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prev page: Why Dogs Bark.....
RESOLVING THE PROBLEM:
Once you have discovered the underlying cause for the excessive barking, the resolution is usually fairly easy.
If the dog is barking due to separation anxiety, the dog must learn how to be calm, relaxed and unafraid when left alone. If the problem is fears and phobias, desensitization or other techniques must be used to decrease the dog's fear and therefore their motivation to bark. For territorial or protective barking, the dog needs to view the "intruders" as friends and can be taught that "good things" happen when these intruders are around. If the barking is due to social isolation, frustration or boredom, the dog's environment and daily routine needs to be altered. Dogs who are ignored and/or left by themselves the majority of the time will experience some behaviour problems. Some dogs come to enjoy the experience of barking, it is a good way to pass the time! Strange as it sounds, teaching the dog to bark on cue can be a good first step to teaching a dog to stop barking on cue and can also be a good tool to "allow" your dog to bark while still enabling you to control the (duration, etc.) behavior.
Barking can be one of the most difficult canine behavior to modify but there are many steps you can take to minimize barking. Analyze the conditions in which the barking problem occurs and try some of the following techniques:
- Yard dogs live by yard rules. Barking, in particular, can be "self-rewarding" for the dog and the great outdoors is an environment the owner can have little or no control over. In addition, dogs are social animals and have an intense need to be with their pack. Often the dog discovers that excessive barking can be a great way to get their owners attention and even an angry owner is better than being isolated outside.
- Make sure your dog's physical and mental needs are being met. Increase play and exercise, enroll in a training class to build your dog's self confidence and your ability to communicate together.
- Do not reinforce anxiety induced barking or whining by comforting the dog or talking to them in a soothing voice. Talk, pet or play with them only after they have been quiet for at least two seconds.
- Prevent the dog from seeing or hearing things that trigger barking. Modify the environment so that you remove the stimulus or motivation to bark.
- Socialize your dog to new experiences. Take them lots of places and praise them for appropriate behavior. Expose them gradually to the sights and sounds that may trigger barking. Reward quiet relaxed behavior.
- Train an incompatible behavior so you can give your dog a cue or command to do something else instead of barking. Your dog could fetch a toy or come to you when the doorbell rings, for example.
next page: Obedience Classes....
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