What is a Citronella Collar and How Do You Use It

A citronella collar is used on certain types of pets, such as dogs, for a variety of reasons such as repelling biting insects such as ticks and to control certain behaviors, such as incessant barking. A citronella collar that is designed to control pet behaviors works by emitting a spray when the pet exhibits the behavior, such as barking. Soon, the pet will learn to stop the behavior when they realize it leads to the reaction of the collar.

Another use would be for a virtual fence - to train a pet to stay within certain borders of a yard or other area. If the pet goes beyond a set parameters, the citronella collar will react to a signal from nearby remote stations and will spray the animal with the lemony citronella scent which most pets to not like. A citronella collar is considered to be much more humane than using electric shocks or other painful training methods.

For owners who are interested in controlling pet behaviors, a veterinarian or animal trainer may recommend a citronella collar as a humane way to train a pet to exhibit or cease a certain behavior. While citronella collars are considered to be effective, they will be the most effective when used in combination with other behavioral control methods.

A citronella collar is typically not expensive although many come in packages with other products and can range in price from about $30.00 to over $70.00.

Citronella is a substance derived from a combination of cultivated grasses and can come in many forms such as lotions, oils, candles and powders. The lemony scent is generally a repellent for insects and ticks and can be worn as a type of flea collar on pets. Citronella is not considered to be as effective for repelling biting insects as are other types of animal collars that use more potent chemicals. When using a citronella collar to prevent unwanted ticks and fleas, it may be best to combine it with other forms of prevention such as baths and powders designed for the same purpose.

A citronella collar may not be able to be combined with certain types of collars used for other purposes such as collars that utilize scents other than citronella.