For a lot of people, having a dog is one of the great joys in life. Being a responsible pet owner means making sure that your dog is well taken care of, no matter what. If Fido needs to go out at 2 a.m., you get up and let him out. You make sure he's up to date on all his shots. Then there's food, toys, accessories, and the list goes on. We do this because we love our dog, but there are some things that you don't have to tolerate; for example excessive barking. Before we get into some aggressive dog training techniques, let's understand why your dog is barking. The cause of dog barking can usually be boiled down to one of a few reasons, which we'll look at here.
Why Is My Dog Barking?
When a dog is barking, it is trying to communicate with you, the owner. It's up to you to determine what you dog is trying to communicate. This will vary from one breed to another, since some bark almost all the time, while some bark only when necessary. Either way, they want to call your attention to something, be it a prowler, the need to go outside, or just wanting to play. Your goal should be to eliminate nuisance barking, but allow your dog to use their voice. Don't expect to have a pet that never gets to speak.
How to Stop Dog Barking - Two Methods
The first technique I'll share to stop dog barking will work immediately, so you can put it to use today. If your dog is accustomed to barking at you to get you to do what they want, you have to reestablish yourself as the alpha, the leader of the pack. The easiest way to do this is to physically stop your dog from barking. Use your hand to hold the dogs mouth closed, and use your other hand to control the dog so that he can't pull away. Your puppy will try to wiggle away from you, but don't let him. He'll quit trying to get loose fairly quick and will then be complacent. Once he stops trying to escape, keep your hand around his snout for a few seconds, then let go. This tells your dog that you are the dominant one, and is 100 percent effective. Just be sure not to put hold his mouth too firmly, since the last thing you want is to cause any pain.
The next method takes more time to implement, but will have longer lasting effects. To stop dog barking for the long haul, try this. The next time your dog is nuisance barking, stop what you're doing and turn your back to him. Don't say anything, just show him your back. This social isolation is one of the best methods to stop dog barking. It will take some time, but is well worth it. Just be aware that doing this will cause your dog to bark more initially, since he's used to you responding to his bark.
For further information on typical doggie behavior, including a fantastic resource for training how-to's and loads of detailed information on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors, check out http://www.squidoo.com/dogtraining-problems |
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment