Dealing With A Barking Dog?
We live next door to a family who owns a Jack Russell terrier. Their work often requires them to be away overnight, and they leave their dog alone at home. I cannot begin to count the hours of sleepless nights which my husband and I have spent listening to their dog communicating his frustration and anxiety.
It breaks our hearts, actually. It would be easy to blame the dog for his poor manners, but understanding why dogs bark is the first step to resolving a serious and potentially dangerous situation. While it is hard to do, we need to remember that his behavior is not his fault. This little dog is just airing his feelings of frustration and loneliness.
Owning a well behaved dog is a delight. Having a dog that barks excessively can certainly detract from an otherwise wonderful experience. First, it is important to understand the basic reasons why dogs bark. Since barking is one of our canine companions’ primary methods of communication, we need to investigate about what our dog is barking. Often dogs bark for attention, to alert their human, warning them of danger, are feeling playful, or excessively stimulated. They also bark when they are bored, lonely, or afraid, to protect their territory or to distinguish themselves from other dogs.
With consistent training, problem barking can be curbed
Some breeds are prone frequent barking. Beagles, Terriers and Herding breeds tend bark more often than other breeds, but any dog, whether purebred or mixed breed, male or female, may bark excessively when upset.
So what can we do to control problem barking?
One of the most important things to remember is that it may be an extensive process to correct behavior which is engrained. Losing tempers only confuses dogs and makes them fearful. It is essential to be calm and patient when training a dog. Shouting "no" at a dog can be interpreted by them as barking at them and can make the situation worse. If you are barking at them, it follows they would not be able to associate your loud "no", with wanting them to stop. Professional trainers suggest that teaching one word commands such as "done" or "enough" are effective tools, if used consistently. Be sure that all family members are on the same page. Patience is the key to successful training.
Your tone of voice is key, so keeping tones consistent, but at a soothing level, works well. Loud or harsh tones are counterproductive in training. Have a regular training schedule. While it is essential to practice with your dog, keeping short frequent sessions are most likely to be successful. When your dog is barking for attention, hugging or picking them up can be misinterpreted and can, in fact, reinforce their barking behavior.
If your dog does not respond to patient training in a timely manner, and you are not getting desired results, it is wise to seek advice from a professional trainer, animal behaviorist or veterinarian. They are excellent resources to help continue training more effectively.
When your dog responds to your commands, immediate positive reinforcement is crucial. It is an excellent idea to keep a supply of nutritious treats in your pockets at all times when working with your dog. Always remembers to reward for good behavior with praise as well.
Have you had experience with a “barker?” Leave a comment and share what was helpful in training.
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Comments (4)
Vicki November 24, 2008 11:20 AM
Of the eight dogs I have, Katie, my Sheltie, is by far the worst barker. Ususally when shestarts a barking session, we firmly call her name and most of the time she gets quiet.
Even though we live in the country, all of my dogs come in at night. We do have neighbors close enough that would hear them if they did bark. But even that is not the reason I bring them all in. I just don't want them outside at night.
Joanne November 24, 2008 2:54 PM
That's interesting Vicki - my mom had a sheltie and he barked a lot too. I think it's typical of shelties. Fortunately, we have never had a real barking problem. We live in the suburbs so a barking dog can be a real pain to neighbors but we never leave our dogs outside or unattended so they don't get bored and bark. My heart goes out to that Jack Russell who is alone at night and barks when his family is away. Do his people know? Maybe a dogsitter would help if they have to be away - someone who would stay overnight or at the very least give him some extra exercise to run off some of his energy that turns into barks.
Amy November 24, 2008 4:41 PM
As the owner of 3 dogs I try to respect all my neighbors. At the first sign of barking I am at the door making them come in the house. My male is the one who sends the "alert" is something is up. My females actually could care less and don't really bark when outside. Now in the house my one female Molly hears every single little sound going on outside.
As for the owners of the Terrier I say shame on them. They should find a way to keep the dog either amused during their absence or really tire the dog out before they leave the house. A tired dog is less apt to bark as much.
Another suggestion is to teach the dog they are not gone forever. They should go out the door for a minute then come back in. This should be followed be longer periods of time. Eventually this should help the dog realize they are coming back and cut down the panic in the dog.
Cheryl G November 24, 2008 5:50 PM
I took my little Reggie to a pretty serious dog training school. They believed mostly in positive reinforcement training, so Clicker Training was mostly used.
If you own more than one dog and they are barking loudly, they recommended using a shaker can with pennies in it. When the dogs start barking, quickly shake the can, that will get the dogs attention, they will stop barking and immediately reward them with click & treat. I'm far from a professional trainer, but it was a great school and they used 99% positive reinforcement, which I really liked.
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