Understanding and Minimizing Excessive Dog Barking

Photo credit: PradaDearest (Flickr.com)

Dogs bark for many different reasons. In a way, barking is as common to dogs as speaking is to people. It is their main mode of communication. You will be able to recognize and respond to their needs better if you can learn what causes your dog to bark.

Why Dogs Bark

One of the most common reasons why dogs bark is to warn you about approaching strangers. Whenever a post man, a visitor or any unfamiliar face comes around, your dog will bark to tell you about it. This is, of course a good thing, since most of us wants an effective watchdog who will give necessary warnings.

Dogs may also bark out of fear or even simply to grab your attention. At times, your pet may want to play with you and he’ll tell you that through barking. Bored dogs will likely bark so try to do something about it.

Hunger is another reason that’s why it is important to feed your pet on time. If you are already doing that, then take the barking as a sign that it’s already time to put food on the plate again.

Excessive Barking Can Be a Problem

While the examples mentioned above are all considered normal, there may be instances when the dog starts barking for no apparent reason.

If your dog is barking too much, then this could be a problem. You will have sleepless nights and you can expect to receive complaints from neighbors, too. As a responsible dog owner, you need to stay on top of things and take appropriate action.

Many pet owners are trying to find safe, effective, quick, and cheap ways of preventing canine behavior problems. But since it is difficult to get these in one package, a majority of them usually fail to achieve a solution. Dog behavior problems such as excessive barking should be corrected because it is a nuisance not only to your household but to the entire neighborhood as well.

Possible Solutions

Basic dog training skills can be a good solution towards minimizing the undesirable noise. Teach principles of obedience to your pet. Be patient and try not to yell when you want him to stop. Instead choose a single word (such as “No” or “Enough”) and use that consistently. Tell everyone in the household about it and make it a rule. Never give treats when the dog is barking because he may misinterpret that as a reward.

Signing up your dog for obedience classes with professional dog trainers can be a good idea. You may also consider consulting with a veterinarian. Sometimes, a health problem can make a dog really grumpy.

Otherwise, you can check out corrective collars sold in the market. This can be a good tool you can use to stop dog barking in your home.