Hi everyone and welcome back to the dog training blog, 

Sharda Baker back with you.

If you didn’t get your free mini dog training tips ebooks, you can get it by clicking the link below;

If you haven’t already done so- click here for the mini dog training tips ebook

I have had many hundreds of dog training questions come in and today I thought I would like at one of the most common questions asked.

That question was in regard to “problem barking”.

Here we go then…….

WARNING - This is a rather long article (but a goodie!).

It is divided into PUPPY and ADULT BARKING so choose what is of interest to you. That way you won’t need to read the lot unless you have the time.

BARKING

Our canine companion may be the world’s smartest, best-looking, and most loyal of dogs (and which of us loving dog owners doesn’t have that opinion of our best friend?).

If, however, doggie is also in love with the sound of his or her own bark, you may have a difficult time persuading those outside the family of those doggie charms which are so obvious to you and yours.

Domesticated dogs bark far more often than their wild relatives, possibly because humans have found it useful for them to do so.

If your dog is barking in aggression, you’ll know because there will be growls interspersed with the barks, which are lower than excited barks of greeting or play.

All dogs will bark when their territories are threatened, defending their “dens” with continuous loud barking as they snarl and sniff the air with chests thrust forward and hind legs kicking back.

Your dog’s “happy” barks of greeting or play will be sharp and short, and can border on hysteria when a game becomes too stimulating. When the barking of another dog in your neighborhood elicits a response from your dog, or even starts a chain reaction, it’s simply the way the dogs have of letting each other know they are all present and accounted for.

Dogs also bark when they want their owners’ attention, or when they are introducing themselves to other dogs. Dogs will bark when they are being teased or from excitement, or when they are taken by surprise.

If your dog immediately goes into a full blown barking attack each time he or she is taken by surprise, you’ll need to find a way of controlling that response in the same way you control your dog’s barking “alerts.”

Problem barking arises when a dog barks because he or she is lonely, bored, or stressed. Stressed or lonely dogs are the ones which have the most potential for becoming neighborhood nuisances, as the act of barking itself seems to raise the animals’ level of anxiety or feelings of separation, and the pitch of the barking increases.

Barking from boredom will only be addressed when you take steps to make your dog’s life more interesting.

Your dog has all sorts of reasons for barking, but some of those reasons may be completely unrelated to what is actually happening.

For some dogs, having Mom or Dad away is stressful enough to trigger non-stop barking and howling. But what do you do if your pooch insists on expressing unhappiness if you so much as leave him or her alone in a room?

If you simply can’t handle the commotion and either return to the dog, or allow the dog to follow you around the house, all you’ve done is let doggie know that barking will bring freedom to be with the big people.

The root cause of this kind of barking is called separation anxiety, and it affects both puppies and adult dogs who where never left alone when they were puppies.
Separation anxiety is most likely to occur in dogs which are used to being the center of attention.

It’s natural for humans and dogs to bond, and dogs are pack animals, which associate survival with company. When a dog owner gets into the habit of taking poochie everywhere, poochie gets into the habit of being owner dependent.

But what happens if circumstances change and the owner can no longer be with the dog around the clock?

The dog is not going to understand something like a 9 to 5 job or a new spouse who would prefer some dog-free hours each day. And sudden change which deprives doggie of parent time has the potential to cause separation anxiety and many dogs with separation anxiety y will bark incessantly simply because the effort reduces stress. (For the dog, that is. For you, or for you neighbors, it’s a different story).

You will, of course, return to your dog eventually, but you dog has no way of knowing that your return was not in response to the barking. He or she will see it as proof that all the calling to you had its desired effect, and go at it with even more determination the next time you leave.

BARKING FOR ATTENTION

Dogs who bark when they are feeling neglected, or want their owners to feed them or play, can severely disrupt the activities of a household.

DOGS WHO BARK IN THE CAR

If your dog has learned to associate trips in the car with time at the bark park or hours spent rambling the countryside at your heels, you can expect some of the anticipation of a happy outing to be expressed each time the two of you travel by car.

But having your dog bark incessantly while you drive can be a serious distraction, and even dangerous if you take your eyes off the road to try and hush your pet.

We’ve looked at the three major causes of excessive barking, so now we’ll explore ways of preventing or treating it.

You may be lulled into thinking, when you first bring your sweet little puppy home, that you have been blessed with the quietest, least troublesome dog in all of dogdom.

