When it comes to barking most people want their dog to zip it, period. The only time anyone wants to hear barking is if some nut case is breaking into you house carrying an axe. Of course, there are a few problems with that.
Dogs and people look at barking quite differently. For instance, would you consider your voice a bark? Well guess what, your dog does! When he barks he is just trying to tell you something. Same reason you are always talking to him(and to people too). Since dogs use barking as a form of communication, each dog will bark at different times and for different reasons.
Personally, I don't think barking is necessarily a bad thing. At least your dog WANTS to talk to you. It can also help you to know when he has to go to the bathroom, thinks its time to eat, or if the proverbial "bad guy" is near the house. The biggest problem(other than the volume) is the language barrier between humans and dogs. The dog thinks he is saying something meaningful and obvious. To you it sounds like "RUFF RUFF". With this in mind we, as the dog owners, need to take into account the context and body language of the dog to try to figure out what in the heck he is talking about.
How much a dog will bark, and at what, will largely depend on the breed of dog you have. Although temperament of the dog plays a big role in this as well. Some dogs were bred for specific things and use barking for specific reasons. One example of this would be a Doberman Pinscher barking only when he perceives a threat. Another would be a Bloodhound making a baying noise when he catches a scent to help his fellow dogs(and human trainers) find and follow him. These factors not withstanding dogs typically bark for 5 reasons:
*Bored, lonely or wants to play *Has to go to the bathroom *Hears a strange noise/thinks something is wrong *Thinks its time for a meal(or to sucker you into one) *Sees another dog/animal
As far as these reasons go you're not gonna be able to stop your dog entirely from barking. Of course you don't necessarily want to do that because these are all useful barks. What we really want is get rid of out the "I want something" barking. We also want cut down on all those nonsensical barking fits, which if you have more than one dog like I do, can become contagious.
It all comes down to respect. Its as simple as that. And it works both ways. You show your dog respect by feeding him, sheltering him, exercising him and treating him generally well. If you do a good job establishing yourself as the pack leader, or alpha, then your dog will show you the proper respect too.
One of the most prominent problems facing dog owners today is creating the proper emotional, and psychological environment for their dogs. Many times people, looking at their dog as their friend, will treat them like equals. This will not work with your dog. You must be the leader. I can not stress this enough. You will see a dramatic improvement in your dog's behavior as soon as you convince him that you are the alpha. He needs that pack leadership to have a happy, healthy and well adjusted life.
The most important part of all of this is to make sure you don't let your dog bully you into doing things. If your dog is barking at you because he wants to play and you play with him you are reinforcing his behavior. All he knows is that he barks when he wants to play and you play. What you are teaching the dog is to just keep barking until you give him what he wants. So giving is is generally a bad plan. We all know that affection and play time are important in your relationship with you pooch, and in fact that could be why you got him in the first place. Always remember though, that playtime should be on your time schedule. Not the dog's.
Stopping this behavior is relatively easy. All you need to do is convince the dog that barking is not the best way to get you to do something for him. I can hear some of you asking, "but how do you do that?". It is simple really. All you need to do is ignore him. By ignore him I don't mean just keep doing what you are doing. I mean to let him know you are displeased by ignoring him. The best way to accomplish this is the cold shoulder method. When your dog starts to bark at you just get up and turn your back on him. Walk away even. Just make sure that you do not acknowledge him in any way. Don't say "no" or even give him a dirty look. Just look away, turn around and ignore him completely.
At first your dog will think this behavior is as weird as you probably do now. Most likely he will just start barking harder, or try to nuzzle your hand or something. The more you have succumbed to the dog's bullying in the past the worst it will be. If barking has worked for your dog a lot in the past then you can count on the barking getting much worse before it gets better. Don't get down on yourself(or your dog). This really does work. As with all dog training consistency and persistence are the most important things.
If the dog is barking a lot, but not to get something like attention or treats you can still take strides to prevent it. First off you must continue to try and reinforce your position as the pack leader. The more you do this the better. However, if you find you are in a situation where your dog just won't shut up you can stop him with your hands. Sounds mean, but it really is not. Just grab him by the collar and wrap one hand around his muzzle and hold it closed. Keep holding on until the dog has calmed down. Don't let him get away until he stops. If you let him go and he does not start barking again, immediately praise him. We want him to understand that not barking gets a good response. Not only is this effective to stop the barking, but the action will help you create that pack leader energy you are looking for.
