When dogs bark, it is for a many different reasons. They may be lonely, bored, scared, or frustrate door. The exceptions are the cases of dominance aggression and resource guarding, but those are the most often cited reasons. When dogs bark, it is normally because they are anxious, bored, or scared.
An anxious dog will typically bark and howl. They may have ideas such as: Ionescue, I sally what am I going to dothe moment I walk out the door? or My babies are cold and hungry
Boredom can be another reason a dog will bark or howl. They may have nothing else to do, no one to chime in, or they’re just plain bored.
Scared dogs will typically bark and howl. They are simply trying to get your attention. They are seeking interaction. If that’s not what they’re into, they’re more likely to find activities to keep them stimulated.
In any of these cases, you can avoid the behavior by first acknowledging the reason the dog is acting in this manner.
E active dog uses barking as a way to get exercise. If you have a dog that loves to play, then your dog likely needs a walk. During that walk, your dog may bark, but he’s just trying to get his buddy someplace to put his toys away. A simple solution would be to train Fido to play with the toys on his own time, and only bring them out when you’re ready.
A frustrated dog uses barking as a way to get attention. They’re lonely, want pet, or perhaps need some attention themselves. While your dog’s barking may seem annoying, it’s attention to them.
If your dog is barking and you respond by giving them your attention, you’re essentially creating a reward for the behavior.
The dog is getting what he wants, and he’s quickly getting rewarded for barking.
One way to deal with this is to simply ignore the barking when it happens. Turn your back to him, fold your arms across your stomach and avert your eyes. The less eye contact, the more effectively you communicate your displeasure with the barking.
Dogs have a very short attention span. If they don’t get anything for it, they’ll quickly habituate to the behavior to get your attention, even if it isn’t positive. This is easy to do when dealing with a small dog, or barking dog. It’s much more difficult if you have a larger dog that is causing quite a ruckus.
If your dog is using barking as a means to get your attention, it’s important to nip that behavior in the bud. By acknowledging the cause of the behavior when it occurs, you allow your dog to teach himself the means to get your attention without having to bark.
Barking as a means to get attention isn’t necessary, and it isn’t a desirable behavior. By giving him attention when he’s not barking, you’re insuring that appropriate behaviors.
When dealing with a barking dog, it’s critical to get your dog to understand the difference between attention and non-attention.
Showing and defending any behavior is a behavior that must be rewarded with attention, so that the dog makes the association he gets what he wants (Viewpoint) For example: If your dog is barking and you respond by petting and talking to him, he’ll know exactly which behavior (shouting at him or petting him) is getting the attention he wants. Conversely, if you respond to any other ( peaceful ) behavior he exhibits, he’ll get confused and reward the peaceful behavior with attention, and bark for attention.
This way you can teach him the language of attention. Depending on your dog’s personality, this approach or combined approaches should work quickly.
By way of a conclude, here are some final thoughts on the best way to deal with a barking dog.
If your dog’s barking is peaceful and his other attempts to get your attention have failed, then you should:
-Understand the reasons behind his barking and try to create a way to stop the behavior
– Try to re- diverted his attention before it gets out of hand (e.g. throwing a ball for him to fetch will help with this)
– Do use a double pass curtain to somewhat shield him from the elements
– Try to experience the dogforthe situation and help him feel protected and secure that you’re not going to leave himivering.
– You may want to create a ” zone” in your home where he can feel protected.
– You should discuss the “anti bark” measures with your veterinarian or dog trainer (more on this in a bit).
