It’s safe to say that barking dogs can drive anybody barking mad, right?
Right! Many people feel that barking is probably the most upsetting problem to deal with, especially when the neighbours start to complain.
SOME REASONS WHY DOGS BARK
1. Some dogs bark because they’re bored.
2. Others bark because they’re genuinely distressed at being left alone.
3. Some bark purely for the fun of it – e.g. they’ve spotted the fifteenth Hadeda for the morning / heard someone walk by.
NOTE
so before you do anything about your dog’s barking – it’s important to find out WHY he’s doing it. Not all reasons are addressed the same way!
REASON 1 – BOREDOM
You’ll need to provide him with some mental stimulation in the form of CHEW TOYS, BRAIN TOYS and brain games.
Scatter and hide his food around the garden / in toys like the KONG to keep him busy, entertained and mentally occupied.
NOTE
more than one dog? Do they fight over food / toys? Then you’ll need the help of a behaviourist BEFORE attempting ANY these boredom-busting ideas.
REASON 2 – STRESS AND DISTRESS
Try leaving your dog inside in a safe, dog-proof area where no additional damage can be done.
Include a heap of chew toys, leave the radio or television on and make sure your dog has water, food and a comfortable bed in this area too.
NOTE
if these basic pointers do not help – you’ll need to speak to a behaviourist to help you further.
REASON 3 – JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT
You’ll need to teach him how to stop barking.
YES! You’d be surprised how many dogs don’t know how / when to stop barking once they’ve started.
The most effective way to deal with this situation is to teach him to bark on cue and to be silent on cue too.
This way – he’ll learn that each bark has to stop eventually. Usually this is a pretty simple exercise to teach.
BARK ON CUE 101
The “BARK ON CUE” exercise applies to general barkers. The aim here is for you to teach him WHEN it’s appropriate to bark and when not.
NOTE
remember – barking IS a perfectly normal behaviour for dogs. You’ll NEVER teach a dog NOT to bark AT ALL. What you’re aiming for here, is a dog who understands how / when to stop barking once he’s started.
Initially, you’d do this training with your dog when at home. When he’s barking, allow him the opportunity to bark for three or four times.
Interrupt by making an unfamiliar sound, like clicking your tongue. As soon as your dog stops barking to look at you, say “good, quiet!” in a happy voice. Reward him with a YUMMY TREAT.
Repeat this until your dog starts making the association between “stop barking = cue + treat”.
You’ll notice that he’ll bark for less and will stop sooner. Remember to reinforce the “quiet” consistently the first few weeks. Keep a close eye on your dog. As soon as you see him about to start barking say “speak”. Your dog will learn that “speak” means bark and “quiet” means be silent.
The more you reward this procedure, the more successful your dog will be with this particular exercise.
If you practice this often enough, he’ll learn to also stop barking of his own volition, without you being there to tell him to stop.
If your dog barks at people passing by the gate, try walking him more often.
Dogs will habituate to their environments only if they’re constantly exposed to them. If your dog never goes off your property, every noise he hears and every person he sees going past will be considered something to bark at.
Take along some healthy BISCUITS and reward him every time he sees a person or if he doesn’t respond to something obviously startling, like a truck going by or a bird suddenly making a noise (like those Hadedas again…) .
CONCLUSION
If you keep your dog exposed to the outside world by taking him for frequent walks and letting him see what’s outside the gate, he should settle down and see people as less of a threat.
It won’t affect his ability to be a good watchdog of course. If anything, he’ll be better at telling the difference between ‘threat’ and ‘normal’ and he won’t bark unnecessarily!