Barking

DOG TIP: For dogs that demonstrate incessant barking, you have some logical options to consider:

1. Teach dog not to bark! If you do not know how to do this then please hire a professional animal behaviorist and/or animal communicator that understands dog behavior and uses ONLY positive reinforcement methods and works with both training you the dog owner and your dog as a team with a goal to win! (Note: chronic barking is not an overnight fix so make sure to also choose from #2-4 until barking issue is resolved; for the sake of your neighbors please!)

2. Take dog with you. Dogs are pack animals and do not like being alone.

3. Hire a professional petsitter/dog walker to stay or make multiple daily visits with dog that include a dog walk. Dogs get bored and that can lead to barking. A walk provides both mental and physical stimulation, it is required daily.

4. Take dog to doggy daycare. Social interaction is also a daily requirement!

5. Buy a really good anti barking device such as a bark collar (Note: however from my personal observation as a neighbor not as a participant; some chronically obessed barking dogs will still attempt to bark even to the displeasing scent or shock of the type of collar involved and sound even more strange then the original bark and just as annoying to neighbors) or a remote controlled Anti-Bark Device <-- this is an example that explains well what this is item is and how it works although I am not endorsing this item nor have I ever used this item.

Honestly, #5 is a last resort in my opinion as truly an underlying issue is needing to be addressed in which the poor dogs needs are not being met.

Out of Control Barking aka OOCB

Barking indeed becomes a nuisance when it becomes obsessive, non stop, incessant, overzealous, repetitive. I have named it OOCB! Which simply means “Out Of Control Barking“. However you word it, it becomes annoying to anyone within ear range of the culprit barker! Uh oh, your dog is suddenly not so cute anymore.

Some examples of OOCB: Do you take your dog out in public to only have your dog embarrassingly bark obsessively at everything it sees? Do your dogs go into a crazy barking mode when someone rings your doorbell or even walks by on the street or sidewalk not even approaching the house? Do your dogs bark annoyingly whenever you let them out into the yard for a bathroom break? Do they bark when you or your guest sit down at the dinner table to try to enjoy a meal? Do they bark at the TV when you are trying to watch the news or a movie? Do they bark when you are trying to drive in the car? Have they gone bark happy and just bark all the time at anything? Have you had neighbors telling you nicely on various occasions that “your dog sure has a great set of lungs” or they knew you were gone because they could “hear your dog barking the entire time you were not around” or perhaps your neighbors do not talk to you anymore or maybe they even tried calling you on your cell phone to ask you to “come home because they thought perhaps with that much barking that perhaps something was terribly wrong”…if any of these sound familiar to you then ….hint hint…you have a barking problem on your hands and it is not just your problem anymore. UPDATE: Barking is such an issue that now you can be fined in certain places if you do not teach your dog good manners!

Leaving dog home alone is not the answer unless you have sound proof walls as this is unfair to dog and neighbors both. Please be a good dog owner and be respectful of others by having a dog with manners. This means no excessive barking when you take your dog with you shopping, let your dog out into the yard, answering your door or when out leash walking or even when you leave dog home alone. I am here to tell you that excessive barking and/or aggressive barking is not normal behavior and should not be tolerated. Dogs needs must be met in order to avoid unwanted excessive barking behaviors which if not implemented then obsessive barking can turn into destructive behavior even aggressive unsafe behavior. What should you do?

Start with these 3 basics:

1. It is imperative that you learn how to communicate effectively with your dog by setting up a lifelong rewarding relationship of teaching your dog basic commands in positive play training such as: Sit, Stay, Down, Come, Wait, No, Quiet, OK, Leave it, Drop it, Off. (oh they can learn so much more dialogue; this will be in another article) Any age dog can & must learn these basic commands, they are not cool doggy tricks but effective safety communication tools that correlate with body language and hand signals. You do not have to be an animal communicator like myself in order to establish a positive simple method of communication techniques with your dog from day one so that you can understand each other. However, contacting an animal communicator/positive play dog trainer/dog behaviorist/dog coach for assistance can be very beneficial in helping you and your dog get started in the right direction with the translation process. Start that bond of communication with your dog today. They are so patiently waiting and eager to learn.

2. Dogs are social beings. They thrive on meet and greets! Socialize your dogs with people and well behaved animals and be in control of the situation in a calm manner, your dog will reflect your attitude if implemented properly. Be the change you want to see in your dog! Practice positive pack leadership. Let dogs play and be off leash in a safe area.

3. Maintain a daily walk exercise routine which will result in a more balanced well behaved dog. This should be your start of each day’s agenda as the sun rises! Dogs give you reason for fitness, thank you dog! Remember to stop and smell the roses along the way during your walk. Now you are feeding the mind, body and soul for both you and your dog! Awesome way to start and end each day!

A dog that is exercised daily & well trained in simple basic commands will less likely have unwanted barking issues. Dogs with barking issues are usually dogs that are not stimulated daily with mental & physical exercise and cohabiting with well intentioned humans that simply lack knowledge/experience in proper dog training and instead are unintentionally causing many of the unwanted behaviors in their own dogs. Yes, it’s true, dogs behaving badly are usually the result of human error/ego. Meaning, the dog does not understand how you want it to act unless you teach it how you want it to act and if you do not teach it properly how to act then the dog will more then likely result in acting out in unwanted even strange behaviors simply because it has no clue what to do and has not socialized around other well behaved dogs to even learn from them their own language! Poor dog! It does not understand your human language, has no guidance/leadership from you nor does it even comprehend its own dog language! This gives a better perspective on how you can certainly understand the frustration the dog must now be experiencing and it’s only outlet is to perhaps bark! It’s OK to ask for help if your dog is behaving badly. Do it for your dog, for yourself and for your neighbors. Ask yourself this question: Do you desire to see a dog that everyone compliments on how well behaved they are when they come to your house or see you on the street? The answer should be – Yes! Once you do get expert dog training advice, please implement it. Ignoring a barking issue will not make it go away. When you leave the house you may not hear the dog barking non stop but let me assure you that your neighbors do hear it! Ppsssttt..they do not like it.

If you are reading this because you are the neighbor having to endure the barking and not sure how to approach your neighbor, send them this article in hope they get the message and care enough as pet parents to actually do something about the situation. After all, they will not know to do anything until someone tells them there is a problem that needs looked upon. Just remember, it is not the dogs fault. The dog is barking because it’s needs are not being met. Barking dog owners – Refer again to 3 basic steps above and also seek holistic vet consultation to rule out any medical conditions as well.

Now is the time to get the leash out and take a nice long walk with your dog before you take off for your errands/work for the day so your dog is not bored and anxious but instead tired and stimulated until your return and you both take another walk together! (even better if your dog can go to work with you and take breaks throughout day for a walk as well). Happy walking! Have fun! Train with love! If for some reason you are not able to walk your dogs yourself because you work very long hours or have a medical condition for example, then practice responsible dog ownership and please hire a professional pet care provider . Your dog and your neighbors will thank you for it.

About

Barking

Meta

About

Barking

Meta

Share