If so, give it a week

THE BARKING PUPPY

Puppies instinctively communicate with a mewing sound similar to that made by kittens when they are in need of their mother’s milk or the warmth of her body. If those are withheld, they will begin making a stronger crying noise.

Your puppy will almost certainly be less assertive than normal during the first few days of adapting to his or her new home and “pack.” But as that doggie comfort level increases, you’ll begin to notice a similar increase in the level of those tiny yips and yaps. You may even be tempted to encourage them.

Don’t!

It’s much easier on all concerned to teach your puppy the household barking rules from the get-go than to try to break him or her of undesirable barking habits later on. Try to envision the adult dog your puppy will be whenever you are entertained by a certain behavior, and decide if it will be just as entertaining in a year. If it won’t, then the time to stop it is now.

PUPPY’S FIRST DAYS WITH YOU

You can take the first step in avoiding a puppy with barking problems by making sure that the puppy you get has not been weaned too soon. Responsible breeders will keep their puppies with their mothers for at least twelve weeks, and will begin socializing them from the time they are born.

HELPING PUPPY ADJUST

The biggest adjustment with which your new puppy is face is in learning how to cope with solitude. Your puppy will have been part of a litter, or at least had Mom’s full attention, and is simply not used to a world without companionship.

How you handle your puppy’s behavior during its first nights in your home will set the pattern for you permanent relationship. Getting through the first four or five nights may be a challenge, but you will go a long way to helping your puppy adapt quickly and comfortably by establishing the rules right away.

You can ease your puppy’s transition by keeping him or her nearby for the first few nights, placing the dog bed or crate (the crate is the best way to help your puppy establish his or her own “space”) where the little one can see and smell you.

Don’t take the baby into your bed, or you may live to regret it! (not always but for many owners this will become a long term problem)

Many dog owners have resorted to the simple trick of placing wrapping an old-fashioned alarm clock in a blanket or putting it under a pillow in the crate, where the puppy can snuggle against it and hear the clock ticking like its mother’s heartbeat. This will be even more effective if you are able to get a piece of cloth with the scent of the puppy’s mother from the breeder and use it to wrap the clock.

What you should do, once you’ve made sure that the puppy is not in physical distress, is simply leave the room. If you simply walk out of sight every time the puppy starts crying for attention, the chances are good that within two or three weeks the behavior will stop.

The key to success using this approach is consistency.

Dogs are keen observers, and if your puppy senses that you are wavering in your determination, he or she will simply step up the efforts to get a response. So don’t feel like an uncaring monster when you deliberately ignore the pleading.

You can, and should, of course, be giving your puppy lots and lots of loving attention throughout the day and night, but it should always be when you choose to do so.

Although you should never leave a very young puppy unattended, if you have to leave an older puppy alone for long periods during the day, there are some other techniques you can practice to spare the little one unnecessary stress which could lead to barking.

Try making a recording of your voice, reading aloud for a while, and turn it on just before you leave. At the very least, leave a radio playing softly so that your puppy has the comfort of human voices. Leave a towel or piece of cloth with your scent in the puppy’s crate, along with a favorite toy for chewing.

Be sure to give the puppy adequate exercise before you leave, both as a potty break and a way to burn off some of that extra energy which might otherwise lead to barking from boredom.

Preventing your puppy from becoming a nuisance barker is the best way to stop trouble before it starts. Now we’ll look at what you can do about an adult dog which has developed some unfortunate barking habits.

BARKING AND ADULT DOGS

If you missed the opportunity to give you dog lessons in proper barking etiquette as a puppy, and have lived to regret it, don’t despair. It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks!

SPEECH SCHOOL

Any time you train your dog to do anything, you are focusing your attention on the animal. If your dog has been barking to get your attention, training him or her to bark on command will provide that attention and will also present a new challenge, which can stave off boredom.

Earning your praise for mastering the skill of barking on command will, in addition, let your pet feel important and useful.

Once you’ve taught you dog to bark on command, which will be fairly easy by enticing him or her with a favorite treat. Most dogs will bark simply to indicate that they want the goodie, so keep repeating the “Speak!” command until the dog barks immediately after you say it, and hand over the reward.

Alternate the edible reward with plenty of verbal praise and petting when your dog barks in response to the “Speak!” command, because there will be times when you need obedience from your dog and don’t have any goodies at hand.

LEARNING TO BE QUIET

The second part of the speaking lesson is the crucial one. Once you’ve trained your pet to bark on command, you need to teach him or her to stop barking on command.

