People seem to be annoyed at two types of dogs: biting dogs and barking dogs. today I’d like to address the Barking Dogs.
There are certain things to look at in dogs that bark – some you can change and some you can’t. For example, dogs bark to alert that someone is coming or something is wrong. That you don’t want to change. Dogs that bark non-stop are annoying and that you want to change. In order to change, or stop, incessant barking we need to look at the source of this barking. Generally it’s boredom or frustration.
See: online dog training
We have to understand that dogs are working animals and will get frustrated when they are bored. There are several ways to alleviate boredom including exercise, training and activities. I think that training and exercise are self explanatory so I’ll focus on activities. These are things that your dog can do on his own when you’re not there. These include chew toys, bones and occupying their time with TV or radio. These activities or distractions will lessen the likelihood that the dog will bark out of frustration. If a dog is mentally and physically stimulated and satiated they will generally be less likely to bark.
I like using Kongs stuffed with small amounts of almond butter and some treats when I leave the house. My leaving is always an activity that my dog is OK with. If your dog is crate trained, even better – if not, read my article about crate training. Always leave your dog something to keep them occupied such as a Kong toy or even a large raw marrow bone. Be aware that if your dog is a bit nutty, he may demolish or devour the bone. Raw bones are safer than cooked bones, never feed your dog any cooked bones.
Another great trick is to teach your dog a bark command, then”make” him bark. Once he understands that you can teach him the “opposite” – a quiet command. Each of these should be rewarded and reinforced often. Many dogs that learn a bark command properly will only bark when asked to do so.
If nothing else works, I recommend a No-bark collar. I prefer the static collars instead of the citronella collars. Sport Dog and Dogtra both make good collars. I have used Dogtra for years, but lately have been hearing great things from clients that I’ve recommended the Sport Dog collars to. Don’t see correcting the dog for barking as “mean.” Letting the behavior go until it becomes incessant will create a dog that is so frustrated that it may lead to other destructive behaviors.
** It is important to note that using a no-bark collar on a dog that is in the vicinity of other barking dogs may trigger the collar and shock your dog. Use caution.
