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Australian Dog Lover
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How does it work?
The IKI Voice Dog Collar lets you record up to two messages: these will serve as a voice command which is triggered after stimulation. This specific command is the one you're teaching your dog to tell him/her to stop barking. This device aims to make your training more consistent since the voice command will be recorded in the collar and will play every time your dog starts barking, whether or not you are present.
Before using the collar it is important to have your dog checked by your vet to ensure he/she is fit to wear a bark limiter.
What is involved in the set-up?
In your box, you will receive the IKI Voice device itself, an adjustable neck strap, a magnetic key tool (it switches the collar on and off) and a minute screwdriver to open the battery cover.
One word of advice: take your time for this set-up! Before your get started even fitting the battery, please read the user manual (pages 14-19) as you will need to keep the cover open throughout the set-up: to set the operating mode, record and check your voice command, select the level of barking detection sensitivity etc.
The IKI Voice comes with two sensors of different lengths. The chosen size should be long enough to ensure proper contact with your dog’s skin and enable the device to operate correctly.
If you have a long-haired dog (like our Belgian Tervueren) the short sensor (fitted by default) is inadequate and you’ll need to swap to the long sensor supplied with your kit. However for the purpose of this review, we trialled this device with our male Malinois Porthos.
The manufacturer advised that it is perfect for sensitive dogs - by that we assume they don't mean the "new age" types but dogs that respond quickly to external stimuli! - or small dogs that need training for their barking issues.
The IKI Voice comes with two sensors of different lengths. The chosen size should be long enough to ensure proper contact with your dog’s skin and enable the device to operate correctly.
If you have a long-haired dog (like our Belgian Tervueren) the short sensor (fitted by default) is inadequate and you’ll need to swap to the long sensor supplied with your kit. However for the purpose of this review, we trialled this device with our male Malinois Porthos.
The manufacturer advised that it is perfect for sensitive dogs - by that we assume they don't mean the "new age" types but dogs that respond quickly to external stimuli! - or small dogs that need training for their barking issues.
You can choose from 3 modes and we suggest to try each one for a few days before deciding which one your dog best responds to:
1. Vibrations + beep sounds
2. Beep sounds + vocal messages
3. Vibrations + vocal messages
1. Vibrations + beep sounds
2. Beep sounds + vocal messages
3. Vibrations + vocal messages
The IKI Voice will also allow you to change the sensitivity of the bark sensor from Low, Medium and High in order for you to customise the training that your dog will receive while using this collar.
To switch on the device, briefly place the magnetic key close to the orange mark (on the front of the collar) for less than 1 second. Depending on the model, you hear 1, 2, or 3 short sounds indicating that the collar has been switched on. To switch off the collar, place the key again for less than 1 second and one long beep indicates it is now switched off.
To switch on the device, briefly place the magnetic key close to the orange mark (on the front of the collar) for less than 1 second. Depending on the model, you hear 1, 2, or 3 short sounds indicating that the collar has been switched on. To switch off the collar, place the key again for less than 1 second and one long beep indicates it is now switched off.
Once you've completed the set-up, simply slide onto the 15mm wide nylon strap provided and adjust to your dog's neck size ensuring it is tight enough for the sensor to touch your dog's skin without him being uncomfortable: you should be able to slide 2 fingers between the strap and your dog's neck.
Then wait for the next delivery man to come to your door for a test run!
Then wait for the next delivery man to come to your door for a test run!
IKI Voice wants to make sure that your dog only receives the right amount of stimulation so they built in a safety feature. This will automatically shut down the collar for 15 seconds before it restarts by itself in case the collar gets activated in three quick successions.
Main Features Summary
• 3 Modes of Stimulation (Vibrations, Beeps, Vocal Commands)
• Voice Recording Feature for Commands
• Adjustable Bark Sensitivity for Better Collar Response
• Safety Feature to Prevent Continuous Stimulation
• Battery Life of up to 30 Days
• 2 Year Warranty from Manufacturer
What We Liked
Main Features Summary
• 3 Modes of Stimulation (Vibrations, Beeps, Vocal Commands)
• Voice Recording Feature for Commands
• Adjustable Bark Sensitivity for Better Collar Response
• Safety Feature to Prevent Continuous Stimulation
• Battery Life of up to 30 Days
• 2 Year Warranty from Manufacturer
What We Liked
The set-up is relatively quick and easy once you remember to leave the battery cover open and you can easily change operating modes using the magnetic key.
The long battery life (30+ days) is great as you don't want to spend your time opening the cover... The IKI Voice Bark Control Collar is also covered from any factory defects for 2 years.
The main question is: did it stop any of our dog(s) from barking? We tried it on both our Malinois who respond quickly to any unusual noises and yes after a couple of days, the first wave of beep sounds or vibrations made them pause (briefly) before the collar emitted our voice command "Quiet" and occasionally they stopped completely.
However it was not a 100% success rate and we often had to verbally reinforce the command ourselves.
The main question is: did it stop any of our dog(s) from barking? We tried it on both our Malinois who respond quickly to any unusual noises and yes after a couple of days, the first wave of beep sounds or vibrations made them pause (briefly) before the collar emitted our voice command "Quiet" and occasionally they stopped completely.
However it was not a 100% success rate and we often had to verbally reinforce the command ourselves.
What We Liked Less
The one thing we question with all anti-barking collars is that barking is a natural behaviour, which is usually triggered by a legitimate alert (a bushwalker at the back of our property or a delivery at the front door) and our dogs are actually doing the right thing by letting us know...
Once our dogs' minds are made up about something (full intruder alert mode), a few beep sounds will certainly not get them off track. Our main disappointment was that even on the most sensitive setting, barking did not appear to reliably trigger our vocal command “Quiet”. Sometimes nothing happened, other times the device started emitting long beeps only with no follow-up voice message which in our opinion was not teaching our dog(s) anything…
To avoid unintentional triggering your dog should not wear any medal or any other kind of collar with the IKI Voice, which means that you could not have any ID dog tag attached. This is a problem if you’re planning to use this device with your dog left alone in a backyard or even when you want to take him for a walk...
Our Verdict
A great concept but we felt that some improvements would make the IKI Voice more user-friendly and a more effective dog training tool.
An easier way to access the set-up if you want to change your recorded vocal message without having to unscrew the battery cover would be a great start. The supplied screwdriver is also very flimsy and threaded after only a couple of uses.
We would also prefer the vocal command to be initiated first (rather than beep sounds or vibrations) to reinforce our training. However just like humans, all dogs are different and some may respond quicker and with a higher success rate when using the device. NUM'axes - the manufacturer behind the IKI Voice - advised us that it works best on small to medium-sized dogs.
Price & Where to Buy
RRP: $99.95 from www.petinnovations.com.au
Caution: The collar should be used only on dogs over 6 months old not puppies.
Do not leave the collar more than 8 hours a day around your dog's neck and take the time to check there are no signs of irritation when you are removing it.
Disclaimer: Product gifted by Pet Innovations for editorial consideration
Disclaimer: Product gifted by Pet Innovations for editorial consideration
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