How to Cure Dog Barking: Training Tips for the Frustrated Owner
Do you find yourself becoming more and more frustrated by your dog’s persistent barking? Are you swallowing aspirin at an ‘alarming quantity’ to remedy your constant headaches? If so, then you could be the proud owner of a “problem barker.” If you think you have a “problem barker” in your midst, then read on for some great tips on dog barking training, ‘figure out’ why your dog barks, and what is needed to solve this noisy problem.
Dog Barking Training Tip #1-Discovering What Kind of Barker You Have
The first thing to keep in mind is that barking, for a dog, is similar tospeaking, for a person. Realistically, you wouldn’t ask a friend to stop chatting completely, but you might ask them to stop screaming or to \’turn down\’ their voice a bit. Keeping this in mind will make it easier to avoid frustratingly high expectations a lot of people set for their pets when it comes to dog barking training.
Indeed, your first order of business with dog barking training should be to establish whether or not your dog really is a “problem barker”. The Occasional bark or two when somebody comes to the door or a few ‘yaps’ shot off at a cat on the wall are all completely normal and should not be reprimanded. These barks are merely your dog’s way of telling you “someone’s just wandered into my domain” or “hi!…. how are you this evening?”
The phrase “problem barker” is ordinarily assigned to dogs who engage in continuous, unstoppable barking for long periods of time. If this sounds familiar, then keep browsing our dog barking training tips!
Dog Barking Training Tip #2 - The Real Source of the Problem
Most problem barkers’ ‘carry on’ for 2 reasons: Boredom and Loneliness.
Does your dog spend most of it’s time outdoors? Such a lonely existence is the reason for problem barking just about 100% of the time. Dogs are not barbecue grills or garden statues. If YOU were left confined to a single space 24/7 for huge chunks of your life, you’d probably be yelling for somebody to help you as well!
Dogs are ‘group animals’, and when we sentence our dog to a solitary life in the yard it is the same as casting your dog from the pack. When we do this, we’re fundamentally ‘begging’ for a problem with dog barking. Teaching your dog to refrain from barking when he’s doing so out of loneliness is similar to trying to convince a toddler not to cry when they’re upset. All it does is puts a ‘plaster’ over a deep, personal wound and fails to address what’s truly the root cause of the relentless barking.
Dogs will often bark solely to hear the sound of their own voices, and sometimes just to get the attention of other local dogs who occasionally bark back to them. Take my advice: if you have a dog that has been relegated to the yard and who is a “problem barker”, give it a good clean and bring him inside. You will be utterly stunned at the ‘personality transplant’ most dogs go through when moved from a lonely yard into a warm and inviting home.
Now, if your dog spends only a’ wee while’ of time outside and still barks ceaselessly, or happens to be a problem barker inside, whether you’re home or away, then it may be time to accept that “yes”, you do own a problem barker, and move on to our next tip!
Dog Barking Training Tip #3 Eliminating the Root Cause of Most Barking
Aside from loneliness, the huge bulk of dog barking training issues develop from separation anxiety. The truth is, most dogs stop their relentless barking when they’re with their owners. Of course, it’s unrealistic to expect you to remain with your dog Twenty-four hours a day, so how should you ‘tackle’ a dog that barks the whole time whenever you go somewhere?
There are several dog barking training methods, starting at dog crate training but the one that seems to work most successfully is the method that cures the dog’s separation anxiety, and not just the barking. If you have a dog who tends to ‘deafen’ the neighbourhood when left alone, commence your training session by doing everything you’d normally do before going out the door-find your keys, find your coat, pick up your briefcase, and so on. Then reassure you dog, saying “I won’t be long.”, “I’ll be right back.”
Then, leave the house for one minute, come back home and put away all of your items, as though you’ve just come home from work. Give your dog a friendly stroke and congratulate him. Then, repeat the entire process, but this time leave the house for a slightly longer period (maybe three minutes). Repeat this process of going and returning until you can leave for a full fifteen minutes without any case of dog barking. Working with your dog in this manner will show him that you’re going to return whenever you leave the house, thus allaying the fear that causes him to bark when you’re away.
Can it truly be this easy??
No problem barker should ever be viewed as a ‘hopeless case’. Quick-fixes such as screaming at the dog, ‘conditioning’ it with a shock collar, or drenching it with water are just that….’quick-fixes’ that fail to address the real problem. If you’re looking at how to train your dog, I would suggest a small amount of dedication, patience, the willingness to make your dog a ‘true member’ of the family and proper dog training advice. And, as you’ve probably realised by now, a good owner leads to a good dog!