How to Solve a Dog Barking Problem

Photo Credit: dagnyg (Flickr.com)

Having a dog is a lot of fun. At the same time, it's also a lot of work. This is why training your pet is essential during its puppy years, so you can prevent behavior problems. On one hand, a barking dog is a good thing as it alerts its owners to the presence of a possible intruder. On the other, a dog barking for an unknown reason can cause sleepless nights by both its owners and the neighbors. If your dog has a barking problem, there are ways for you to minimize it.

First, you'll need to understand that it's perfectly normal for a dog to bark. If your pooch is making too much noise, there are not a lot of reasons why it's doing so. One possible reason is when someone it doesn't recognize is near. Barking is a dog's way of both alerting its owners that someone's outside your door as well as its way to scare that intruder off or greet a friendly face.

Another possible reason for a barking dog is it's either confused or scared. This happens a lot when its owners leave and it undergoes a period of anxiety. This also happens when a visitor is freely roaming around the house and the owners don't really care; the dog is left to wonder why that's so, and starts to bark unnecessarily at the visitor.

One probably universal reason that dogs bark too much is that they have too much energy. This can be remedied by giving your dog a small time of undivided attention every day. You can do this for play or for taking long walks. Either way, the aim here is for your pooch to get some exercise. When the dog has had too much fun for one day, he'll just plop on the floor and rest. The barking may continue, but without the usual energy the animal has, it will at least be kept to a minimum.

Another way to keep a dog from barking is to not encourage it; and most people unwittingly do. When a dog continuously barks at nothing and its owners yell at it, the animal may take it as you joining in the fun and will bark even louder. You either establish yourself as the pack leader,  or ignore or not show any reaction to it, but you can distract the barking with a noise from somewhere. Bang the table or clap your hands loudly without looking at the pooch. The distraction may interest the animal and it'll ignore whatever it was barking at.

As a last resort, you can go for dog barking collars. There are different types of these, but all serve the same purpose of distracting the dog when starting to bark. Keep in mind that using these collars excessively can be bad for your pooch, so take them off from time to time.

Related Links:

What 'Difficult' Dogs Can Teach Us (huffingtonpost.com)

Tips for training a well-mannered dog (money.cnn.com)

Things to Consider Before Getting Your Dog a Bark Collar

Photo Credit: www.ktoo.org

Well-behaved dogs are what every pet owner desires and it is possible especially when your dogs are trained right. A few years ago when I got my first puppy Lancelot, I thought I was going to have to return him to the pet shop because he barked too much – morning, noon and night he would bark at the top of his lungs at anything and everyone he saw and heard. I was considering hiring a dog training professional until I heard about training collars.

Also known as shock collars or barking collars, these have been proven to get the best results as far as getting to stop a dog’s excessive barking is concerned but there were also downsides to them that made them controversial choices with most pet owners. First off, a bark collar is not a form of punishment but something used to reinforce positive behavior in dogs. Whether your dog barks in fear, anxiety, loneliness or due to territorial or protective tendencies, bark collars will help you correct excessive barking and bring it down to a minimum.

Before getting your dog a bark collar, however, you will need to first try non-electronic means to modify your dog’s behavior. Bark collars are not for every dog and it is important to determine first his training needs before you go and buy one. It should also not be used for puppies or dogs that weigh less than three pounds. There are three ways by which you can try decreasing your dog’s excessive barking problem and they are as follows:

• Manage your dog’s environment 

• Enrich your dog’s life

• Change your dog’s behavior

When you manage your dog’s environment, this simply means you minimize the temptations or limit his exposure to things that make him bark like blocking his view of the street. When your dog sees other dogs passing by with their owners or people like the mailman walking by or even a squirrel running by, these will serve as a trigger for the barking. Cover your fence with a tarp or build a secondary fence inside the first so she doesn’t see anything.

You can also try to distract your dog from barking by doing activities with him. Fill up her basket with chewable toys or those toys that dispense doggie treats to keep her busy. Hire a dog walker to walk your dog twice a day so he can also relieve himself, which normally should be every 4 to 6 hours. You can also try and walk your dog yourself in the morning before you leave for work  and after dinner at night so your dog feels less lonely and won’t feel the need to bark often.

Instead of yelling at them to shut up, teach your dog to stop barking when he hears the word “quiet.” Use a calm, neutral tone of voice as dogs will only think you are joining in the barking when you raise your voice when issuing commands. Reward your dog with his favorite treat when he stops barking or when he doesn’t bark at situations he’s not supposed to. Teach him to sit quietly to get your attention rather than barking.

If you feel that these three methods are not working the way you’d like, then you can consider getting your dog a bark collar. Remember that it should be used only when it is necessary and don’t forget to read up on your state’s legal requirements and laws about bark collars under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 2008. After all, you don’t want to get in trouble for using a bark collar right?



You might also like:
Legal Requirements for the Use of Electronic Collars: Anti-Bark and Remote Training Collars (depi.vic.gov.au)

Electric Collars for Dogs: Are You Being Led Astray? (huffingtonpost.com)