i finally did it. after weeks, okay months, of flor's constant barking in the garden that resulted in anonymous notes pinned to our front door and our blood pressure rising at least 100 points - i bought a no-bark collar. i did a lot of research, making sure that what i was buying wouldn't or couldn't harm the dog, but would get her to stop barking at every cyclist, dog or leaf that passed the house. indoors, she only barks when she gets desperate that the cat won't play with her or if a dog barks on the television. when she goes outdoors to play in the garden, it is a nightmare. one alternative is to never let her outside - not viable. i tried the spraying with water, shaking tins with coins inside, the harsh tone of voice - nothing worked.

i got an innotek collar via amazon. it wasn't expensive. day one - i put the collar on and she trotted off outside. two minutes later, i didn't hear her bark, instead i heard her shriek. i almost dropped my coffee. it wasn't pleasant. she didn't omit another bark for the following 24hours. the following afternoon she barked again - got zapped, checked her bum (she is a bit obsessed with this - any odd noise and her rear end is the first place she checks), and fled indoors to find me.

the downside to the collar is that she associates being alone outside with being zapped. for a few days i had to walk with her down the garden steps to accompany her to the loo. she started to pee indoors again (sigh), though after a couple of days she was mostly over that. she seems calmer in general. when she comes indoors the collar comes off right away. she still  barks at the television - two or three ooffs which is fine and normal. thankfully the constant barking has disappeared - and so have the anonymous notes. she can go outdoors for an afternoon without the collar, though the first few times she wore it but with the battery removed. i think with flor, the association with no barking isn't the collar, rather it's the terrace. i show her the collar and she sits waiting for me to put it on her. poor bugger.

fingers and paws crossed that this lasts. i know some people will think i am a bad dog owner, that i didn't try hard enough with the training, and a whole host of other criticisms. i know i did my best and tried every workable solution before getting the collar. she isn't unhappy or depressed. she is as she was before - bouncing with happiness and affection, just much more silently than before.