How to Control Barking Dogs
- 1). Determine why your dog is barking. Watch your dog to determine if barking is caused by factors such as boredom, excitement over other dogs, or guarding behaviors. Remove the cause if possible.
- 2). Exercise your dog to help relieve boredom. Take her for walks and play with her. Take her to obedience or other training. Purchase dog toys to help entertain her when you are not at home. Safe chew toys, indestructible balls and puzzle cubes with food in them help reduce boredom-related barking.
- 3). Bring your dog inside, especially at night, if your dog's barking is disturbing the neighbors. It will decrease how much noise he hears and give you better control to stop the barking. If the dog barks during the day when you are not home, leave the dog inside or even in a crate with toys. Installing privacy fencing or privacy slats may also help reduce barking by not allowing your dog to see distractions.
- 4). Encourage your dog to stop barking by gently closing his mouth, saying "no bark," and then giving him a small treat when he's quiet. Gradually extend the time from the command to the treat so that barking stops. According to Norma Bennett Woolf, dog trainer and editor/writer for the "Dog Owner's Guide," the best method to stop barking is training.
- 5). Consider using an anti-bark collar. There are three basic collars: shock, spray and aversive noise. Shock collars cause pain and may increase behavior problems in some dogs. Citronella spray collars are as effective as shock collars without harming your dog, according to a study by Tuskegee University. Sound-emitting collars send a sound that humans cannot hear but are not as effective as shock and spray collars. Some collars incorporate both spray and sound emissions.
- 6). Discuss medications that may calm your dog if she barks due to conditions such as fear of thunder, noise phobias or separation anxiety. According to "Vet Info," putting your dog in a quiet room and playing music or the television may help calm her.
- 7). Discuss having your dog debarked with your veterinarian if other methods do not work or immediate legal issues make an immediate result necessary. Although it can have complications, including airway obstruction due to scar tissue, it does muffle your dog's ability to make loud sounds. According to Woolf, debarking surgery is more humane than having to give up or euthanize a dog for excessive barking.
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