How To Stop My Dog From Barking
Dog barking is both natural and helpful and yet it may be the root of so many difficulties in the home and out. From falling out with the people next door to driving you silly at home, excessive barking gives dogs an awful name!
On the up-side, many of us are quite happy to have a dog that barks because it makes us feel safe during the night and lets us know when anyone is approaching the house.
But on the other-side too many dogs simply do not know when to stop. They are a little like a flawed automobile alarm, almost anything can set them off and it can take a while to get them to stop. Add into that a dose of dog anxiety and you've got some serious dog barking problems.
Nuisance Dog Barking
In nature barking works and you do not find dogs barking without cause. Their barking has three primary functions; The first is to let the rest of the pack know where you are, the second's a to warn the rest of the pack to possible hazard and the 3rd is an agressive note to keep away.
Nuisance dog barking appears when dogs try and apply a system that works perfectly in nature, to a human world they don't understand.
Thats when almost anything might be a threat to a dog (think postman, telephone, film, supermarket carrier blowing down the road...) and the more anxious the dog, the more threats it'd consider it wise to bark at. And very naturally they'll keep barking until they're positive that the threat has gone away.
Dog Barking when Left Alone
Dogs will bark from time to time when left alone "again it is only natural as they'll react to whatever noises they can hear outside your home.
Nevertheless if a dog barks ceaselessly, especially just after you leave the house, it's likelier to be caused by dog anxiety. Unfortunately, some anxious dogs will literally bark off and on for hours.
Of course, this is exactly the kind of barking which has your neighbours in an uproar and threatening you with dog barking laws, complaint letters and council action.
In this situation the assumption is usually that dog owners are neglecting their dogs or leaving them for too long. But that isn't generally the case. When you're coping with separation anxiety in dogs, more attention and less time away won't change their anxiety as they'll feel it whether you leave for 30 minutes or five hours.
How Do I To Stop My Dog From Barking
Exaggerated dog barking when you are in the house can be stopped with only 2 short words. We already realize that screaming 'Shut Up ' won't work, but what about the words 'Thank You ' or 'Good Boy ' or 'Good Girl '?
It's may look counter intuitive, but shockingly thanking your dog can work! Here's why.
In nature one of the roles of a dog pack member would be to alert the pack leader to any potential danger. Once alerted the pack leader would make the decision regarding whether any action was required, so that would suggest joining in the barking if they thought there was a real threat, or doing nothing if they made a decision there was no threat to the pack, so the barking would stop.
Take that that into the home and if your dog is barking and you shout at them, you raise your anxiety levels, so that the dog will sense that something is really wrong, and you sound like you are joining in, and is the reason why your dog will bark far more wildly when you do raise your voice.
By definitely thanking them, you can not sound angry, and you don't raise your stress levels and your dog should naturally stop. If they carry on, you can go and have a look at what they are barking at and thank them again. If continue, put them in another room on their own till they calm down.
The objective is to set up a system that your dog understands. They will still be the one to warn you of something first as their hearing is much better, and by staying calm yourself and thanking them, you let them know there is little to stress about.
Dog Anxiety Can Cause Dog Barking Problems
Sadly, it's not a system you can use when your dog is at home alone. Instead you need to address the source of your dogs separation anxiety which is most likely to be a leadership issue.
If your dog has placed themselves as head of the pack, they've also made themselves answerable for decision making and keeping the pack safe and they cannot do that if you lock them in at home and go out.
The non-stop barking is a noise beacon to let you know where they happen to be and where to return home to. In the wild that noise would carry a good way, and dogs have no idea that our hearing isn't as good as theirs.
Sadly, so long as they have anxiety, they are going to have barking problems. It's their nature and the sole way you can change their mind and stop the dog barking is to show your dog you are leader of the pack, not them. That way they don't have to worry.
On the up-side, many of us are quite happy to have a dog that barks because it makes us feel safe during the night and lets us know when anyone is approaching the house.
But on the other-side too many dogs simply do not know when to stop. They are a little like a flawed automobile alarm, almost anything can set them off and it can take a while to get them to stop. Add into that a dose of dog anxiety and you've got some serious dog barking problems.
Nuisance Dog Barking
In nature barking works and you do not find dogs barking without cause. Their barking has three primary functions; The first is to let the rest of the pack know where you are, the second's a to warn the rest of the pack to possible hazard and the 3rd is an agressive note to keep away.
Nuisance dog barking appears when dogs try and apply a system that works perfectly in nature, to a human world they don't understand.
Thats when almost anything might be a threat to a dog (think postman, telephone, film, supermarket carrier blowing down the road...) and the more anxious the dog, the more threats it'd consider it wise to bark at. And very naturally they'll keep barking until they're positive that the threat has gone away.
Dog Barking when Left Alone
Dogs will bark from time to time when left alone "again it is only natural as they'll react to whatever noises they can hear outside your home.
Nevertheless if a dog barks ceaselessly, especially just after you leave the house, it's likelier to be caused by dog anxiety. Unfortunately, some anxious dogs will literally bark off and on for hours.
Of course, this is exactly the kind of barking which has your neighbours in an uproar and threatening you with dog barking laws, complaint letters and council action.
In this situation the assumption is usually that dog owners are neglecting their dogs or leaving them for too long. But that isn't generally the case. When you're coping with separation anxiety in dogs, more attention and less time away won't change their anxiety as they'll feel it whether you leave for 30 minutes or five hours.
How Do I To Stop My Dog From Barking
Exaggerated dog barking when you are in the house can be stopped with only 2 short words. We already realize that screaming 'Shut Up ' won't work, but what about the words 'Thank You ' or 'Good Boy ' or 'Good Girl '?
It's may look counter intuitive, but shockingly thanking your dog can work! Here's why.
In nature one of the roles of a dog pack member would be to alert the pack leader to any potential danger. Once alerted the pack leader would make the decision regarding whether any action was required, so that would suggest joining in the barking if they thought there was a real threat, or doing nothing if they made a decision there was no threat to the pack, so the barking would stop.
Take that that into the home and if your dog is barking and you shout at them, you raise your anxiety levels, so that the dog will sense that something is really wrong, and you sound like you are joining in, and is the reason why your dog will bark far more wildly when you do raise your voice.
By definitely thanking them, you can not sound angry, and you don't raise your stress levels and your dog should naturally stop. If they carry on, you can go and have a look at what they are barking at and thank them again. If continue, put them in another room on their own till they calm down.
The objective is to set up a system that your dog understands. They will still be the one to warn you of something first as their hearing is much better, and by staying calm yourself and thanking them, you let them know there is little to stress about.
Dog Anxiety Can Cause Dog Barking Problems
Sadly, it's not a system you can use when your dog is at home alone. Instead you need to address the source of your dogs separation anxiety which is most likely to be a leadership issue.
If your dog has placed themselves as head of the pack, they've also made themselves answerable for decision making and keeping the pack safe and they cannot do that if you lock them in at home and go out.
The non-stop barking is a noise beacon to let you know where they happen to be and where to return home to. In the wild that noise would carry a good way, and dogs have no idea that our hearing isn't as good as theirs.
Sadly, so long as they have anxiety, they are going to have barking problems. It's their nature and the sole way you can change their mind and stop the dog barking is to show your dog you are leader of the pack, not them. That way they don't have to worry.
About the Author:
The author has experienced dog anxiety and dog barking problems with her recent rescue dog and used these methodologies to successfully stop hisdog barking when left alone.
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