Incessant dog barking is an annoying and nuisance behavior that needs to be curbed at early stages. Other than natural reasons there are situations when they bark for no apparent cause. Understanding the reasons for barking is an essential first step in dealing with this problem. Dogs bark for various reasons. It is their way of communicating to you their moods, excitement and to get your attention to their needs. It is not mere noise but in conjunction with their body language, tail movements and facial expressions they tend to convey their message across to you.
Here are some instances where they convey different meaning. High-pitched short tonal bark with swift tail wags when he is in a playful mood. Low gruff bark gradually increasing to howling when somebody is at the door or near the house. Loud bark with raised hackles when he sees another dog or cat. High pitched incessant bark when he is lonely or distressed and so on. Once you start observing and identifying the causes then it becomes easy to train your dog according to the situation.
Reasons for barking can be either due to a fundamental behavior issue or the situations and surroundings contributing to the barking. Natural dog instincts to which they voice should not be curbed. Now, let's see ways to stop your dog's problem barking which is repetitive and annoying: * Your dog must learn first what is expected of him and what is not. If he barks to get your attention and manipulates you to give in to his needs then it is not good. If you give him a treat or play whenever he barks then it reinforces that behavior and he will do even more in the future. Turn away from him and simply disregard his barks.
He may be surprised and bark harder at first by your action but the more consistent you are the effective control it would be. * When he barks, divert his attention by saying, "quiet" or "hush" in a strong yet calm tone. Use the same command every time for consistency and not to confuse him. When he obeys and stop barking praise him immediately. He will pair the command with the praise and learn to be quiet.
* When your dog feels dominant he will simply ignore any of your commands. He needs to be taught at earlier stage before he becomes teen the hierarchy of the household. He has to learn that he is below every member in the household. Dogs behave well under a leadership and form a good relationship based on trust and regard. * Constant barking due to boredom or lack of socialization: They become anxious or stressed without social interaction and resort to meaningless barking to let out their stress.
Spend time and engage your dog with playful activities, which are interactive like fetching the ball or taking for a long walk. * Separation anxiety can drive your dog to bark constantly. When left alone, they bark in an effort to get out of that situation. Exercise him enough before you leave so that he is tired and sleep when you are away and also provide enough chewy toys and items to engage him till you return.
Bark aka shock collar use to stop dog barking is not human and has long-term psychological implications. Conditioning with praise and reward is the most compassionate approach to any dog behavior problem.
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