Dog Leashes - Practical Tips

How To Control Your Dog’s Barking Habit

If your dog is not trained to bark only at the appropriate times, you and your dog may become a nuisance to the whole neighborhood. Dogs need physical and mental stimulation as well as companionship, it is rare for a dog to have a pack leader mentality, most are comfortable and feel very safe and secure following their leader, which is you.

Every dog, like every person has its own distinct personality, this causes the difference in their ability to be trained, how intelligent they are and how much patience they have during their training. Barking is as a means of communication for the dog just like whining, howling and growling, but too much barking can create distress and unnecessary pressure on you and your neighbors. As you can see, it goes beyond dog behavior issues.

Several people have reported that one of the most annoying noises is the sound of a dog baking continuously.

While dog’s barking can be disturbing, it is desired that your dog bark to alert you and your neighbors of any possible territorial invasion.

If you train your dog properly he/she will bark as a warning that initially tells the dog owner about the present problem or any intruder that is trying to enter the vicinity. Knowledge is more important than dog exercise pen.

To train your dog to bark when your safety/security is at stake, do the following steps:

1. Tie his leash to a fence or any other fixed item. Stand approximately 3 feet away and tease him with a toy or food, as he begins to bark, give the reward.

2. Use verbal praise as a treat replacing the food whenever he starts to bark.

3. The timing is indispensable here, watching his body language, you can tell when he’s ready to bark.

4. Once he becomes cognizant of the guard command, give the quiet command when he’s barking; give the reward as soon as he quits barking. If the barking carries on, give the no command. When he’s successfully learned the command, move farther away and carry on the training, he needs to know and react to these commands from any distance.

5. After this training is successful, untie him from the fence and continue to train him the commands guard and quiet. You and your neighbors will appreciate this training when they have a peaceful night, and they will learn that if he is barking, there is something wrong.

If your dog continues to bark excessively, then it is possible that one of the following is taking place:

1. Dogs typically bark when prompted by something or someone or some kind of stimulus that can get them excited or become overly protective with their territory.

Some of these stimuli are: the sound of other dogs barking, the rumbling sound of thunder or machineries, ringing phones, people shouting, and many other noises that may trigger your dog to barks.

If this is the case, one of the fastest and easiest ways to stop your dog from barking is to simply remove the stimulus.

2. Your dog may continue barking when he is restricted to a specific spot. If this is the case, your dog may be undergoing separation anxiety feeling.

If this is the case, you can provide him with a few toys to keep him busy while confine to that particular place or what you can do is to take him for an exercise or walk by the park. This will help him overcome the separation anxiety.

3. If your dog is aggressive, then it might just be possible that he or she may bark at the minimum indication of irritation such as an unfamiliar person walking pass your property.

In this case an enhancement of the environment may be needed. You can rebuke him. It is good to bring him out more to familiarize with the environment.

4. Other ways which may help your dogs from excessive barking include intervention such as spraying your dog with water or using high frequency sounds that interrupt barking. These devices can be quite helpful and can be controlled by you or automatically when the dog barks.

5. I personally do not really agree with de-barking your dog and the use of shock collar. I believe that with good training drills, you will be able to solve the barking problems.

Dog training requires patience, money and time, however doing it correctly will create a more lasting and meaningful relationship with the owner.

Read more tips about how to house train your dog.

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