Tips To Cure A Barking Dog

Dogs are like children. They look to you for guidance. If you fail to give them this, they will do exactly as they please. You are their benefactor giving them food, shelter and nourishment. Knowing this, you must be the dominant figure in your pet's life. This does not mean that you must be violent or aggressive, but that you should be knowledgeable of your dog's bad habits and firmly and consistently steer him in another direction. By doing this, you will clearly identify yourself as being the alpha and boss of the household. He will still love and respect you and be eager to please.

Dogs will bark for various reasons. It is their way of communicating their feelings to humans and other animals. They will bark to warn their master of an intruder. They will bark to express fear, anger, hunger, lonliness or, if in the house, the need to go potty outside. So just listen to your dog and determine what he is trying to tell you. If living in the country, dogs will bark at night if they hear the coyotes howling, thereby setting a chorus of barking dogs within a nearby radius. This is just a "dog thing". You may have to bring him inside where he can't hear the howling.

If your dog persists on barking after you have made sure that his needs have been met, here are a few ideas you might try.

● Grab the dog by the collar, look him straight in the eyes

and firmly, without yelling, give the command "no". If

he ceases barking, immediately give him another

command, such as "sit" or "lie down", and then reward

him when he does so. Repeat this on several different

occasions and eventually he will get the idea. If he does

not stop barking after the command "no", close the

dog's mouth and wrap your hand and fingers around it

so as to form a muzzle. Then repeat the command no".

Follow up with a different command and then praise

him when he obeys.

● To keep an inside dog from barking when you are away

from home, play some soft music. Close the blinds and

drapes so nothing from the outside can distract him.

● If your dog is kept outside and neighbors complain that

he barks continuously when you are away from home,

go back to your house without letting the dog see you.

Keep downwind so that he cannot pick up your scent. If

he starts barking, rush to him angrily shaking a can full

of stones and in a firm and commanding tone loudly say

"no", all the time shaking his collar vigorously.

● Another method you might try is "clicker training". A

clicker is a small rectangular plastic box with a metal

button on top that clicks. When the dog barks and you

firmly tell him "no", give him another command, such

as "sit", then click the little box when he sits and give

him a treat. After a few times, the dog will realize that if

he sits, he will get a treat. If he barks, he will not.

● If a dog requires a stronger behavior modification, there

are several techniques that will help the dog associate his

barking with a negative result. There are no bark collars

that spray a citronella scent and make a sound that most

dogs do not like. Also electronic collars offer

different levels of stimulation through vibrations and

sounds.

The above recommendations will work with most dogs. However, there are certain breeds that are just born to be barkers. These are in the hound family such as a foxhound, bloodhound, or basset hound. You might want to take this into consideration if you are thinking of getting one of these dogs.