There are two major causes of random, repeated barking. The first one is an excess of nervous energy. This is mainly build up as a result of not getting enough exercise. Dogs usually need at least one hour of exercise per day. Walking your dog is doubly important because it can provide some of this exercise and, if done properly, facilitate pack leadership and the human/dog bond. If you cannot find the time to get your dog this amount of exercise it is understandable, but you should find someone to help you. More exercise may lead directly to a decrease in barking, and sometimes it can happen immediately. It will also make your dog much happier.
The second most common cause is loneliness. Dogs are naturally pack animals. Wolves are the common ancestor of dogs and have lived in packs for millions of years. If your dog does not have lots of interaction, attention and communication he will fill that void by barking. If this is the case then stopping the barking will be remarkably easy. Start spending more time playing with and walking your dog. It will stop him from barking all the time if he is no longer bored and lonely.
The verdict is in. Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach anyone, of any species, anything. So it stands to reason that the way to get the best response from training your dog would be the same. Positive reinforcement training in a highly effective and humane way to train your dog.
Here's the theory. If you reward behavior that you want to reinforce and ignore the behaviors you don't you can effectively train your dog. In fact, the dog tends to get the picture pretty fast.
In years gone by popular methods mostly involved punishing your dog in one way or another. These methods are ineffective at best and cruel at worst. Using this type of aversion therapy is counterproductive and will only serve to create a nervous dog. And a nervous dog is an unpredictable dog. You can not expect your dog to learn anything if he is always scared that you are going to hurt him.
Positive reinforcement works perfectly with dogs. Because dogs are naturally pack animals they automatically want to please you. The more you present yourself as the alpha, giving calm assertive leadership, the more the dog will strive to please you. Using positive reinforcement allows your dog to learn which behaviors are pleasing to you and which are not.
There are several things you can do to facilitate the training process:
*Use meaningful and varying rewards. Don't just tell him he's a good boy or give him a pat on the head. I suggest using three forms of rewards. The first two should be used most often. These are food treats and physical affection. The third can be used when the dog first learns a new command or behavior. This is to give the dog a brand new toy, or bone(preapproved by your vet).
*Make sure your dog understands why he is getting a reward. The best way to do this is with a sound marking the behavior. Most professional dog trainers use a clicker. This is a handheld device that makes soft click when pressed. For our purposes you can try saying something positive like "yes" or "good boy" immediately after the behavior is exhibited. Make sure you are consistent with the sound you use to mark the behaviors so your dog does not get confused.
*Always use the same commands to elicit the same behaviors. Do not, for instance, tell your dog "sit" sometimes and other times "sit down". The will confuse the heck out of the dog. He does not understand the intricacies of the English language, and can not understand that those are the same thing.
Rewarding your dog in a meaningful way is the key to this concept. Figure out what your dog's favorite places to be scratched are. One of my dogs likes her chest scratched and her ears rubbed and the other like his chin and back scratched. I am sure you know what your dog likes. Also make sure to give him a treat that he likes. It should be something you only give him for performing intended behaviors, so that it continues to be something special. Make sure you vary your rewards. Dogs seem to respond much more favorably when you give treats on an intermittent basis. If you do it every time it seems like they get tired of the food treat and will sometimes not perform the behavior you want because they don't really want a treat.
When using a positive reinforcement training method all you need to do is ignore the behaviors you don't want. No corrections are really required. If your dog behaves in a way you don't want him to you should immediately turn around and walk away. Completely ignore the dog as if he has the plague for a few minutes. Again, going back to pack mentality, the dog wants to please you. A response from you, even a negative one, is a reaction. Your dog is looking for attention from you. If you deny it, he will stop doing what he thinks caused you to ignore him.
Remember this advice when training your dog. You want to reward good behavior with attention and treats. The bigger the fuss you make over his successes the faster he will learn. Likewise, if you completely ignore him when he is doing something you don't like he will figure that out too.
Hopefully this article has given you some direction as to how to go about training your dog, and the proper attitude to use. Dog training can be complex and it is important to learn as much as possible. That is the best way to ensure that you create a happy healthy environment for you and your dog.
One excellent resource for dog training is SitStayFetch: the ultimate training and knowledge database for dog owners. With a focus on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors, as well as obedience work and 'tricks', SitStayFetch covers a vast variety of topics in minute detail - all round, an invaluable manual for dog owners everywhere.
