- By John Snair
A barking dog is often not looked at the same way as a quiet dog. This goes for the dog's owner and their neighbours. Many dogs are given up by their owners each year due to barking. This does not need to be the case. Excessive barking is a problem that can be fixed if you are consistent and diligent with your dog training. In this article I am going to discuss why dogs bark and give you a few tips on how to stop your dog from barking too much, by teaching it when it's OK to bark.
- Dogs Bark Naturally - Why?
There are many reasons why a dog will bark. Here are a few... dogs will bark out of boredom, they will bark as a warning, because of loneliness, from fear, for communication, to get attention, they may find it is fun, etc. Some dog breeds tend to bark more than others...these can be the herding breeds. For example, a Shetland sheepdog is a breed prone to barking. They use barking as one of the tools in their instinctive job of herding. Shelties can be very vocal dogs as well.
- How To Control a Dog's Barking
The best way to control a dog's barking is to NOT allow the barking to become a habit. As soon as your puppy or dog becomes a member of your household, you need to start teaching what behaviours are good and bad, acceptable and not acceptable. Use a command such as' No Bark' or 'Stop' when your dog barks. As soon as it stops or quiets down, praise your dog. To give the commands use a firm voice but avoid yelling. Yelling can sound to a dog like barking and make the situation worse your dog will think it is supposed to bark as well! Show your dog that you really like when it is quiet and not barking. Just shouting NO can sound like a bark and get your dog even more exited and barky!
- Praise Your Dog for Not Barking
Dogs train best by using positive reinforcement. Let your dog know when you are happy with the way it is behaving. As soon as your dog stops barking, you need to reinforce the stopping of barking with a treat and praise. No puppy is born knowing commands. You have to teach your dog that each command has an action and if that action is done, good things will follow. Positive reinforcement is the best training technique! Be careful not to praise unwanted behaviours you do not want by mistake. Patting and stroking a barking dog can give the dog the impression you like what it is doing and it will continue.
- You May Want Your Dog to Warn That People Are At the Door
To achieve this without your dog think that it can bark all of the time, set up training scenarios. Have someone ring the door bell or knock at the door. Call your dog to come to you and have it follow you to the door. Ask excitedly "Who's there?" "Check it out!" or whatever verbal cue you decide to use. Get your dog to bark. Go to the door, have your dog sit and then get it to stop barking. Praise and treat your dog when it stops barking. Teach it that when you get to the door and check out the situation, the barking should stop and it should be quiet. You must be consistent and positive. Practice this situation in several short sessions per day and your dog will eventually learn what you want.
- My Dog Barks A Lot Already
Sometimes you may get a dog that is already mature so you don't have the advantage of training it as a puppy when it is easiest to create good habits and eliminate bad ones. If you are in this situation, you can try several things. First, determine why your dog is barking: Is it lonely, trying to alert you to something, is it experiencing fear, boredom, aggression, etc. Knowing the reason or reasons for the barking is a big part of finding a solution.
If your dog is alerting you to something, teach it that once you have checked out the situation and you have indicated that everything is ok; your dog must stop barking. My dogs have learned that I want them to alert me to things on the property or that could pose a threat. As soon as I have checked it out and indicated everything is ok, my dog does not need to alert me anymore.
- A Bored or Lonely Dog Needs to Be Active
Toys, games, training, interaction all go a long way to help a bored or lonely dog. A tired dog is generally a better behaved dog. They are usually in a better state of mind when they are active. Boredom and loneliness can lead to other undesired behaviors as well. Get a variety of toys like Kongs, safe chew toys, Nylabones, etc., that will stimulate your dog's mind and give it something to do. Obedience lessons, a walk or playing fetch will help.
Nuisance behaviours, such as barking, will quite often appear in dogs that are outside all day and alone. The biggest reason is that no one is home to teach the proper behavior. If no one shows your dog what it can and cannot do, the issue will persist.
Play Barking
If your dog barks during play, quiet the type of play down. Get your dog into a relaxed mood and then and start the play activity again. Always keep play under control...be the leader in the activity and include training tasks in the play.
Some dogs are pathological barkers and may not be helped to stop their bad habits without using the help of a behaviourist. Sometimes just having a trainer watch your dog can help give you ideas on how to teach your dog not to bark. Sometimes a 'fresh' pair of eyes can see things that you can't because you are constantly working with your dog and you may not see the issues clearly.
- Training Collars
Many people want a fast and easy way to solve the bad barking behaviors that their dog is doing and may resort to various types of collars that can help to stop barking. If any training aid is used incorrectly, it can frustrate the dog and possibly make a bad situation worse. 'No bark' collars deter the barking through a shock, noise, or spray with a scent dogs do not like. Some dogs will learn to ignore the corrective action of these collars. Others may develop nervous behaviors due to the constant punishment.
The Best Way To Stop Barking Is To Not Let It Develop In The First Place.
Here a few things you can do:
1) Use positive training methods to encourage the dog to stay quiet when told
2) Teach a command that lets the dog know you want him to be quiet like 'No Bark' or 'Enough'.
3) Keep your dog inside when you are not home. Dogs left outside alone all day are more likely to become nuisance barkers.
4) Obedience training for you and your dog.
5) Lots of exercise, proper attention to your dog, mental and physical stimulation. A dog that gets what it requires mentally and physically is less likely to become a problem barker.
6) Teach your dog when it is OK to bark.
7) Do not let your dog get away with barking for hours before you decide to tell it to stop. The dog may be getting set to stop anyhow and he is getting attention from you, increasing the chance of barking if it is doing it for attention. Always stop the bark as soon as it first starts.
8) Do not inadvertently teach the dog that constant barking is good by petting or talking positively while it is barking.
9) Teach your dog from day one what will and will not be allowed. Remember, some breeds are more prone to barking than others, but any dog can be an excessive barker.
10) Try to find the cause of the barking - like neighborhood kids teasing the dog.
Dogs allowed to become nuisance barkers may disturb your whole neighbourhood, which could end up being a bad situation for everyone. You can end up being fined by your community for violating noise ordinances or even having an irate neighbor take the law into his own hands! Do not allow your dog to become a nuisance.
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