A cheerful dog bark, given as a greeting, is usually a very pleasant sound that reminds you of what a privilege it is to have your own canine friend.
However, a long lasting dog bark-and a continuous one at that-can drive a dog owner half crazy! Not to mention the neighbors.
What can you do to stop a dog barking? First, you must determine the motivation behind the barking.
Some dogs bark because of boredom.
These lovable companions are used to having constant attention and want to be kept busy.
They may not know how to react when they suddenly discover they are alone! Remember this mantra: a dog barks for attention.
If the dog has no motivation other than attention, then you must ignore his cries for attention.
Your "ignoring" behavior has to be controlled.
For example, if the dog is unhappy outside and he learns that barking always manipulates you into bringing him inside, then this is a bad precedent.
If the dog learns that you yell at him when he barks, then this is another bad precedent, since bored dogs are willing to take any form of attention, positive or negative.
You could also institute a dog obedience training system of discipline and reward.
Don't increase the volume of your command to the dog to be quiet - that will just stir him up to greater effort.
Instead, have plenty of tasty rewards to hand and, as soon as your dog starts to bark, give the 'quiet' command and walk towards your dog, waving the treat to within an inch of his nose, making gentle noises to attract his attention away from whatever was the cause of the barking.
Reward his silence with the treat and your calm demeanor & plenty of affection.
Bear in mind however, that if a dog is showing aggressive tendencies a system of reward and discipline might not work.
In these instances, consult dog obedience training classes or your veterinarian.
What if the dog is barking while you are away? Training a puppy (or full grown dog) to quiet down requires teaching the dog how to react to a new environment-namely one without you.
Make sure that your dog has food and water and a comfortable place to sleep.
You may have to bring him inside to avoid exposing him to noisy outside elements.
When you do leave, pay close attention to your body language and tone of voice.
(The words do not matter) If you make every hello and goodbye such an emotional event (elation or sadness) then you are agitating the dog.
Therefore, be careful to only give your pup positive attention for an accomplishment.
Teach the family the value of positive reinforcement, and explain that rewards and encouragement should be given selectively.
Careful obedience training for dogs is worth every effort if you want to share your life with a faithful companion and enjoy the experience.
However, a long lasting dog bark-and a continuous one at that-can drive a dog owner half crazy! Not to mention the neighbors.
What can you do to stop a dog barking? First, you must determine the motivation behind the barking.
Some dogs bark because of boredom.
These lovable companions are used to having constant attention and want to be kept busy.
They may not know how to react when they suddenly discover they are alone! Remember this mantra: a dog barks for attention.
If the dog has no motivation other than attention, then you must ignore his cries for attention.
Your "ignoring" behavior has to be controlled.
For example, if the dog is unhappy outside and he learns that barking always manipulates you into bringing him inside, then this is a bad precedent.
If the dog learns that you yell at him when he barks, then this is another bad precedent, since bored dogs are willing to take any form of attention, positive or negative.
You could also institute a dog obedience training system of discipline and reward.
Don't increase the volume of your command to the dog to be quiet - that will just stir him up to greater effort.
Instead, have plenty of tasty rewards to hand and, as soon as your dog starts to bark, give the 'quiet' command and walk towards your dog, waving the treat to within an inch of his nose, making gentle noises to attract his attention away from whatever was the cause of the barking.
Reward his silence with the treat and your calm demeanor & plenty of affection.
Bear in mind however, that if a dog is showing aggressive tendencies a system of reward and discipline might not work.
In these instances, consult dog obedience training classes or your veterinarian.
What if the dog is barking while you are away? Training a puppy (or full grown dog) to quiet down requires teaching the dog how to react to a new environment-namely one without you.
Make sure that your dog has food and water and a comfortable place to sleep.
You may have to bring him inside to avoid exposing him to noisy outside elements.
When you do leave, pay close attention to your body language and tone of voice.
(The words do not matter) If you make every hello and goodbye such an emotional event (elation or sadness) then you are agitating the dog.
Therefore, be careful to only give your pup positive attention for an accomplishment.
Teach the family the value of positive reinforcement, and explain that rewards and encouragement should be given selectively.
Careful obedience training for dogs is worth every effort if you want to share your life with a faithful companion and enjoy the experience.
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