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How To Deal With A Barking Dog
Monday, August 25, 2008
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.
posted by TheNieszGroup @ 9:03 PM  
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