Dog Food Secrets

Bark! Bark!! BARK!!!

The dog barked the neighbor boy right off of his bicycle last week, and they complained. Other people have complained about his barking, and it’s getting hard to sleep through the night without getting woken at least once by his barking fits. GRRR! WOOF!!

Can anything be done?

Some problem behaviors are more straightforward to deal with than others. Learning how to deal with your dog’s excessive barking problem can seem difficult on several levels. It’s absolutely possible to correct and deal with this type of behavior, but you have to take a few things into account. There are a lot of reasons that dogs bark, and you can’t stop them from ever barking. You wouldn’t want to stop your dog from barking when it’s appropriate.It’s important to be aware of the possible causes of excessive barking so that you can approach and correct it in the right way. There are 3 or 4 reasons that dogs will bark.

BOREDOM

Your dog may bark because he isn’t getting enough mental or physical stimulation. Just like a little kid acting out, your dog may bark because he’s bored. Make sure that he’s getting the exercise and attention that he needs from you. Don’t give him attention when he barks for this reason, though. A direct reaction to this type of barking, even a negative reaction, will only encourage your dog to behave in the same way again.

BREED

Your dog may be bred to bark a lot. Many herding dogs and hounds have this trait because of the job that they were bred to do. If you have one of these breeds of dog, he may be barking because it’s in his genes. However, you can still train him to bark only when it’s appropriate.

SEPARATION

Dogs are pack animals. Your dog may bark too much when you leave him home alone because he’s separated from his pack (you) and doesn’t know how to find you again. This can be one of the most difficult barking problems to solve, but it can be done when you know what’s causing the problem.

The main pitfall you have to be sure to avoid in this type of situation is unconsciously rewarding your dog’s barking every time you come home. If your dog is barking while you’re gone, and then you come home and immediately give him attention, he will think that it was his barking that caused you to return. In order to break this cycle, you have to ignore your dog if he is barking when you first come home. Once he settles you can initiate contact and give him the attention that he wants.

STRANGERS

Anytime a stranger comes near the house, dogs usually perceive them as being an intruder to the pack. It’s tricky to eliminate this because strangers generally unwittingly reward barking behavior. The mailman comes, makes intruder type noises with the mail slot, the dog barks, the mailman retreats. Good Boy!

Boredom, certain breeds, separation from the pack, and strangers are reasons that dogs bark excessively. It’s an annoying problem, but it’s good to keep in mind that there are times when you’ll want your dog to bark. Barking can be a healthy way for your dog to express himself. He just needs to know when it’s appropriate, and when it’s not.

4 Causes of Barking:

* Boredom

* He’s bored

* Bored

*Separation from pack (you)

Bark, Bark! Grrr!! GOOD BOY!!

AVOID DISASTROUS Blunders with your dog. NOW REVEALED: 3 POWERFUL, humane, and loving ways to train your friend: 3 Dog Training Plans reviewed, Amazing results from 1 method! Or browse excellent, helpful FREE dog training articles. I’m Scott Erickson, and am an enthusiastic long time dog fan, trainer, and author.