‘’Teach your dog barking, but teach it also when to bark.’’
Expecting a dog never to bark is genuinely not reasonable.
Barking is a regular and healthy activity for dogs. Barking possesses several emotions, and it can mean various things depending on the situations and circumstances. Excessive dog barking is usually a behavioral problem. This excessive barking becomes problematic, annoying, and illegal, also in many places. The initial step you need to take for stopping dog barking is finding the actual reason behind excessive barking.
Why dogs bark excessively?
As a good canine citizen, the dog needs to know when to bark and when not. As a dog owner, it is good to teach your dog Quiet/speak commands. It may take weeks for a dog to learn this so you can take the help of an expert for some extra help. But if a trained dog makes so much noise at certain times, it is time for you to understand the causes behind this behavior. The leading causes could be:
- Some dogs bark excessively during pain or having a medical problem.
- As dogs get aged, they begin to bark excessively. They go through cognitive dysfunction that causes deafness, vision impairment, body aches, and pains and leads to barking.
- Dogs show territorialism towards a new person or animal that arrives into what they consider their territory. Their possessiveness motivates them to excess barking.
- The dog with the loudest bark is the one that is most afraid. Fearful dogs voice their concerns via barking.
- Loneliness or bid for attention is also the reason for excessive barking. Separation anxiety is also the reason that makes the dog bark in excess.
Stopping dog barking:
If the excessive barking behavior is new for the dog, it is advised to consult your veterinarian to address the health conditions of your furry friend. You can follow four steps to stop excessive barking of your dogs.
Method 1: Prevent compulsive or boredom barking
- Recognize the symptoms of compulsive barking that are barking in repetitive patterns, pacing or running back and forth, bark when you are not attentive, and bark when left alone.
- Give your dog more exercise and playtime.
- Teach your dog tricks to prevent boredom and leave distractions for your dog in the house that helps in inhibiting problem behavior.
- Meet your dog’s needs, block what bothers them, and try barking deterrents (anti-bark collars).
Method 2: Stop alarm barking
You can stop alarm barking in your dog by teaching them quiet command. It is a time-consuming practice, so be patient and train your dog regularly. After following your command, give a treat to your dog as a reward of following your leadership.
Method 4: Deal with separation anxiety
Identify the symptoms of separation anxiety and try counter conditioning your dog. Try to desensitize your dog to solitude and work on pre-departure anxiety. Be patient and consider alternative arrangements and seek assistance from a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT).
Method 4: Control request barking
Request barking or attention-seeking barking is a common issue for dog owners. It is also a difficult task to handle and need your patience.
- Ignore barking instead or replying anxiously or punishing it.
- Reward your dog for its good behavior and find a replacement behavior for it.
- Continue the training till your dog start following your instructions and stop barking excessively.