Barkwoo Support & FAQs

At Barkwoo, we understand the importance of fast and reliable shipping. That's why we offer free standard shipping on all domestic orders within the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.  We do not currently ship internationally, but join our mailing list for updates.

We offer free standard shipping on all domestic orders within the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Our orders arrive within 5-7 business days. If you need it more quickly, simply select the Expedited (2-4 business days) shipping option when you check out.

Yes.

If your order is shipping to an incorrect address, please email contact@barkwoo.com

Yes, if we're able to catch it in time, we can update your order! As soon as possible, please reach out to contact@barkwoo.com.

Easy. Email us at contact@barkwoo.com with your order number and the reason for your return, and we'll send step-by-step instructions for sending it back. Once we receive the item, we'll process your refund according to our Refund Policy. Reach out any time if you have questions.

You can return any item within 30 days of the purchase date for a refund. Items should be in their original condition. Once we receive your return, refunds are issued to your original payment method per our Refund Policy — typically within 3–5 business days. Questions? Email contact@barkwoo.com.

Most returns are processed within 3-5 business days after the item has been received.

Your credit card will be charged during order processing, typically 1-2 business days.

We accept all major types of payment, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Once your order ships, you will be sent an email notification containing a link to order tracking information. On occasion, it may take up to 1-2 business days for the carrier to provide tracking information. If you have any inquiries, please contact contact@barkwoo.com.

If you would like to update your order, please contact us at contact@barkwoo.com. We will do our best to help you with any changes you may need to make to your order.

Barkwoo comes in one size and is designed to be lightweight and comfortable enough to be worn by dogs of all sizes. It easily attaches to any dog collar.

No, it easily attaches to any dog collar. It plays music and has no scent or pheromone, so it isn’t a calming collar itself. Here’s how it differs from a calming collar.

Yes. The Barkwoo Music Box is a small, lightweight speaker that clips onto any standard dog collar and plays calming music right where your dog is. There's no phone, WiFi or app: one button press starts the preloaded playlist. It recharges over USB-C and plays for almost a full day on one charge.

Barkwoo is splashproof, so it should be safe for your dog to wear it in the rain or get it wet intermittently. However, we do not recommend submerging it in water or washing it.

Yes, please take a look at our music page to get a taste of what Barkwoo music is all about.

Yes. Several published studies have looked at music and dogs, mostly in shelters and kennels. See our research page for the studies and what each one found, and our post on whether dogs like music.

Yes. Each Barkwoo plays from one dog's collar, so the music stays with that dog. If you have two dogs, you will need a separate Barkwoo for each of them so they can both enjoy it.

We can't promise that. The studies we know of didn't measure aggression. What they did find: kennelled dogs spent more time lying down and less time barking while classical music played.¹ If your dog shows aggression, talk to your vet or a qualified behaviourist. Barkwoo is a drug-free way to bring calming music with your dog. See our research page for the full list of studies.

It may help. In kennel studies, dogs barked less while classical music played.²¹ Those studies used speakers in kennels, not Barkwoo. Barkwoo plays calming music right on your dog's collar, wherever the stress happens. More detail on our research page. If the barking happens when you’re out, read about the signs being alone is hard for your dog. If your dog barks when nothing seems to be there, here’s what they may be hearing or smelling.

It can help, modestly. In shelter and kennel studies, dogs spent more time resting and less time barking while classical music played.³² The effect faded after about a week of the same playlist.¹ Music is a comfort, not a cure. If your dog's anxiety is severe, talk to your vet. Our research page lists the studies and their limits.

The studies we cite didn't ask dogs to choose, so they can't tell us what dogs prefer. What they measured: shelter and kennel dogs rested or slept more with classical music playing than with no added sound.³² Heavy metal had the opposite effect, with more barking in one study and more body shaking in the other. More on what the studies found.

Classical music has the best evidence. A review of nine studies found it appears calming for dogs in stressful settings, with no extra benefit from music composed for dogs.⁴ Variety may matter too: kennelled dogs got used to the same playlist within a week.¹ With Barkwoo you can add your own MP3s alongside the preloaded tracks to vary the mix. See how classical, soft rock or reggae compared in the studies.

Sound seems to matter more than pictures. Shelter dogs looked at a TV only about 11% of the time and lost interest over time, though having it on meant a little less barking and moving around than no TV.⁵ In another shelter study, dogs rested more with classical music than with human conversation or pop.³ So calm music on the radio is a reasonable choice. Barkwoo plays calming music from your dog's collar, so it goes where your dog goes. We compare music, TV or an audiobook in more detail.

It hasn’t been shown to calm dogs. In the one controlled test we found, white noise made no measurable difference to how kennelled dogs behaved.⁶ Where it may help is masking sudden outside sounds, which is why veterinary guidance lists it for noise-sensitive dogs. Calm classical music has more evidence, though the effect is modest. More on white noise, music or silence.

Very loud sound over long periods can. Dogs hear much higher pitches than we do,⁷ and in one study, dogs kept for months in very noisy kennels showed measurable changes in their hearing.⁸ That study wasn't about music, and we found no study of music at home. If your dog pins their ears back, pants or can't settle while music plays, turn it off. We go through what dogs hear, and what the research on loud noise found, in can loud music hurt your dog's ears?

It may help a little, but it won't fix it on its own. In a study of pet dogs separated from their owners, classical music helped them lie down and settle sooner, with what the researchers called only a moderately calming effect.⁹ For real separation anxiety, talk to your vet or a qualified behaviourist. Music can be one calm part of the plan. More on leaving your dog home alone, and how to pick a safe toy for the hours you're out.

The evidence is mixed. In one lab study, beagles wearing a pheromone collar showed less fear during a thunderstorm recording than beagles with a placebo collar.¹⁰ But a systematic review found most pheromone evidence too weak to judge,¹¹ and we found no published study of a herbal calming collar itself. In a survey of owners on fireworks, both rated in the range a placebo would explain.¹² Barkwoo isn’t a calming collar: it plays music and has no scent or pheromone. Read pheromone, herbal and music compared.