How To Stop a Dog
From Barking
Barking is a natural tendency in today's dog breeds.
Some dogs are just natural barkers. Breeds such as the Boston terrier, Chihuahua, Irish setter, beagles, hounds, and Pekingese are noted for their barking.
Barking can mean that the dog is excited during times of play or when it greets you.
It can mean that the dog is frightened.
It can also mean the dog is bored or lonely - especially if left alone during the day and experiences separation anxiety.
It can mean the dog is signalling you to be let outside.
A dog's bark can be used to announce the arrival of someone, get attention, warn its owner of a threat, or act as a deterrent to intruders or strangers.
Some breeds bark more than others which may be a consideration when choosing a dog.
Barking can also be inappropriate behavior and a nuisance - especially to neighbors.
Inappropriate barking includes barking when someone walks by your home, barking at visitors for an extended period of time, or barking when no-one is at home.
How to stop a dog from barking
One way to stop a dog from barking is to train it by showing it that barking is inappropriate behavior.
Rewarding your dog for being quiet is one effective way to retrain a barking dog. For example, if your dog starts barking when the front doorbell rings, you would correct his behavior by commanding him to be quiet and then rewarding him when he stops barking.
Letting your dog know when barking is inappropriate and rewarding your dog for obeying your "quiet" command is the key to retraining a barking dog.
Consistently reinforce this training until your dog responds automatically to your command without depending on a reward to obey you.
Keep in mind that barking when your dog is left alone may be the result of separation anxiety. Your dog training methods in this situation will be different.
Also bear in mind that excessive barking - especially if your dog seems agitated - may indicate that your dog is warning you of imminent danger such as a fire or an intruder.
Click on any of the following links for more information on dog training and dog obedience training including how to stop a dog from barking.
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