How to Stop a Barking Dog
February 26, 2010 by Dog Trainer Filed under Barking Dogs
Dogs use barking as one of five communication methods such as growling or howling. However, excessive barking can become a cause for concern even though it is not dangerous and can be useful in some situations. It is important not to stop a dog from barking since it is a natural communication method; behavior modification should be limited to an acceptable range. If a dog barks a lot, it can become annoying very fast. Excessive barking can lead to complaints from your neighbors.
Step one in stopping a dog from barking is to determine exactly when they are barking. It is necessary to know this so you can reinforce positive barking in the correct situations. Here are a few scenarios that will help you determine when a dog barks as well as tips on how to control too much barking:
1. Loneliness Dogs belong to the canine family and as such they can become lonely and anxious when they are by themselves for long periods of time. If you leave your dog alone and they can hear you where you are working, they will usually bark continually until you return. If they know you are in the yard talking to your neighbor who happens to have another dog or if you leave in a room alone this can also produce continuous barking. In order to calm the dog down you will need to address their anxiety that comes from separation. One idea is to give them a toy in order to distract them while they are to be alone or confined in a certain area. Another option is to have another dog that they can play with. Keep quiet and stay where the dog cannot hear you if you are working on something that they might find interesting.
2. Protection As canines, dogs are very territorial in nature and generally become guardians of their area. Dogs usually bark at strangers or people walking in the street near the house – postal personnel, UPS and Fed-Ex workers, etc. It’s a good idea to be notified of intruders but you want your dog to be able to recognize familiar people and to stop barking once you have responded to their warning. You should train your dog to stop barking on command by speaking to them. One such command you would train the dog to comply with is, “Quiet.”
3. Disturbed Dogs will bark when they are feeling “caged in” or when they are experiencing thirst or hunger. Remember, barking is their primary method of communicating with you. To stop a dog from constantly barking you should learn to recognize when they are disturbed about something and respond to them. Regularly scheduled meals can go a long way in helping your dog to stop barking. What happens is that they get comfortable in the routine and know when they will get fed. If a dog seems to be excessively restless, the answer may lay in getting more exercise. In a similar way as human beings, dogs have a need for daily exercise. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like, you should always give your dog enough time to walk around and play every day. If the weather is an issue you will have to be creative with indoor activities for the dog.
Dogs can be condition to respond to stimuli in a very specific way much like the psychological concepts with human beings. The main key to success is to start your dog’s training as early in life as possible. Barking can become an effective tool for communication between a human master and man’s best friend, the dog.
If you want to learn more, you can read this article on how to Stop Dog Barking or read these reviews of products that address dog barking problems Best Dog Training Products. For information about dog training and dog behavior problems visit Dog Training.
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