Dogs: Excessive Barking, an Owner\'s Guide

Dogs are early warning systems that someone is coming to the door or is getting a little to close to the home or car. They bark to alert you, their pack members. Dogs should bark several times in succession to make their alert known but if they are barking more than three or four times, or won't stop barking, their warning turns into an annoyance.

Most frequent causes

Breed related- many guarding breeds and gun dogs are genetically wired to bark until the threat disappears.
Over excitement- the dog becomes overly excited at the sound or visual stimuli presented in these circumstances.
Boredom or frustration- a pet that is lonely or under-exercised will bark excessively to relieve stress and anxiety. Barking feels good and the release quickly becomes addictive as a stress relieving mechanism.
The dog owner has unconsciously rewarded the pet's barking. Running to the door excitedly, attempting to soothe the dog or giving in to the pets demands while barking are all reinforcers from the dogs perspective. If the dog is yelled at or hushed while barking, he thinks you're joining in on the alert!
The dog is insecure about new things in his environment.

In most cases, excessive barking is quickly and easily managed. Dogs can unlearn this behavior and learn new, more appropriate behaviors. For example, your dog trainer can teach your dog the "quiet" command. This allows the dog to issue the warning that is innate in him, and allows you to decide when it's time to stop barking. Once learned, virtually all dogs stop excessive barking on their own, minimizing the amount of time you'll actually have to use the "quiet" cue.

Dogs that are barking from boredom or frustration can also be helped, providing that they start getting their emotional and exercise needs met. Your dog trainer can show you fast and effective ways to provide these critical components for your pet. A happy dog is content and does not need to bark excessively and this creates happy dog'1 owners.

Insecure dogs are best managed by distraction while they are learning to cope with new things in their environment. These dogs typically require socialization as well and your dog trainer will work with you to create a plan best suited for your insecure dog.

The goal of all dog training is to find peaceable solutions to everyday problems so that pets and their owners live harmoniously.

Paws in Training provides dog training, dog behavior evaluations, consultations and education services in Raleigh, Cary and Durham, North Carolina.

Ó Paws in Training, Inc. 2009

http://www.pawsintraining.com

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Dogs: Excessive Barking, an Owner\'s Guide

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