Perhaps one of the most aggravating things to your neighbors about your dog is your dog’s barking. If it destroys your house, it won’t affect your neighbors too much. But the constant barking day and night will end in neighborhood disputes and calls to the police.
The greatest goal of dog domestication was to provide a companion to protect and warn. Barking is how they do this. To overcome this innate characteristic, you must train your dog to stop barking. Such training to stop a dog from barking should be done when the dog is a puppy before barking becomes a problem.
Barking is a form of communication for dogs and puppies. Dogs will bark when they are excited, bored, in pain, trying to tempt you to play, when greeting people, and as a warning. The tone of the bark generally reflects what the dog is trying to communicate.
Some breeds are inherently very energetic dogs like terriers. If they don’t get enough exercise, this lack can lead them to bark out of boredom. In fact, boredom can be one of the main causes of dog barking. This is especially true if no one is home all day and then the dog is ignored when you are home.
To take care of this matter, you must first realize that a dog needs attention and exercise just like we do. There is no point in getting a dog only to relegate it to the yard to never interact with what is supposed to be its human family. Don’t get a dog if you don’t have time to spend. And try to take into account the changing dynamics of your family. Life changes over time, but that dog will still be there and will need attention, care, and exercise.
If you must be away for long periods of time, there are several things you can do to help your dog cope with being alone. First of all, try to get her used to you leaving and coming back. He wants you to know that he is coming back and that he has not been abandoned.
Then get your dog used to being away for longer periods of time. Do not allow him to be alone for hours and hours at the same time. Your dog, and this must be trained in him like a puppy, needs to get used to a longer duration alone, step by step. It could require a weekend of training or even more. Start with a very short absence and build up gradually.
One more thing is to give your dog chew toys and other toys that can occupy him. Many dogs bark simply because they are bored. Give him something to occupy his time. A kibble-filled Kong is a nifty toy that you can use to entertain your dog if used correctly.
Copyright 2005. Sandra Dinkins-Wilson