Stop Dog Barking Problems

Some types of dog barking, for instance- when your dog barks to warn you about a stranger, or when he is greeting or playing with you and barks that aren’t a problem and don’t need correction-maybe just a command to stop if if gets out of hand. You will have some work to do to correct any of these dog barking problems from the list below if your dog has one of them. It is too bad, but  the excessive barking will not just go away on its own accord.

Here are several examples of common bad barking behaviors-use whatever tips work for you, depending on which of these dog barking problems your dog has.

• To correct the problem of dogs barking upon seeing a stranger or another dog  somewhere within their visual range, it is necessary to block your dog’s view out of his yard. If you have a fenced in area with no view to the outside, this would be the ideal place to move your noise-offender. As an alternative to a fence (if you have none) try moving your dog to an area of the backyard with no view of the street -you will need to put  him on a lead to keep him there. If your dog stays indoors, keep the curtains closed to block his view.

• Solving the problem of your dog barking because he hears nearby dogs having a conversation, takes a hands on approach-literally. For instance, as soon as your dog begins to bark, put your hand over his mouth and hold his mouth shut until he has completely stopped resisting. Since he will not enjoy this at all, you will need to grab ahold of his collar to keep him from moving away. Another trick you can try is to spray him in the face with a small spray bottle of water as soon as he starts barking. Another option you can try is to use a can filled with pebbles to startle your dog and stop the barking. Any of these 3 tricks should work for stopping the barking temporarily-at least while you are actually applying them. At the same time you stop the barking, you should also command your dog to “stop barking” or “be quiet”-whatever command you have chosen. At the end of a successful training to stop barking, your dog should stop when just given your verbal command.

• Correcting the problem of a dog barking too much due to stress and insecurity will require you to give your dog lots more attention by exercising him, playing with him and training him. An active, well trained dog is much happier, so by increasing his quality of life, he will be less nervous and less likely to bark out of anxiety or stress.

• Correcting the problem of  bored and lonely dog voicing their frustrations with non stop barking  can be done by giving your dog lots of exercise and attention.  Obviously if your dog is left alone most of the time and doesn’t get enough playtime and attention from you he is more likely to have this type of barking problem. Therefore, be sure to give your dog the minimum one and one half hours daily of activity he needs by exercising him, training him and of course, playing with him.

• In order to deal with the problem of your dog barking excessively at you as he tries to get your attention (whether for food, play, or affection) you should say “no” firmly, then turn your back towards him and ignore your dog. You should not let your dog get away with bullying you. The reason for this, besides the annoyance of a steadily barking dog, is that you are the Alpha dog. You will not be seen as Alpha by your dog if he can boss you around when he wants by barking at you. It is essential for training your dog that you alone are the Alpha dog

You can also find some types of prevention collars at the pet store. The first of these prevention collars is a Citronella oil collar-this works by spraying a mist of citronella oil into your dogs face when it is activated by the dog’s barking. The idea behind the second type of prevention collar is that it produces a very high pitched sound when your dog barks . Each of these collars works to stop the dog from barking due to his aversion to either the smell or the noise.

A third type of prevention collar that is available in the store is the electric shock variety of collar. I cannot personally recommend this kind since I wouldn’t use it on my own dog. Although I have read and heard it is quite effective for stopping behavior problems such as barking, I would rather stick with more humane methods of correction with the dogs I love.

To learn about dog training at home with the best on-line program available (Secrets to Dog Training), please check out my review of Secrets to Dog Training.