Best Ultrasonic Dog Repellers

Many places in the United States have “leash laws”, which require that dogs be kept on a leash when they’re taken for a walk in a public place. Besides preventing damage to property, a leash is also to keep them from suddenly lashing out or barking at someone unfamiliar--and that unfamiliar person could be you! In case you encounter a barking dog without a leash about to pounce, it’s good to be prepared. There are handheld ultrasonic dog repellers that are small enough to keep in your pocket. If you go jogging or running, and meet up with an aggressive dog, these repellers will emit a sound that irritates the dog and makes them keep their distance. Dog owners can also use these nifty handheld devices, to train their dog and reinforce good behavior. And they are humane--they work by just emitting a sound that irritates the dog and discourages wild behavior but won’t harm the dog in any way.

But that’s not all. There are also stationary dog repellers that you can post in your yard or garden. This will prevent dogs (and cats, skunks, foxes, rodents, and more) from going in and start tearing up your lawn. They employ a motion sensor, which notices if an animal has entered the area. It will then emit an ultrasonic sound which will repel them from the area. Depending on the model, they can be solar-powered, or use wall current to recharge the unit.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting an ultrasonic dog repeller, to get the one that suits you best. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of ultrasonic dog repeller,

• See useful tips about that particular type of ultrasonic dog repeller,

• Read reviews of ultrasonic dog repellers, and what customers are saying, 

• Select the right brand of ultrasonic dog repeller, and 

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

• Handheld ultrasonic dog repellers: There are handheld devices that use a 9-volt battery, or 3 “AA” batteries. They can be used to train your dog, by accompanying the ultrasonic sound with a verbal command. If you encounter an aggressive, unfamiliar dog, there is a stronger setting that will deter the dog and make it keep its distance. An example is the Quenta Handheld Dog Repellent.

Quenta Handheld Dog Repellent

• Stationary ultrasonic dog repellers: There are also stationary ultrasonic dog repellers that you place outside your home. An example is the Clever Sprouts Dog Repellent. It can be placed by means of a stake in the lawn, or you can choose to hang it onto an exterior wall of your house. It uses a Passive Infrared (=PIR) Sensor, that detects movement within a 110-degree cone up to a distance of 8-9 meters. The bigger animals will trip off the ultrasonic signal at 9 meters, while smaller animals will only be repelled from closer distances. It will start to flash a bright strobe light when an animal comes in range and triggers the motion sensor.

Clever Sprouts Dog Repellent

• Repels other animals as well: Some outdoor ultrasonic dog repellers, such as the Fierre Shann Ultrasonic Animal Repeller, have a number of frequency settings. The frequency of 13.5-19.5 KHz is sufficient to repel mice, rats, dogs, foxes, and martens. The 19.5-24.5 KHz setting repels cats, raccoons, badgers, and skunks, while the 24.5-45.5 KHz setting can repel unwanted birds and bats. This is especially helpful if you have a garden, and you don’t want animals taking off with the fruits of your labor. It will also prevent animals from using your yard as a litter box.

• Serves as a flashlight as well: Many handheld devices contain a flashlight as well. This way, you can discover exactly which animals are coming into your yard at night! But if you need it just as a flashlight, don’t use the flashlight feature together with the training or repeller features. When you press the training or repelling buttons, it will use much more electricity than just in flashlight mode. So, to conserve the batteries, use the training and repelling modes only when necessary.

• More effective than other training methods: People who have used a handheld repeller for training purposes have said that it gives better results than all of the alternative methods. Some have tried giving their dog treats so that they would stop barking. Others have tried using a shock collar or soft muzzle. They notice that the ultrasonic repeller will make their dog stop barking, and instantly cower away. In some cases, such as with the CCNN Pet Supplies 3-in-1 Anti-Barking Ultrasonic Pet Dog Repeller, the dog stops barking as soon as their owner picked up the bright yellow device--without even pressing the buttons!

CCNN Pet Supplies 3-in-1 Anti-Barking Ultrasonic Dog Repeller

• Include an audible noise: Some dog repellers will combine other features as well.  The Hoont Electronic Handheld Dog Repellent has an “Ultrasonic” button and an “Audible” button. You can use the audible alarm to scare off human attackers. And the loudness of the audible sound will indicate to you if the battery needs to be changed or recharged.

Hoont Electronic Handheld Dog Repeller, showing the function buttons

• Range: The range is a big consideration if you’re trying to make an aggressive dog back off. The Dog No-Bark handheld device is good up to a range of 50 feet. That should be enough to keep the dog at a safe distance. 

• Recharging an outdoor stationary ultrasonic dog repeller: Many outdoor dog repellers are solar-powered. The Clever Sprouts Dog Repeller will work on 3 “AA” rechargeable batteries. It also comes with a 9-Volt 200 mA adapter, that you plug into wall current. 

• Waterproof: Since an outdoor ultrasonic dog repeller will be exposed to the elements, make sure that it is waterproof. The Clever Sprouts Dog Ultrasonic Repellent is IPX4 water-resistant. This is enough to protect it from splashing water. It might not make it through a heavy downpour, however. Also, some outdoor ultrasonic repellers will lose some of their functionality when you recharge them from wall current. For example, the PIR sensor on the Clever Sprouts device won't work while it is plugged in for recharging.

• Using a dog repeller for training: If your dog engages in unwanted barking, many handheld ultrasonic dog repellers can be used for training your dog as well. They can also be used to discourage your dog from clawing, scratching, jumping on people, chewing on furniture, and biting. The makers of the Quenta Handheld Dog Repellent recommend the following procedure: 

  1. Point the device at your dog when s/he is standing within 6 feet away. Ideally, point the device towards the dog’s head.

  2. Give the dog a verbal command, while pressing the repeller’s button for 1 or 2 seconds. 

  3. Repeat this until the dog responds.

However, there are also some caveats with this: 

• If your dog is already familiar with you, they already know that you have no intention of harming them. So they might not respond to the ultrasonic sound.

• If you live in a noisy environment, the background noise might “drown out” the ultrasonic signal. Even your dog won’t hear it!

• If you try too hard to train your dog, he’ll get accustomed to the signal, and fail to respond to the stimulus. Some customers said that their device was effective in quieting their dog for about a week--but they were disappointed upon realizing that it wouldn’t help after that.

• If the battery voltage is too low, the signal will be too weak for the dog to react to it.

Hoont is a manufacturer of electronic devices to get rid of both indoor and outdoor pests. They make devices specifically to repel insects, rodents, and larger animals. Besides ultrasonic repellers, they also make water jet blasters for outdoor use.