See what you'll get with SitStayFetch and sign up for their free "6 Day Mini Course" by clicking on the link below: Man's Best Friend: SitStayFetch Review
There are not too many things, in my experience, quite as exciting as bringing home a new dog. Everyone in the house is ready for the new puppy and you can't wait to get him home. However, you need to do a little preparation before you bring him inside. The sooner you start on your housebreaking routine the sooner your new dog will learn the ropes. If you use the proper methods and keep a positive attitude it will be over before you know it!
First things first. As soon as you bring you new puppy home take him outside. It may be an exciting time for you, but it is definitely the most excitement your dog has ever been through. For that reason he will be needing to go pretty badly, especially after that car ride. If he pees in the house the first time, he is more likely to continue doing it making your house training much more difficult. This is the perfect time to start your puppy's training and set the tone for the future.
As far as housebreaking is concerned it is widely held that crate training is the fastest, most effective way to train your dog. Right now I know some people are thinking "What is crate training?" Basically crate training is using a dog crate to confine your puppy in when you are not watching him. Since dogs will naturally avoid going to the bathroom where they sleep you will ensure that he will hold it for as long as possible while inside the crate. Make sure the crate is not too big or he'll pee in one end and sleep in the other! Depending on your breed of dog you may need to replace the crate once your dog outgrows it.
So, how do you use the crate to housebreak the dog? It goes like this. The dog will be confined to his crate unless he's outside with you, eating or if he is being played with or otherwise supervised. It is important to be consistent and not let your puppy have free run of the house until he is fully housebroken. If he is unsupervised he will most likely relieve himself. The more often this happens the more comfortable he will feel doing it and the harder it will be for you to get him to stop.
Your goal is to create a schedule that the dog can follow for using the bathroom. When you first wake up you need to take the puppy outside. After you feed him you've got to take him out again. I know it sounds like overkill, but puppies go a lot. Play with him for a while and put him back in the crate. Someone will need to take him out again around lunchtime, and then back in the crate. In the evening when you get home from work you need to take him out again. You should try to spend a lot of time actively supervising your puppy and playing with him whenever you have time. Any other time put him in the crate.
Crate training should take between one and two months, depending on the breed of your dog, and of course your skill and attention to training him. The more your puppy displays that he is learning not to go potty in the house the more often he can be out of the crate. Don't get ahead of yourself though....
At first your puppy will probably resist being put into the little confined space of the crate. A lot of owners are put off by this. However, in my experience, dogs very quickly begin to look at the crate as their own space, or their bedroom, and will use it as a place to relax or take a nap.
Placement of the crate is an important, and often overlooked, piece of the equation. Putting the crate in an out of the way space may seem like the right thing to do, but it is not. It is a good idea to put it in a room where your family spends a majority of their time. You want your puppy to feel like he is in the mix of things, or he may begin to feel left out or isolated.
Last, but certainly not least, you should make the crate a comfortable, inviting place, where your puppy will be happy spending his time. You may be able to find a pillow that fits well in the crate, or maybe use some thick blankets to pad the bottom of the crate. Don't forget to throw in a few toys for him to play with.
Remember that your puppy has a very small bladder and will need to go outside often. The more often you take him outside the faster he will learn, and the happier he will be in his crate(since he won't have to go to the bathroom all the time). It is ideal to take your new puppy out every two hours or so. Try not to leave your puppy in the crate for much longer in hours than he is months old. Any more than an hour over this standard is too long a time.
To learn how to deal with more complicated problems that you can't seem to fix using these methods please read my two part article on Dealing With Common House Training Problems. Part one deals with the issue of Excited/Submissive Urination Urination. Part Two deals with Scent Marking
If you have ever had to deal with a jumping dog then you already know how tough it can be. Jumping dogs have been known to cause all kinds of havoc. Not just with their owners, but with guests as well. Jumping can often result in dirty or ripped clothes, or even scratches an bruises.
One of the main reasons dogs end up jumping, other than the fact that they love it, is because most owners encourage their dog to jump. When he jumps up to greet you what do you do? Thats right, you scratch him and tell him what a good boy he is and how much you missed him. The problem with this is that your dog will now be associating jumping with you giving him praise. Thats not good. You can't expect your dog to be able to know when it is okay to jump and when it is not. They just don't think that way.
