Monday, April 13, 2015

Stop your Dog from Barking



How to Stop Your Dogs Barking 

Barking is probably the one behavior that is most confusing for your dog.


His instincts tell him to bark. Barking is a form of communication where dogs can communicate with each other for miles. It is also a form of sending up the red flag of danger where they can warn their packs and others of impending danger and problems.

It can also be a sign of boredom in our pet dogs.

Not many wild dogs are bored enough to make noise with their mouths. They would scare away potential meals and they would alert other wild dogs to their whereabouts. Besides who has time to be bored when you are hunting, and worried for your safety. This is mostly a problem with our pets.
As owners we completely confuse our dogs; we want them to bark sometimes and reward that behavior but we are inconsistent and get agitated very quickly when we deem the barking has gotten out of hand.


Learning Your Dog’s Barks

I can pick out my own dog’s barks from a group of other barking dogs even when I can’t see them. I know them individually and I also know what they are trying to communicate to me.

By getting to know your dog and paying attention to his bark you too can tell what he is trying to tell you and then deem how you are going to deal with that information.

The Frustration Bark

I crate my dogs right before I take them outside for obedience, and often they must wait while I work another dog. This requirement of patience and impulse control often causes a frustration bark. They are frustrated because they know I am having “fun” with another dog and not them.

The Angry Bark

The frustration bark often is an interlude to the “ANGRY BARK” this is when the bark escalates and the dog is angry that he is being ignored. And the ANGRY BARK just builds on itself with more frustration.

The Boredom Bark

This is the bark when nothing else is going on, the dog looks outside, maybe sees a leaf fall or a slight change in his environment and begins barking.
This is also the bark you hear when you hear other dogs barking in your neighborhood. Bored dogs often bark back and forth.

How to Put an End to Barking

Even when my dogs “alert bark” I want to be able to be in ultimate control of it. Yes we may be under attack by a completely stupid robber (no one would rob my house) or it could be the UPS man or even an expected guest.

I have a 3 bark rule at my house. You get three barks to tell me someone is coming up the drive, you are really ticked off I left you in your crate, or a leaf fell outside and then you are going to lose a privilege.

And, I put barking on command so that not only can I control when my dogs bark and more importantly I can then control their being quiet.

By putting barking on command, I can also put QUIET on command.

I had friends over just this past weekend and they asked to see it. With one command I can get my dog all fired up and excited and completely vocal and with another she sits quietly waiting for my next command.
I don’t mind my dogs using their instincts and telling me when they think something important is going on as long as they listen to me when I tell them to be quiet.

Hope this helps

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