Barking Driving You mad?

May 15th, 2009 by Kathy Davison

The dog which barks unnecessarily is a pain to live with and agony to live next door to. Some dogs bark because their guarding instinct is very strong and they feel it necessary to alert you to every little noise. Some dogs bark because they are nervous and the sound of their own barking gives them confidence . Some bark because they like the reaction it provokes in you and some bark because they have not been taught not to. It is quite normal for a dog to bark if he hears a strong noise during the night. Continuing to bark after an acceptable time is what you want to deter.

In most cases the way to stop a dog barking is to teach him to bark on command.! This may sound very strange but it does work. At the same time as teaching him to bark you are also teaching him when not to bark.

For the dog to learn this exercise you need to enlist the help of a friend, so that you can set up the situation. You should be sitting and relaxing and then your helper comes to the door and rings the doorbell.. your dog will naturally bark and when he does give him the command speak. Allow him to bark for five seconds and then give him the command quiet,giving him lots of fuss when he does what he is told. Do not attempt to open the door until the dog is quiet . then go to the door open it and speak to your friend on the doorstep as you would a casual caller and then close the door.. go back and sit down and after an interval of 10 mins repeat the whole exercise.. Alternate between speaking to your friend on the doorstep and inviting him in to simulate what would sometimes happen.

Try to repeat this process over a few days ,building up the association with the dog that he is allowed to bark for five seconds when the doorbell rings but he must stop when you say so and the door must not be opened until he is quiet. You are also getting him to associate the word Speak with barking.

Why must the door never be opened until he is silent?

If you allow him to bark as you open the door then he will associate that his barking is what gets the door open, resulting in future problems.

If he is the type of dog who imagines there is someone at the door and barks often unnecessarily the only way you will get him to be quiet is to go and open it. You may even end up in a situation of the dog training you- every time he wants attention he will bark to provoke you into getting up to answer the door to an imaginary caller.

Having taught him to bark on the command speak,you will then be able to get him to bark if you ever feel in a threatening situation-when you are out for a walk and are approached by a suspicious character,or should you hear a strange noise in the middle of the night. You can also apply the same training if your dog barks every time the telephone rings. Arrange for a friend to call you and don t answer until the dog is quiet. On these occasions do not practice giving him the speak command as you do not want him barking every time the phone rings. Simply correct him for barking unnecessarily at the telephone.

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Are You Tired Of Your Dog Problems?

January 9th, 2009 by Darlene Finch

Everyone wants to believe that their canine is the best thing around; the last thing that we as pet owners want to deal with is dog problems. However most people who add a canine to their family end up usually experiencing dog problems.

There is so much information about dealing with dog problems; you can watch shows about them or read a book or even order materials online that promise you how to deal with dog problems. The truth about dealing with dog problems is that regardless of the method that you choose to begin training your canine friend; unless you are willing to stay consistent with your training they will not change.

Every pet owner loves their dog or whatever type of pet they have chosen to add to their family. It is great when you come home from a hard long day and your pet is sitting by the door anxiously waiting for you to come in and greet them. As a matter of fact they learn to know the exact time that you will be getting home.

However if you are coming home to a house that is torn apart because your dog got into the cabinets or the trash can while you were gone; then most likely you are not as happy to see them. You can learn how to train your dog so that you can stop dealing with dog problems.

One of the best things to do if you notice that your dog is tearing up your home while you are gone for the day is to lock them up a confined area of the house. For instance get some baby gates and put them in the kitchen or the laundry room.

This is not considered abuse as long as you give them the necessary items for the day; they will understand that this is their home while you are gone. As a matter of fact once they begin understanding that this is where they will be staying; they will automatically know where they go once you leave home.

No matter what types of problems you are experiencing with your dogs; it will benefit you to visit our site below and find out how to stop all the behavioral problems that you are experiencing. You will find that you both can live in harmony without constantly worry about what they are doing to your home while you are gone.

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Learn How To Stop Aggressive Dog Behavior

January 9th, 2009 by Darlene Finch

The internet is full of information about “how to stop aggressive dog behavior.” Chances are if you can not find the information online; then all you have to do is turn on the television. We are going to provide our readers with valuable information about how to stop this type of behavior in your pet.

While no pet owner wants to admit that their beloved pet can be a danger to society; it is important to stop the aggressive dog behavior before it becomes too difficult to deal with. This is especially important if you live in an are where there are always people and other pets around; such as apartments, condos or other multi-family dwellings.

You may be wondering what is characterized as aggressive dog behavior?

1. Too Much Barking: People can find too much barking to be considered a nuisance and even aggression. You can tell a difference between your dog barking for attention and your pet barking because they want to tear something up. It is up to you as the owner to differentiate between the two types of barking.

2. Growling Noises: It is in the nature of a dog to growl every once in a while after all they are a family member of the wolves. However if your dog begins making growling noises at you when you are trying to feed them; it is necessary that you stop this behavior.

It is necessary to learn how to take control of your pet so that they will not bite you or someone else that can cause injury. This situation should never be taken as funny; after all your dog will bite you or someone else if they feel threatened in anyway.

3. Digging In The Yard: We see it all the time a dog that digs to try to keep cool on hot summer days. However you may or may not realize it that digging in the yard can also be considered aggressive dog behavior. This is not a difficult problem to stop if you know the proper steps to take.

A dog will only show signs of aggression towards their owner if they feel as though their owner is a follower. You have to become the dominant one in the household. Remember a dog will never bite a dominant person and will be happy to take commands from them. Regardless of the type of breed you have; you definitely should visit the site below and find out how to begin taking control of the household and learn how to properly train your pet.

