subject: Barking Dog Problems And How To Deal With Them! [print this page] I see barking for dogs as talking for humansI see barking for dogs as talking for humans. They and we all need to express ourselves. Whether your dog is the most posh Poodle or the poorest Pavement special that nobody wanted, they all bark. As far as I know there is only one breed that does not bark and that"s the Basenji. Dogs bark for any number of reasons and believe you me we will not understand all of them. A dog"s logic is quite different to ours. Before your dog drives you barking mad, let"s try and understand the reasons for your barking dog problems and what can possibly be done to limit the dog barking.
The Causes of Barking Dog Problems
As I said who knows what goes in the furry brains of our dogs. Basically we can attempt to understand certain types of barking by observing our dogs to determine the reasons which have triggered the barking. There is a huge list of barking triggers or reasons, some of which I have indicated below. I have also included some fixes or ideas to resolve the various types of barking dog problems as well.
Separation Anxiety or Nervous barking:
Why does the dog do it?
This is a major problem for many dog owners. Problem is, too many owners never get to see the real deal, because as the name implies, you"ve left the building and your dog is nervous. So this is what happens while you are out. As the dog becomes more anxious you will often find that the pitch of the barking becomes higher as well. Sometimes the dog will even start howling. Understandably, you neighbor is going to get mental and you will end up having a bad relationship with your neighbor and possibly face fines as well. If your dog is very attached to you and follows you like his tail follows him, then your departure will most probably lead to this type of behavior. You"ve separated yourself from the dog so the dog becomes anxious.
What can be done?
Dog"s are smart, if you have a set routine when leaving, they will pick this up and start getting anxious the moment you pick up keys, or put on your shoes etc. You need to get to a point where your dog does not suspect you are leaving soon. Also, you need to train your dog to be ok with you being gone for different periods of time. So disrupt your routine when leaving, don"t follow the same sequence whenever you leave your house. Also try leaving for a few minutes and come back again, so that the dog becomes comfortable with you not being around and has not started getting nervous or anxious yet.
Don"t give your dog to much attention or affection prior to leaving. The main point is that you need to break routine and keep your dog oblivious of your comings and goings. Effectively, what you dog does not know will not hurt him, or in this case, make the dog anxious. If you really cannot bear to see your dogs being anxious or afraid, there are options such as doggy day care or pet companions or sitters. There are already too many abandoned dogs at the pound due the inability of owners to get this problem under control.
Territorial Barking:
Why does the dog do it?
This type of barking dog problems occur when the dog feels his territory is under threat. Yes, can you believe it dogs are territorial, who knew. If your dog can see strangers or other dogs through the perimeter fence on your property, guess what, he is going to think they are invaders and will bark to indicate that this is his territory. Often this barking is accompanied with growling sounds as well. The dog is just trying to let any likely intruder know that he means business. To some degree this barking behavior is desirable, wouldn"t you agree. It"s another issue though when you"re out walking the dog and he won"t let up with this territorial barking.
What can be done?
Well as mentioned earlier, a little territorial barking may well be a good thing. I therefore wouldn"t want my dog to stop this altogether. However, if you"d like to regain your position as the Alpha Dog, then you need to assert your authority on the dog. When you dog commences territorial barking, try and distract him by spraying water in his mouth or face and issue a short forceful command such as STOP NOW or similar. If he goes quiet then be sure to praise him to let him know that he is doing the right thing. As with all training of dogs, repetition is the key so as always, you"ll need to persevere and be patient.
Attention Seeking Barking:
Why does the dog do it?
Well I think this is pretty much, self explanatory. The dog wants attention and will bark until he gets it. This barking also occurs when the dog is bored. If human contact is very limited or the dog has nothing to keep him occupied, especially younger dogs, then expect to see this type of attention seeking barking. Usually it"s quite an irritating yap yap sound which can drag on and on.
What can be done?
For starters, you should try spending more time with your dog; it"s generally good for the soul. Also try to ensure that your dog isn"t locked in an area all day which is devoid of any dog entertainment. By this, I mean, make provision for some chew toys or similar with which the dog can entertain himself when he is alone. If you cannot be there for your dog all the time, consider getting him a sidekick or playmate. Who knows, there are so many unwanted dogs out there that need good homes. All they want is love and attention, a small price to pay for their loyalty and commitment.
Fearful Barking:
Why does the dog do it?
I"m sure we"ve all seen this type of barking in our dogs at one time or another. If ever you"ve let of fireworks or there has been a loud thunderstorm, you may have seen your dog displaying fearful barking. This type of barking is very sharp and short and you can see in the dog"s posture that he is afraid. Usually the dogs tail will be down low or even between his hind legs and his ears will be flattened on his head. These are sure indicators that your dog is afraid.
What can be done?
Well for starters, don"t let fireworks off anywhere near your dog. Another idea is too train your dog to become familiar with loud sharp sounds such as thunder, loud noises etc. This can be achieved by playing back recordings of similar sounds to your dog, firstly at a low volume and gradually increasing the volume, until your dog becomes familiar with these sounds. It won"t hurt to comfort the dog when they are fearful like this and that may well appease the barking. I"m sure we could all do with some re-assurance when we"re afraid.
Too bark or not to bark, that is the question?
There are many more descriptions for a huge variety of dog barking, such as Frustration Barking, Greeting Barking, Compulsive Barking too name but a few. Generally you need to try and observe what brought on the barking and also observer your dog"s posture when the barking is occurring. It stands to reason that if you have the trigger "cause" then you can most probably use a bit of common sense to resolve the barking issues. There are also many products available to purchase which may alter your dogs barking behavior. Some of these products like the shock collar don"t sit well with me, but each, to his, own. Imagine being shocked every time your voice went above a certain decibel rating.
Ultimately dogs were born with a voice and it"s known as barking. Fair enough, some types of barking we would want to control or limit. As with people, some are just more barkative than others. Certainly if your dog"s barking is going to land you in court with frustrated neighbors or at the mercy of the local authorities, then something will need to be done. In most cases the barking issues can be resolved by you educating yourself to train your dog. At the end of the day the question to bark or not to bark can be taken quite literally, sometimes you want your dog to bark especially if he is alerting you to something.
