Keep Your Dog's Barking at Bay
Trouble controlling your barking dog can affect your relationship with your neighbors and is a violation of animal control codes. If your dog barks excessively and has created neighborhood tension, it's probably a good idea to discuss the issue with your neighbor. It's perfectly normal for dogs to bark occasionally simply because it's their way to communicate with you or other animals. However, excessive and dreadful dog barking is not normal or acceptable for most people. This is a perfect sign that your dog needs assistance to help the barking come to a complete stop.
First, find out what's causing your dog to bark unceasingly. You may need to take a few days of vacation to observe your dog's behavior problems that are causing him to bark especially when you are not at home. You can ask your neighbors, drive around the block and stop for a while to listen for your dog's barking or you can be more creative by using a tape recorder or installing a video camera when you leave in the morning for work. Hopefully, this will help you see and take the right measures to correct the problems.
Most dogs left outside for extended amounts of time with no interaction and that are confined to a limited spot will more likely be bored and will find ways to let you know about his unhappiness by simply barking. If you leave your dog with not enough food and water or toys to occupy his mind, you will hear it from him through his desperate barking. The best thing to do is to take care of the problem by spending lots of precious time with your dog, walking him regularly and playing with him on a daily basis.
You can teach your dog to do simple tricks like fetch a ball or a Frisbee and you can practice a few times with him until he masters the tricks. You can learn some basic hand or verbal commands to use on your dog. Take an obedience class where you can learn how to give your dog the attention he needs and how to deal with his barking to make it stop. Provide him with interesting toys and rotate them on a regular basis to make them seem new. If your dog is just begging for your attention, make sure that you provide sufficient time playing with him, walking him around the neighborhood or talking to him. If you are planning on going a trip, make sure that he is taken care of. You can either take him to a pet daycare or have your neighbors and friends take care of his needs. If your neighbor approaches you with the barking concerns, don't be offended but let him know that you are working on the problem.
Sometimes it may be that your dog is simply barking to protect or guard what he feels belongs to him. Your dog may bark when people approach the house or are simply walking or running by. Your dog's barking may sometimes appear threatening. Teach your dog a simple hand or voice command for "quiet". Use devices such as a can filled with pennies or squirting a water bottle at his face. This will cause him to stop barking for a moment. While he's quiet, make sure that you praise and reward him for his good barking behavior. If you see that your dog is frightened by the use of the squirt gun or can full of pennies, make sure to use other harmless devices to stop his barking. You should not use an anti-barking collar on your dog if the barking problem is due to loneliness or separation anxiety because it will only worsen the situation.
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