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Are You Trying To Stop Aggressive Dog Behavior?

December 8th, 2008 by Darlene Finch

If you have come to the internet in hopes of finding information about “trying to stop aggressive dog behavior,” then you have come to the right place. This may be the most important article that you read today.

Regardless of what type of dog you have; as a pet lover we all need to understand what the signs of aggression are. You must be honest with yourself about whether your pet has a tendency to display this type of behavior and put a stop to it before it becomes escalated. This is especially necessary if you and your family are living in an area where their are always other people around your pet.

What is aggressive dog behavior?

1. Excessive Barking: While this is the method that a canine uses to try to communicate with their owner. Of course if you notice that their barking seems to escalate whenever they notice people or other animals; then this can be classified as an aggressive behavior.

2. Growling At You And Other People: Your dog may have begun growling at you and other people for no apparent reason. It is necessary that you learn how to stop this behavior before it escalates into biting or other dangerous problems.

Your dog may be friendly towards you however if you feel that they can be a threat to other people or animals; then you are responsible for taking the necessary precautions for stopping this behavior. We all want to believe that our pets will not hurt anyone; however you should never underestimate what your pet will do if they feel threatened.

3. Digging In The Yard: We see it all the time a dog that digs to try to keep cool on hot summer days. However you may or may not realize it that digging in the yard can also be considered aggressive dog behavior. This is not a difficult problem to stop if you know the proper steps to take.

Your canine friend is only going to show signs of aggression to someone they feel is a threat to them or is not the dominant one in the household. If you are in anyway threatened by your pet regardless of the type of breed that you have; visit our site below. We will provide you details and tips on how to properly train your pet so that you both can get along and not have to worry about the dog behaviorial problems that you may be facing.

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Curb Irritating Dog Barking Behavior

December 4th, 2008 by Jason Roddick

Barking is as normal to dogs as talking is to humans. Trying to eliminate dog barking altogether would be like trying to stop someone to talk forever! Besides it being impossible, it’s just plain wrong. But we have to admit, excessive barking (much like excessive talking) is a major nuisance-not just to you but to your family, your hot neighbor, the children at play, the mailman, and every one else who can hear it.

Even if barking shouldn’t be stopped-after all, it’s handy when your dog uses it for proper reasons like warning you, warding off trespassers, or telling you something of importance-it must be controlled. If you want to keep peace in the neighborhood and between your neighbors, controlling your dog’s barking habits is important.

A lot of people-even dog owners-aren’t too aware that there are many ways to try and stop your dog from barking at whim.

A lot of dog owners would basically just run to an anti-barking collar. They’re convenient as they don’t seem to require much time from the owner. What’s so appealing about collars is that they can help the owner supervise incessant barking while the owner isn’t around. So far, there are generally three different types of anti-barking collars available in the market.

One is the sonar collar. Sonar collars are discreet things. Whenever the dog barks, it releases a sound with a certain frequency inaudible to humans but irritable to dogs. The idea is that they will associate the irritable sound as punishment to their incessant barking.

Another one is the citronella collar. The citronella collar sprays a scent that’s pungent for dogs. When the dog barks, they spray so that, just like the sonar collar, the dog would assume they’re being punished for their non-stop barking. Although the device sounds promising, anecdotal reports state that a lot of dogs have already found a way to get around this collar.

One anecdotal report states that their dog would just keep on barking until the collar runs out of citronella. Afterwards, he will go on barking the whole day without having to deal with the citronella smell. Other dogs would bark and then sort of hold their breaths to avoid the smell and then bark again.

The third one is called the shock collar. This collar is very controversial. Whenever the dog barks, it shocks the dog with electricity. Intensity of the current can usually be changed.

A lot of people say this is inhuman and are against it. After all, no sane person would do that to another person so why even think of doing it to their own pet? As much as possible, this kind of collar is avoided-and for good reason.

Even if collars seem to be the “promised land” out of your dog’s uncontrollable barking, collars are just merely supplements.

The best thing to do is to find out first why exactly your dog has that kind of habit. If humans have psychologists, dogs have veterinarian behaviorists. A veterian behaviorist basically observes a dog’s environment and circumstances to figure out what exactly triggers their socially unacceptable behavior. And then based on their findings, they give training solutions to eliminate the behavior problem.

Some reasons as to why a dog would bark are things like boredom (meaning they have so much energy with nothing to use it with) or frustration (perhaps they’re being bullied by another dog in the family or by the people around them) to name two.

You can always call a vet behaviorist to help you find out your dog’s behavior problems. He or she can also give you a solution. In extreme cases, they might suggest an anti-barking collar but that should be used side by side with proper training techniques.

Barking dogs are just sometimes extremely bored with so much energy to waste. Provide them with physical activities like walks, catch, and play time with other dogs. If you’re always out, put them in the care of someone else while you’re out-like a relative or a friend or a dog walker or a doggie daycare. When left alone with nothing to do, dogs feel bored and lonely just like humans do and they will do just about anything to release some energy or catch your attention.

You can also implement the “QUIET” command whenever he barks out of control. If you’ve already established yourself as the alpha of your “pack”, then it won’t take much trouble to teach this. If the barking is much of a nuisance and is already getting in the way of your chances with the neighborhood hottie, then using an anti-bark collar might be acceptable, but only temporarily or only as a training supplement.

The sonar collar is most recommended as it is not just humane, but more efficient than the two as well. Never forget to tackle the problem with hands-on solutions and obedience training as well. Training your dog to respond to obedience signals is still the best and lasting way to tone down incessant barking but still maintain his freedom to do what he naturally does.

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