How To Make Barking a Thing of the Past

Dogs love to bark, and do so for a variety of reasons. It is their form of communication. Sometimes, a barking dog can be a nuisance to both the owner and the neighborhood. In order to modify your pooch’s barking behavior, you must first understand what is causing it. Once the culprit is identified, then a non-barking training program can be started immediately.

Puppies learn very quickly that barking gets them the attention they want. He barks, you check to see what is going on. In this case, the barking is caused by a need for attention. It’s a good idea to not give into his pup-like attention-seeking habits. As the pup grows up, he may still resort to barking, because he knows it will produce results. Make sure you are giving your dog an adequate amount of attention. Spend time playing with him and taking him for walks. He will soon learn that he does not have to bark to get you to play.

Reasons for barking:

• Dogs often bark out of plain boredom. Like attention-seeking barkers, boredom barkers need more contact from you. They are barking, because, frankly, they have nothing else to do, and they need a way to release extra energy. Take your boredom barker for a daily walk or run, and make sure he has plenty of toys to play with when you’re not there.
• Separation anxiety can also cause dogs to bark uncontrollably. Separation anxiety occurs when you leave your dog alone, and he cannot handle the loneliness. Separation anxiety is an entirely different issue and should be treated as such. There are methods to help your dog cope with his anxiety that include toys and training.
• If there are other dogs in the neighborhood, then your dog may bark just to let others know he is there. As long as he is not constantly barking, then this should not pose a problem. It is difficult, and often unnecessary, to control this type of barking.

If your dog barks at anything and everything, then socialization may be the answer. Try to get your dog familiarized with other pets. You can do this with play dates or trips to the dog park. If your pooch is not accustomed to being around other animals, then you should use caution at first. Always keep your dog on a leash, and make sure that you are able to control him. Here are some tips on how to handle barking no matter the reason:

1. All barking situations are more easily handled with a well-trained dog. Your dog needs to be able to understand and react to voice commands.
   • Most barking problems can be solved with command.
   • If your pooch is in the middle of a barking spell, then command him to come to you and sit.
   • When he sits, then give him a treat.
   • This will interrupt the barking, and prove rewarding for your pooch.
2. If you have tried training and exercising but neither have worked, then there are other options.
   • First, speak to your veterinarian or dog behavior specialist and seek out other treatment methods.
   • Barking collars are an effective way to stop the barking, depending on the cause of the barking. You wouldn’t want to use a barking collar on a dog that barks once a day to let others know he exists!
   • Electronic bark collars are activated by vibrations caused by your dog’s bark.
     When he barks, he will receive a light shock. Dogtra offers a variety of electronic dog collars. One collar, the YS300, has eight easily adjustable levels of intensity.
3. Spray collars are a great alternative to electronic collars.
   • Spray collars are citrus-scented and triggered by vibrations (caused by barking). They do
     not hurt the dog, but they do startle him.
   • PetSafe offers one such collar that contains 80 sprays per refill.
   • No matter what kind of collar you use, you still must train your pet.
   • Reward him for not barking, so that he can pick up on the alternative behavior.

A barking dog can become a problem. Neighbors hate it and you can’t sleep. Dogs bark for a number of reasons, and you must determine the cause before treating the problem. In many cases, attention and exercise can ease the noise. Other cases may require obedience training, using dog collars. If you are having a problem identifying the cause or a solution, then speak with your veterinarian or dog behavior specialist. Never punish your pup for barking. Instead, offer rewards and teach him the right behavior.