How to Stop your Dog from Barking
24 Jul 2009
To be able to control you dogs barking you must first understand why it is barking. Barking is one way that your dog communicates with you and over time you will develop an understanding of why your dog is barking. Sometimes your dog will bark for the right reasons, when it needs to go to the toilet or when something is wrong. Don’t forget, there is good barking and bad barking!. Neighbours with barking dogs are annoying and it is up to you to train your dog about barking behaviour. You are in control and your dog will look to you for instruction about when to and when not to bark.
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Perhaps your dog is bored or lonely?
A major cause of problem barking is a dog who feels anxious or lonely. Perhaps your dog spends every day, all day alone while you are at work? Your dog will need plenty (1-1.5 hours), of exercise to compensate for that. A walk before or after work is highly recommended. If you find this difficult think about hiring someone to do the walking for you. Your dog will appreciate this attention. A host of dog toys are available from pet shops etc, to try when you are away from home. Try buying your dog a bone to chew or a ball to play with. A great way for your dog to rediscover toys is to rotate them.
Dogs who spend too much time alone will often become nuisance barkers. Dogs need lots of interaction, attention and communication as is the nature of a social animal. It is important that you spend a lot of time playing with your dog and showing it affection. Dogs need this to thrive. Find activities that include your dog, when at home. Dogs who are loved are happy. A dog that is well attended to is also less likely to display other difficult behaviors and you won’t need to Stop Your Dog Digging.
Is your dog letting you know it wants to play?
If your dog is barking so that you will play with it, do not give in to this demand. A bad habit will be reinforced, if you do. Mutual respect is key to your relationship with your dog and harassing you in this way demonstrates lack of respect. You will need to ignore this behaviour if you don’t want your dog to demand your attention in this way. Moving away and turning your back towards your dog is a way to demonstrate this effectively. This will confuse your dog at first. Dogs are persistent and since this has worked before, perhaps if it barks for a little longer you will get the message. Do not give in! Be strong. Don’t be suprised if the baking gets worse before it gets better. Lots of praise is required to reinforce the correct behaviour. Let your dog know how pleased you are, with positive reinforcement. After a short time of consistent work your dog will re-learn this behavior and stop barking to attract your attention.
Being consistent is very important in all aspects of dog training. All pack animals of which dogs are one, need to know who is in charge. A dog has to respect your leadership to be happy, well-adjusted and well-behaved. A good dog is not necessarily a quiet dog. It is your clear direction that will teach your dog when it is appropriate to bark.
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