Nothing is more annoying and stressful than to deal with constant dog barking.
It is a frustrating and futile experience to control this unwanted behavior
without a basic understanding of why they bark. Why do dogs bark? Barking
is a natural doggy behavior to convey their moods to you, to get your attention
and to show their excitement. It is more than mere noise and linking the
vocalization to their postures, tail movements and the facial aspects gives a
true picture of what they are trying to talk to you.
Some instances are- Low pitched growl and loud bark with ears perked and tail up
shows sign of his dominance. Short and sharp bark along with swift tail wags
shows he is excited. Low growl escalating to a howling bark with bristled tail
when he perceives intruders in the territory. High pitched constant bark when he
is in distress or alone and so on.
Once you identify the causes of
barking then finding a solution to stop barking is easier. Key reasons for
barking are underlying behavioral issue and situations and surroundings aiding
to the barking. Natural instinct barks are very normal and should not be
suppressed.
Let’s see how to stop your dog’s relentless barking which
sometimes has no apparent cause:
* First and foremost in dog behavior
training is to teach what is acceptable behavior and what is not. When your dog
barks incessantly to get your attention and force you to yield to his requests,
it is not healthy. Just to shut him up, if you give him a treat, play or do
whatever he wants you to do, it sends him a wrong signal that he can get the job
done through barking. Just turn deaf ears on him and ignore him. He may be
confused and tend to bark harder at the beginning, but the more times you’ve
reinforced this with consistency the better control it would be.
* When
he barks, divert his attention by saying, “quiet” or “hush” in a strong yet calm
tone. Use the same command every time for consistency and not to confuse him.
When he obeys and stop barking praise him immediately. He will pair the command
with the praise and learn to be quiet.
* Barking as a means to display dominant behavior: If the dog refuses to
obey and continues to bark back to you with aggression, then he believes that he
is the leader of the pack. It’s very important that your dog recognizes that you
outrank him as the leader an Alpha dog and he is below you. They are well
behaved under a leadership and form a strong bond with you based on trust and
respect.
* Constant barking due to boredom or lack of socialization: They
become anxious or stressed without social interaction and resort to meaningless
barking to let out their stress. Spend time and engage your dog with playful
activities, which are interactive like fetching the ball or taking for a long
walk.
* Loneliness and Separation anxiety can trigger incessant barking:
The anxiety that builds up with time when your dog is alone can cause him to
bark constantly in an attempt to get out of that situation. Exercise him enough
to tire him out so that he sleeps when you are away and provide enough chewy
items and toys to engage him till you return.
Use of shock or citronella
collars to control your dog barking is not recommended and can be used only as
last resort for a stubborn dog. Understanding and retraining by reward is the
most humane approach to dog barking problem.
