Bark! Bark!! BARK!!!
The dog barked the neighbor boy right off of his bicycle last week, and they complained. Other people have complained about his barking, and it's getting hard to sleep through the night without getting woken once or twice by his barking fits. GRRR!!WOOF!!!
Can anything be done?
Your dog barks too much. Luckily, it's possible to solve this problem. All dogs will bark from time to time, but there are only a handful of reasons that a dog will bark excessively. To correct this, it's important to be aware of what is causing the barking. There are 3 or 4 reasons that dogs bark too much.
THEY'RE BORED
Dogs that don't get enough mental or physical stimulation will sometimes bark. She gets bored, and starts to bark. Try to give her the attention and exercise that she needs. But when she does bark from boredom, don't give her attention. Positive or negative attention could well reinforce her idea that barking is the way to get her boredom ended.
BREED
Certain dog breeds bark more than average. Because of the job that they were bred to do, many herding dogs and hounds are like this. In spite of this, you can train her to bark a great deal less, almost a normal amount.
SEPARATION
Dogs are pack animals. Your dog may bark too much when you leave him home alone because he's separated from his pack (you) and doesn't know how to find you again. This can be one of the most difficult barking problems to solve, but it can be done when you know what's causing the problem.
The main pitfall to avoid, is rewarding your dog's barking when you come home. If your dog is barking while you're gone, and you come home and immediately give him attention, he'll think that it was his barking that caused you to return. To break this cycle, you have to ignore your dog if he's barking when you first come home. Once he settles, you can initiate contact, praise him, pet him, and give him the attention that he wants.
STRANGERS
Your dog may bark when a stranger comes near the house. This could be anyone that your dog perceives to be a threat. It can be difficult to eliminate this behaviour if your dog is barking at the mailman or other delivery person because these people are guaranteed to reward the behavior. The mailman comes, the dog barks, the mailman leaves. It's not an impossible cycle to break, but it takes extra work.
These are just a few of the reasons that dogs may bark excessively. It is an annoying problem, but it's good to keep in mind that there are times when you'll want your dog to bark. Barking can be a healthy way for your dog to express himself. He just needs to know when it's appropriate, and when it's not.
4 Reasons that Dogs Bark:
* Strangers (intruders into the pack)
* Certain breeds
* Separation
* Strangers
Bark, Bark! Grrr!! GOOD BOY!! - 29953
The dog barked the neighbor boy right off of his bicycle last week, and they complained. Other people have complained about his barking, and it's getting hard to sleep through the night without getting woken once or twice by his barking fits. GRRR!!WOOF!!!
Can anything be done?
Your dog barks too much. Luckily, it's possible to solve this problem. All dogs will bark from time to time, but there are only a handful of reasons that a dog will bark excessively. To correct this, it's important to be aware of what is causing the barking. There are 3 or 4 reasons that dogs bark too much.
THEY'RE BORED
Dogs that don't get enough mental or physical stimulation will sometimes bark. She gets bored, and starts to bark. Try to give her the attention and exercise that she needs. But when she does bark from boredom, don't give her attention. Positive or negative attention could well reinforce her idea that barking is the way to get her boredom ended.
BREED
Certain dog breeds bark more than average. Because of the job that they were bred to do, many herding dogs and hounds are like this. In spite of this, you can train her to bark a great deal less, almost a normal amount.
SEPARATION
Dogs are pack animals. Your dog may bark too much when you leave him home alone because he's separated from his pack (you) and doesn't know how to find you again. This can be one of the most difficult barking problems to solve, but it can be done when you know what's causing the problem.
The main pitfall to avoid, is rewarding your dog's barking when you come home. If your dog is barking while you're gone, and you come home and immediately give him attention, he'll think that it was his barking that caused you to return. To break this cycle, you have to ignore your dog if he's barking when you first come home. Once he settles, you can initiate contact, praise him, pet him, and give him the attention that he wants.
STRANGERS
Your dog may bark when a stranger comes near the house. This could be anyone that your dog perceives to be a threat. It can be difficult to eliminate this behaviour if your dog is barking at the mailman or other delivery person because these people are guaranteed to reward the behavior. The mailman comes, the dog barks, the mailman leaves. It's not an impossible cycle to break, but it takes extra work.
These are just a few of the reasons that dogs may bark excessively. It is an annoying problem, but it's good to keep in mind that there are times when you'll want your dog to bark. Barking can be a healthy way for your dog to express himself. He just needs to know when it's appropriate, and when it's not.
4 Reasons that Dogs Bark:
* Strangers (intruders into the pack)
* Certain breeds
* Separation
* Strangers
Bark, Bark! Grrr!! GOOD BOY!! - 29953
About the Author:
AVOID DISASTROUS Blunders with your pooch. NOW REVEALED: 3 POWERFUL, humane, and loving ways to train your friend: 3 Dog Training Plans reviewed, Amazing results from 1 method! Or browse excellent, helpful FREE pooch training articles. I am Scott Erickson, and am an enthusiastic long term pooch buff, instructor, and writer.
