You've probably heard the expression 'his bark is worse than his bite'.
Well, a brand new dog in the home is exciting and everything may seem to be going smoothly...
until one morning a neighbor complains of sleep disturbance, because your dog barks throughout the night.
Of course, it may also be the case that he continues to bark all day long, too, while the family is away at work or school.
This becomes pretty disturbing and irritating, but before you take any rash action, such as giving the dog away, you may find it helpful to read the following: Remember, dogs will bark as it's their nature.
However, those dogs that bark way too much, including puppies, can drive a person to distraction.
The following material is relevant to both puppies and adult dogs.
Reasons for Barking Barking is an instinct that all dogs have; it is their way of communicating.
Through training, one can teach the dog when it is acceptable to bark and when it is not.
However, this requires patience and time.
There are, of course, a large number of dog obedience schools which can help in cases of aggressive dog training - barking.
Before you begin training, it may be helpful to know that there are a number of reasons for a dog to bark.
These include: Separation anxiety - The dog may not like to be left in isolation, but patient training may help him to settle into your home.
When you leave the dog alone at home, he may feel like he is being abandoned.
It is almost like a child who when left alone cries a lot.
Therefore, barking is often a dog's way to deal with that isolation.
Attention seeking - Dogs like attention just like the rest of us.
You should be careful, because if you provide your dog with attention every time he barks (even if it is negative attention), he will continue to bark to get your attention.
Noises - Dogs have highly developed senses, in other words they are sensitive to any kind of movement and sound.
Any noise or unusual movement can initiate a barking response: the doorbell, the door opening, the oven timer etc.
Cease and Desist Now that you know why your dog may be barking, you can begin to try and solve the problem.
Here are a few dog training tips: Give him plenty of exercise.
Either an extensive play session or training before you plan to depart the house will tire him out.
Subsequently, he may even sleep while you are gone.
Practice leaving the house before the actual event occurs.
Grab your keys and leave for a few minutes.
Once your dog realizes that you are gone, he may bark.
If he does, come back in and give him a command to be quiet.
Continue this exercise till your dog fully understands that you'll come back.
Keep a leash on your dog before the event that triggers the barking.
When he starts barking at the doorbell or for attention, pull on the leash and give him a command to be quiet and to stay.
You may also like to try remote dog training collar for better results.