Anybody who owns a dog knows that dogs do not bark for just one reason only.
They bark for different reasons.
They bark out of excitement.
They bark out of boredom.
They bark when they sense danger.
They bark when they are anxious about something.
It is important that you understand these types of barks.
This tells you what you are up against and whether you should be concerned or not.
Boredom Barking This type of barking can be very irritating.
It serves no purpose either in the short or long term.
It only disturbs those that are within hearing distance.
If your dog is bored, the best thing is to do something about that boredom.
It might turn out to be a nightmare, if you choose not to.
You might opt to walk your dog in the park or spend time playing with him on the lawn.
You can even give him a toy to chew on.
Keeping your dog mentally or physically occupied keeps him quiet eventually.
Cheerful Barking These are usually brief, shrill barks that do not usually last long.
This is the type of barking you hear, when you return from work or are about to serve your dog some food.
This barking shows your dog is in a happy mind state.
However, having to put up with this racket may not make your grouchy neighbor too happy.
There are quick-fire ways to resolve this problem.
If your dog barks, when you return from work, ignore him until he keeps it down.
Ask him to take a sitting position and give him a nice rub when he does.
When he adopts a non-barking stance, make sure it is always rewarded.
If he is happily barking because he is about to get some food, refuse to serve him any grub until he quiets down.
Aggressive Barking This bark is usually a low-slung bark which signifies that a dog is trying to intimidate an unfamiliar face.
And as that person gets closer, the bark which might have started with some growling becomes faster and more intense.
This is what a dog is meant to do, to warn his owner about impending strangers.
So there is no need stopping your dog from performing his duty with this one.
You can tell him to keep it low, only when you have established who he is barking at.
Do not forget to give him a pat on the head for a job well done.
Anxiety Barking Dogs like these bark with a high pitch, almost in a screaming type fashion.
A dog that barks in this manner needs to be calmed down.
Dog obedience must be reinforced and whatever seems to make him anxious needs to be addressed.
If it is not, he will never conquer his anxiety barking.
Train your dog to deal with things that cause him anxiety.
Create plus case scenarios that he should be happy about with chew toys and food.
Do not pamper your dog; he might misinterpret that as a reward for his anxiety behavior.
You are doing this to calm his nerves and conquer his fears.