Tell you dog to speak, but don’t respond with a reward. Simply let the barking continue, while repeating “Quiet!” over and over until it stops, and then give the reward.

You should work at the speaking/quiet command sessions at least once a day for between ten and fifteen minutes until your dog responds to each command instantly.

When your dog has mastered the concept that the cessation of barking deserves a reward, the next step is to convince the animal that complete silence is an even greater virtue. You can do this by paying attention when situations in which your dog has always barked come up, and giving the “Quiet!” command.

This part of the process requires, of course, a commitment from you to be available during the situations in which your dog is used to barking inappropriately.

You’d probably be wise to work with your dog on one situation at a time. Once the garbage truck no longer triggers a barking episode, for example, you can move on to the postal carrier or the neighbor’s lawn mower.

Learning the “Quiet” command will make your dog much more manageable during those rides in the car, keeping both of you safe until you arrive at your destination.

STOPPING YOUR DOG FROM BARKING IN YOUR ABSENCE

If your adult dog suffers from separation anxiety, you can again turn to an edible reward to teach him or her that being away from you means something good.

What You Will Need:

• A food dispensing toy
• Your dog’s favorite food divided into five daily portions

When your dog isn’t thinking about you, he or she is probably thinking about food. You can use that instinctive desire for food to help keep your dog occupied in your absence, so that excessive barking is minimized.

Buy a sturdy rubber or nylon toy which has been designed so that it can be loaded with your dog’s favorite kibble. These toys are available in a wide variety of materials, shapes, and sizes, and can hold up to 1.5 cups of kibble or frozen canned food.

The purpose of the toys is to challenge your dog into figuring out how to get at the food within them, and some of them are more challenging than others. Since you want the toy to keep your dog occupied in your absence, get one which has a reasonable level of difficulty without allowing your pet become discouraged.

The toys will release the food a little at a time as the dog nudges and rolls them around.

Fill the toy with food before you leave the dog alone with it, and don’t have any other food available. Your dog will be eating only what’s in the toy until he or she has made the connection between your absence and the challenging new game which results in the daily meal.

Your dog will have the choice of either barking or eating when you shut the door behind you, and as long as you ignore the barking, the chances are good it will stop so that the game of getting at the food can begin!

This method of teaching your dog to remain silent in your absence depends absolutely on your willingness to feed him or her nothing other than what you put in the toy until the message sinks in that being separated from you is not the end of the world.

FURTHER PREVENTION OPTIONS

Citronella Collars

The ages-old problem of inappropriate barking has now given rise to a 21st century solution in the form of remote controlled barking deterrent collars. These collars will emit a hissing sound and send a fine spray of citronella mist into the air when activated.

Citronella is the pungent substance used in mosquito repellents, and it’s very difficult for a dog to bark while breathing in such a strong odor.

It’s important that your dog not associate your actions with the irritating noise and scent, so you will activate the collar remotely, letting the animal think the barking caused the irritation. But you should test your dog with some mosquito repellent before using such a device, because many dogs are sensitive to citronella.

It’s best to have a training expert demonstrate the use of this collar before trying it on you own.

Shock Collars

A second type of barking deterrent collar is the shock collar, which is also activated by remote control and does exactly what its name indicates. This type of collar is, in our opinion, too extreme a measure and research indicates that shock collars are not as effective in preventing barking as citronella collars.

Debarking Surgery

Finally, you may have heard of “debarking surgery.” This is a surgical procedure which cuts away the tissue which normally vibrates on either side of a dog’s vocal chords during barking, so that the dog is capable of only a very soft bark. While your dog won’t be psychologically scarred by not being able to bark at full volume, the effects of the surgery are often temporary and the normal bark returns in a few months.

You’d be much better off doing things the “hard” way, by giving your pet the time and attention he or she needs to learn barking self-control!

CONCLUSION

I have tried to present you with the basics of barking, from the kinds of barking your dog will use to express different emotions, to the types of inappropriate barking, to what you can do either to prevent your puppy from becoming an excessive barker or to break your adult dog of an uncontrolled barking habit.

Understanding why your dog barks uncontrollably, and knowing both what and what not to do to discourage the behavior, is one of your primary responsibilities as a dog owner.

A dog’s excessive barking may sometimes say much more about the owner than it does about the pet!

Take care.

PS. I should a date for the launch of the all new Complete DIY Dog Training Guide soon.

It will most likely be available early next week and I will make available a certain number at a heavily discounted price.