Controlling Your Dog’s Incessant Barking

Controlling Your Dog’s Incessant Barking

Many dog owners are aware that at some point in time that their dog will bark. They may bark at the doorbell. They may bark at a car driving by in the street, or they may bark when they kids outside playing. One thing is for sure: dogs will bark. To dog owners, barking in and of itself is not a problem. Instead, it is how long the dogs bark. Moreover, neighbors would prefer not to listen to a barking dog, especially during normal sleeping hours

Many dogs bark when they are bored or are in need of attention. Your initial instinct may be to scream at them when they bark, but doing this will only reinforce the very behavior that you are trying to contain and will give your dog the attention, although negative, it craves.

Some methods that you can employ to try to stop your dog from barking a lot, include spending extra time with your dog when it is not barking, and bringing your dog inside if the barking only occurs at night. Some dogs just need to feel as though they are part of the family to cease this bothersome behavior.

Below are some tips you can use if your dog barks out of boredom or keeping it inside nightly is not an available option:

• Tire your dog out by giving it a long walk or taking it to a field or park to socialize with other dogs before you leave away from home is a great option. Also, play catch with your canine buddy. Doing these things will help your dog sleep better and bark less.
• Give your dog a chew toy or joint-type dog bone that your dog can play with while you are away from home. Joint bones that have extra large knuckles or joints are preferable; otherwise, smaller joint dog bones will pose a choking hazard or will get stuck in the dog’s throat.
• Allow your dog to play with a chewable toy that they can play with while they are by themselves. One example of this type of toy is a toy dog bone, preferably the joint-type. It is preferable to give your dog the joint-type bones containing extra large knuckles or joints. Smaller versions of these bones are a choking hazard for your dog and may get stuck in its throat.
• Use a spray collar around your dog’s neck if it continues to bark incessantly, despite implementing the above techniques. Your dog’s vocal chords activate these collars when it starts to bark. The collar then sprays a harmless chemical called citronella in your dog’s face upon barking.

Summarily, dog barking is a part of life when you are a dog owner. You need your dog to alert you to danger and other messages that your dog may want to convey. Although you may not be able to stop the barking altogether, the above measures will assist in decreasing the amount of barking. Your neighbors will appreciate your efforts and everyone can have a quiet, restful evening.

Article written by Bev Cheney – for more dog articles by Bev, see the recent topics on dog clothes & dog training info.