WORTH EVERY PENNY
"I honestly can't say enough good things about this collar. I have a 9-year-old large-breed dog who never had separation anxiety issues before. Unfortunately, after a recent move, everything changed. Whenever I left the house, she wouldn't bark, but she would whine and howl loudly the entire time I was gone. My neighbours started complaining, and it quickly became a major problem. For months, I tried absolutely everything. Training exercises, enrichment toys, special treats, anxiety medication, crate training, free roaming, long walks before leaving, and gradual departures. Nothing helped. It got to the point where I felt like a prisoner in my own home. I reduced my time in the office and worked from home as much as possible while we tried to solve the issue. On the days I had to go in, I hired a sitter. Between the stress, the cost, and the limitations on my life, it simply wasn't sustainable. I was starting to feel like rehoming her might be my only option, which was heartbreaking. I bought this collar as an absolute last resort. I was hesitant for two reasons. First, she wasn't barking, so I wasn't sure there was a collar sophisticated enough to detect and correct whining and howling. Second, I was worried that because the anxiety itself was still there, the collar would just make her more distressed or afraid of being alone. Because it came with a refund policy, I decided it was worth trying. I'm so glad I did. The collar was easy to set up and very user-friendly. The first time I used it, I stayed close to home and watched her on my pet camera. She received two corrections and immediately stopped whining. What amazed me wasn't just that the noise stopped. Before, she would spend the entire time pacing, sitting by the door crying, and completely ignoring treats or enrichment activities. Once the whining stopped, she actually seemed to relax. She started wandering around the house, eating her treats, settling into her usual sleeping spots, and behaving much more like she does when I'm home. Since that first day, I have not heard a single howl. She occasionally lets out a few soft whines when I first leave, but she settles down quickly on her own. I started slowly, leaving for short periods and gradually increasing the time away. Now I'm back to working in the office, and she's doing great. There have been no more complaints from neighbours, no more expensive pet sitters several times a week, and I finally have my freedom back. Most importantly, my dog is calm and comfortable at home again. I know there are strong opinions about training collars, and I shared many of those concerns myself. However, in our case, the collar only needed a couple of corrections before the unwanted behaviour stopped. Now it mostly functions as an accessory because she no longer feels the need to howl when I'm gone. For anyone dealing with severe separation-related vocalization and feeling like they've exhausted every other option, I would absolutely recommend giving this collar a try. It made a life-changing difference for both me and my dog."