Another, more serious reason dogs jump is to assert their dominance over others. Dogs are pack animals. Pack members will often jump on, or try to be on top of other members to show that they are dominant. This arises in your home if you are not giving your dog calm assertive pack leadership. In this case you will need to change your overall relationship with your dog, and learn to become the pack leader(Check out SitStayFetch for some great resources on how to deal with a dominant dog - there's a link at the bottom of the page).
The best way to deal with a jumping dog is to completely ignore him. Dogs do most things to get attention. Positive attention is good, but negative attention will often do just as well. This means that yelling at the dog is not a very effective way to teach him to stop jumping. How you react to jumping is he most important thing. You, and your family, must be consistent in dealing with a jumpinp problem. Don't let the dog jump sometimes, but not others. He's not gonna get that.
When he jumps on you, the best thing you can do is to walk away without so much as looking at the dog. Like Caesar Milan says, you gotta be like the popular kids in high school. You'll be amazed how quickly the dog stops juming when it becomes boring because you're not responding. Don't try to ignore the problem and just stand there and let the dog jump on you either. Make sure to walk away and look like you are not even a little bit interested in him. Once the dog seems to get the picture and gets down into a calm, four legs on the floor, position you should let him know how happy that makes you. Praise him ONLY when all four paws are touching the ground. He will associate the praise with what he is doing when you are praising him, not the jumping, even though it was only seconds ago.
The final step is to teach your dog an anti-jumping command. I like to use the word "down", but you can make up anything you like. Just make sure you do not use the same word for any other commands or the dog will become confused. You need to teach this command to make sure the dog does not jump on anyone else. Its bad enough when your dog jumps on you. Ever had your sleeves ripped, or gotten scratch by the dogs nails. The down command can help to stop these problems.
For more information on understanding and solving canine behavioral problems, you’d probably be interested in checking out SitStayFetch. It’s a complete how-to manual for dog owners, and is packed with just about all the information you’ll ever need on dog psychology, canine communication how-to’s, practical advice for dealing with problem behaviors, and detailed step-by-step guides to obedience training.
When dealing with man's best friend the first thing you will need to do is to gain the dog's respect. The only real way to go about this is to become your dogs' pack leader. Whether you have one dog or twenty dogs the fact remains the same. You MUST become the pack leader. If your dog thinks its his pack you're in for a bumpy ride! On the other hand if you establish your dominance your dogs will not question your position as pack leader making your life easier and your dog's more fulfilling.
What we are trying to do is to provide our dogs with calm-assertive leadership. The best way to establish yourself as the pack leader and to practice calm-assertive leadership is to go for walks with your dogs. You should walk your dog every day, time permitting. Train the dog to walk at your heal and to only wander off if given the OK. One way to get your dog to walk at your heal is to use a short leash method. This way you keep the dog close to your hip, and when he tries to take the lead or wander off you can correct immediately. To correct your dog you need only to pull the leash in the desired direction and say "no", or otherwise indicate your disapproval. With daily practice and proper correction you will see a significant improvement in your dog's behavior, not just on walks but in all areas.
It is important that you understand your dog's thought process if you want him or her to understand how you want them to behave. One reason understanding your dog's thinking is so important is so that you can identify the correct times to reward and correct your dog during training. Many people train dogs with treats, and treats can be a helpful aid during training. Always remember that rewards and corrections should be given immediately after the behavior so that the dog can associate the two events. Dogs aren't people and they don't think like us. Remember this next time you are yelling at your dog and the dog is just staring back blankly, or cowering away from you.
Most dog behavioral problems are caused by the dog just not getting enough exercise. Walking your dog is a good way to improve behavior by helping the dog rid himself of that excess energy that can build up. If your dog does not get enough exercise you may see a change in personality. Dogs who are couped up all day and never get outside tend to become aggressive. This is a result of nervous energy. You must find a way for your dog to get rid of this. Try finding a place where your dog can run. If you have a big yard this is easy, but if not you may have to find more creative ways. Try finding a nature trail where you can let your dog run, or maybe a street with a good sidewalk where you can run or rollerblade with the dog.
Being a leader to your dogs is the single most important and powerful method you can use to gain control over your dogs. Leadership is much more important than actual training. If you are the pack leader the your dogs will respect you and naturally defer to your authority!
