Introducing The SideWalker Leash Trainer and The BarkCollar

DogWatch is already having an exciting 25th Anniversary year! First, we saw the largest turnout yet at our annual DogWatch Dealer Meeting in February near Austin, Texas. Now, DogWatch is excited to introduce two new dog training products – the SideWalker® Leash Trainer and the BarkCollar™! Both products are now available for purchase through your local DogWatch Dealer.

The SideWalker®

The SideWalker Leash Trainer is a unique dog training collar that helps create a more enjoyable on-leash walking experience. Its “self-teaching” design assists in reinforcing appropriate leash training and eliminating excessive pulling.

The SideWalker Leash Trainer by DogWatch“We created the SideWalker to solve one of the main behavioral issues people have when walking their dog – pulling on the leash,” says Charlie King, Product Manager at DogWatch. “The SideWalker has made leash training so easy that within minutes most dog owners will see a major difference in their dog’s understanding of how they should walk on a leash.”

The SideWalker is a small unit attached to a collar that attaches to the leash. When the dog pulls on the leash, the pressure of the collar strap on the SideWalker activates either a vibration or a stimulation. This keeps the training message clearly associated with the behavior. The vibration or stimulation gradually increases as the dog pulls and turns off when the pulling stops.

The SideWalker has five easy-to-adjust settings, making it suitable for all types of dog personalities and pulling behaviors. The five adjustable settings include a vibration-only setting, three different stimulation settings and a Progressive setting that begins with vibration and gradually progresses to stimulation if the dog continues to pull. The SideWalker is powered by a long-lasting, rechargeable battery, which depending on use stays charged for several days at a time.

“The Sidewalker is an entirely new concept in Behavior Modification Collars,” says Grant Teeboon, aka “The Paw Man,” a retired Air Force Police Dog Handler, Trainer, Instructor & Assessor and currently a practicing Canine Behavior Specialist in Brisbane, Australia. “Being a Police Dog handler for 33 years means that my leash corrections are somewhat automatic and the great thing about the SideWalker is that you really don’t need to do anything other than hold the leash. You don’t even need to pull the leash because the leash automatically corrects the dog when it pulls on the leash itself. I actually noticed that the dog seemed to understand the leash correction better when it caused the correction itself as opposed to it getting a correction initiated by me pulling back the leash.”

The SideWalker in actionThe SideWalker is designed to help improve the leash walking experience for all types of dogs and their people. Brian C. wanted to bring his dog along with him jogging, but his young, active, 80lb dog Max was “a nightmare” on the leash when he tried to run with him. After only one five-minute training session with the SideWalker, Brian saw improvement with Max. “A few more sessions and he will be a great jogging companion,” says Brian.

The SideWalker is also a great tool to help teach dogs to walk on the leash with all members of the family. A large dog who pulls can be a challenge for walkers relying on their strength to direct the dog properly on the leash. Because the vibration or stimulation is tied directly to the dog’s pulling and is not reliant on the owner’s strength, timing and consistency, it sends the dog a clear message that the stimulation is associated with the pulling behavior. “I am more relaxed,” says Heidi Price, who uses a SideWalker with her dog Milo. “I see many more happy walks in front of me.”

The BarkCollar™

Excessive barking is problem many dog parents face. It can cause tension in relationships with your dog, family, neighbors and other pets. DogWatch’s new product, the BarkCollar No-Bark Trainer, can help reduce this tension by teaching your dog to avoid excessive barking.

The BarkCollar from DogWatchThe BarkCollar is designed to teach your dog to reduce and eliminate problem barking behavior. The BarkCollar uses DogWatch’s exclusive technology to differentiate between acceptable and excessive barking and to teach dogs to reduce their barking to a more appropriate level.

Like the SideWalker, the BarkCollar is a small unit attached to a collar that the owner places around the dog’s neck. Barking activates the BarkCollar which then delivers a vibration or a stimulation to distract the dog and discourage continued barking. There is a brief delay before the collar activates to help differentiate acceptable from excessive barking.

Zoe the dog wears her new BarkCollarThe BarkCollar has seven easy-to-adjust settings, making it suitable for all types of dog personalities and barking behaviors. All settings include gradual progression (within that setting) if the dog continues to bark. The seven adjustable settings include a vibration-only setting, five stimulation settings and a Progressive setting that begins with vibration and gradually progresses through the stimulation settings if the dog continues to bark. When the barking is over, the collar automatically resets to the lowest level in the chosen setting.

The BarkCollar also has a unique “Bark Counter” feature, which provides information about how often the collar activated. This helps the dog owner learn about their dog’s barking behavior, even if they are not there to observe it. Like the SideWalker, the BarkCollar is powered by a long-lasting, rechargeable battery, which depending on use can stay charged for several months at a time.

“Our dog Remi is part Beagle, so he definitely makes a lot of noise at home,” says Elyse Blanda about her eight year-old Puggle. After using the BarkCollar, Remi’s barking reduced significantly. “He used to bark loudly and consistently when, for example, he spotted a deer in the backyard. With the BarkCollar, he knows the limits and after a few barks he’ll stop. It’s great because Remi can still be himself, but I don’t have to worry that his barking will interfere with work, annoy the neighbors or wake up the baby.”

The BarkCollar has already made a difference at DogWatch’s dog-friendly headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts. Jackie, a member of our Marketing team, wanted to bring her Chihuahua mix Lucy (see photo at left) to work with her, but Lucy’s frequent barking was a problem. After using the BarkCollar, Lucy’s barking behavior is much improved. “Now I can have her with me all day and get my work done,” says Jackie. “Everyone in the office loves having her here, and she loves going to work every day.” We agree, Lucy is a great addition to the office and we are happy the BarkCollar could help her out. And if you have a barker like her, the BarkCollar can help you, too.

The SideWalker and the BarkCollar are now available for purchase from your local DogWatch Dealer or via our online store.