Barking is a natural form of canine communication. As with many behavior problems, sometimes the natural instincts develop into unacceptable behavior. To curb the instinct, you have to determine why your dog is barking. Find out the root of the behavioral barking with this article.
(Check out Dog’s Barking 101)
Threat Barking
All dogs have basic territorial instincts, stronger in some breeds than others. Barking usually stops after the threat is taken away. Boundary agitation can strengthen the response intensity and is typically a contributor to uncontrolled threat barking. Remove boundaries for boundary agitation.
You probably will have an easier chance at changing the color of your dog’s fur before you can extinguish a truly territorial dog’s bark. But with proper conditioning, your dog should stop barking after the leader says enough! When your dog barks (and there is a reason to bark), praise him for the initial response. Next, tell him to “sit” to create a new thought path. If your dog continues to bark, correct with “no” and cue him with “quiet” and “sit.” Praise as soon as your dog stops barking. Timing is crucial. Catch your dog on the first bark.
Stress-Related Barking
Stress-related barking is triggered by a visual or noise stimulus that causes an anxiety response and barking. How can we tell stress barking from territorial barking? Stress-related barking will not stop once the stimulus has passed because the resulting stress remains in the dog.
Most stress-related barking starts as simple territorial barking. Not knowing how to properly address the barking, the owners introduce a negative stimulus like yelling, penny cans, bark collars, or spray bottles. The negative stimulus of the “quick fix” gradually attaches a negative emotional response with the territorial instinct, thus creating the barking.
To address stress barking properly, you will have to address both the threat-barking response along with counter-conditioning to the trigger. The counter conditioning should be done when a real territorial threat (e.g., visitor) is not present. A strong foundation as a leader will be essential for your dog to defer to your redirection.
Nuisance Barking
The primary reason for nuisance barking is to get your attention. This behavior interrupts meals, phone calls, and quiet leisure time. Seemingly, your dog is bored and desires some stimulation.
One of the easiest ways to correct nuisance barking when your dog isn’t under leash control is a bark collar. Bark collars administer an automatic correction when your dog barks. As with remote collars, bark collars come in a variety of styles and should be properly researched before purchasing. Bark collars should only be used with nuisance-related barking. Using a bark collar for stress-related barking or threat barking may make the problem worse.
Dog Barking Information *
When Barking Becomes a Nuisance
Barking is a natural way for dogs to express themselves — it’s a component of their language. However, many people think that dogs shouldn’t be permitted to bark or growl. First of all you must realize and accept that dogs also have a language, and that a part of that language is to produce sounds. It’s as simple as that. But considering that, it must be admitted that vocal expressions in dogs can produce powerful dimensions, and can be an issue for their surroundings including the people in the neighborhood.
The main element to obtaining a solution to this is to learn to identify the point where barking has become exaggerated due to a need for attention, stress, or has changed into a “yelling” because no one listened when the dog tried to “talk” in a more normal way. It may happen in an isolated situation or it may be chronic. But in either case, if you have stress involved, it often comes out through the mouth.
No matter what the cause is, you can do something about it. You have to find the reason for the problem, what kind of barking you are confronted with, and understand the circumstances around it. Then you can identify ways to minimize the barking, remove whatever caused it, and in that way, get control of the problem.
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