm Collar for Separation Anxiety
From my experience using the collar to manage our barking problem, I could quite easily agree it would also work well for separation anxiety, in fact, I expect part of our barking problem was due to separation anxiety. If you are seeing your dog get upset when you leave, I would highly advise to try the collar for a couple of months.
Adaptil Calm Collar for Puppies
Puppies are a great candidate for the collar, especially when they have been recently removed from their mother. The continuation of the mothers pheromones will help maintain any stress the young puppy might be going through when they move into a new environment and away from the mum.
Adaptil Calm Collar for Loud Noises like Thunder
This is an interesting one, especially if thunder is only heard on rare events. While I have not seen the results first hand, I expect it will be hard to provide a consistent outcome using the collar. When the dog is laying calm, and thunder then explodes around then, the immediate reaction will be to react, and for some dogs, this can be intense where they run and hide, bark, or get very anxious. I cant see how the collar will help manage this type of problem.
