From Lnscommunityradio
Nothing is more annoying and stressful than to deal with constant dog barking. It is a frustrating and futile experience to control this unwanted behavior without a basic understanding of why they bark.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 howlingwhen 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 know what triggers the barking then putting a fix is an easy task. Reasons for barking fall into two main categories - Basic behavior problem and situations and circumstances contributing to the barking. Barking on instinct is natural and should not be restrained.
Here are some proven techniques to stop your dog’s continuous barking, which is unwarranted and not natural:
1. Teaching your dog what is an acceptable behavior and what is not should be the first in your dog behavior training. Barking constantly in an attempt to get your attention and forcing you to submit to his needs is not good. Just to stop him from barking if you give a treat or play then you are encouraging him to bark even more in the future. Just walk away from him and don’t even look at him. He may be confused and bark harder at first but by consistently reinforcing this you will have better control over this behavior.
2. Teach him “quiet” or “enough” command whenever he barks. Explore the reason for barking before you hush him. Pat him and praise him immediately when he stops barking. He will learn to be quiet by associating the command with the praise.
3. When your dog deliberately disobeys any of your commands, he displays his dominant position and if left unchecked will get worse with time. He needs to realize at young age that you are the authority leader an Alpha dog and he is below you. Dogs are well behaved when they know you are the leader of the pack and form a cordial relationship based on faith and respect.
4. Boredom is another reason for constant barking. Dogs need to be engaged constantly and exercised enough to get rid of their boredom. Take your dog for a long walk every day or spend time with interactive plays like fetching the ball.
5. Loneliness and separation anxiety are other causes of constant barking. They bark in an effort to get out of their confinement when left alone. Vigorous exercise before you leave will make him sleep when you are away and with chewy toys and items around will keep him busy till you return. Conditioning with praise and reward is the most compassionate approach to any dog behavior problem.
