How to Stop a Dog from Barking
There are some occasions where it is expected or possibly even helpful for your dog to bark, such as an uninvited intruder in your home. However, a dog’s bark can quickly change from being helpful to just being stressful or bothersome. Especially troublesome for owners who live in an apartment or condominium building and have been the unfortunate recipient of neighbor complaints.
There is hope with training techniques and products to help stop your dog from barking.
First off it’s important to realize that many dog’s barking stems from his boredom. Proper exercise can cut down on barking. If a dog isn’t getting any attention, barking sometimes seems to be his way of getting your attention – even if it’s negative attention. Beyond making sure your dog is getting enough daily exercise correct training is helpful to get him to stop barking.
The last thing you want to do when teaching a dog not to bark is give him positive reinforcement. When chastising a dog, address it in a clear, authoritative voice, and after you’ve made it clear they’re doing something wrong, don’t go on to give him or her positive attention. Another tactic is similar to this by immediately addressing the dog, but don’t say anything, simply spray a bit of water on the dog – this may have to be repeated before the dog gets the point. If you find you can’t solve the problem on your own, you might want to find a professional behavior trainer.
Anti-barking products can also help break your dog of their bad barking habits. These products include: electronic collars, citronella collars, sound-emitting collars, remote sound-emitters, muzzles, debarking surgery, and medication. Some of these items can also be used in conjunction with training to help make sure the dog gets the message. Finally, you might pursue professional help – many trainers and kennels offer late night training sessions, which would let the owner and pet both come to understand how to solve the problem.
Taylor writes on a variety of other subjects, including how to select a large dog bed.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
