Stop Dog From Barking
Dogs need to be corrected for inappropriate barking when their owners are home. To a Stop Dog From Barking, you can try an effective verbal correction helps to break the habit and teaches the dog that the correct behaviour is not to bark, or to bark for a short time and stop. If the dog is free in the yard and the owner wants to stop the barking, the word "UTTT" or "NO" after a couple of barks should be used. The dog should then be called back and praised for coming. The dog should never be called and punishment administered when it returns as this only makes the dog more reluctant to come next time.
If the dog is quiet it should be praised. It is important to show the dog what it is allowed to do and what it is not. The dog will soon learn to associate being quiet with praise.
The owner's tone of voice should be soft but firm when correcting the dog. If the dog does not respond then a 'shake tin' (tin can half filled with stones) may be used to gain the dogs attention. This should be shaken vigorously in conjunction with a firm "NO" and the dog should be praised when it stops barking.
The 'shake can' or any other object must not be thrown at the dog. If the dog does not listen when corrected verbally, then it requires obedience training. Physical punishment such as belting the dog, throwing a bucket of water over it or squirting it with a water pistol can actually make the problem worse. It will also demonstrate that the owner has lost control.
Obedience training does not in itself correct a barking problem, but it enables the owner to gain control over their dog so that it can be commanded to stop barking. Five minutes, twice a day reinforcing commands such as "HEEL", "SIT", "STAY", "DOWN", and "COME" will help maintain control.
You can always buy your dog a anti barking dog collar.
Group training sessions have a number of advantages in that they provide an opportunity for the dog to socialise with other dogs and people, and for owners to train the dog around distractions. Once the dog has been obedience trained the owner has a set of commands that the dog has learned, which can be used in difficult situations. For example you may tell your dog to sit and stay while a visitor arrives at the front door.
People must be consistent when training. Often an owner will yell at or scold the dog for barking and then on other occasions reward it by bringing it inside.
EXERCISE AND PLAY for Dogs
Exercise on its own will not stop a dog from barking, but it may provide an active release for its energy. At least 15 to 20 minutes a day should be spent walking, obedience training and playing with the dog, rather than just one long walk at the weekend. The exercise routine should be varied from a brisk walk, a run and fetch session with a ball or Frisbee or a game of hide and seek. Sprint and run exercises using a ball for the dog to fetch are far more effective than a long leisurely walk. A set time and route for the walks should be avoided. It is important that there is some variation in the routine and who takes the dog. Alternate some days with throwing the ball in the park and other days a trip to the beach.
When walking the dog, time should be allowed for it to explore and sniff, rather than concentrating on just walking or jogging. If the dog is to be left alone all day it should be exercised before the owner leaves for work. If the dog barks at night, exercise in the evenings may assist. Parents should not let their children walk a family pet alone unless they are confident that the child can control the dog in any situation that may arise. Riding a bicycle with the dog running along side is dangerous. Too often the dog pulls its owner off the bicycle and into traffic, or the dog itself gets injured in the moving wheels.
Vary the time, duration and frequency of play. For example, after work, before work or on every other day but not others. Have sessions of play and then training, so the dog learns to stop and start play. Short periods of play are better for excitable dogs. Games should include activities where obedience commands can be included in the play. Extended periods of play prior to the owners going out or to bed should be avoided.
Barking and FENCE LINE DISTRACTIONS
A dog kept behind a barrier such as a front or back fence may bark at people passing by It may bark at people and animals in the next property or family members it cannot reach. Once this type of barking starts it's very difficult to treat. Relocate the dog so it does not have access to the fence, walkway or hostile neighbours. Prevent access to the gates or fence by erecting a temporary visual barrier. A radio can be placed between the barrier and the dog to mask any sound the dog is barking at. The volume of the radio must be adjusted so as not annoy the neighbour. If dogs that jump up at the fence, an internal fence can be erected about a meter back from the fence. This restricts any activity against the fence. If dogs run up and down the fence line, several barriers should be placed outwards from the fence. This reduces the dog's momentum. Each barrier should consist of a couple of poles in the ground with rope between the two poles. A sack or cloth can be laid over the rope. If dogs rush from one side of the property to another, barriers placed at corners of the house or in the dog's pathway reduce the dog's momentum and hence it's barking. These force the dog to stop, slow down and start again. A view of the world will increase barking in some dogs and decrease it in others. Try and discover which is appropriate for your dog. If the dog is barking behind a solid fence let it see the outside world. If it has a view, then block it out.
If covering any gates or fence to prevent a dog from seeing out, it is important to cover the area fully so there are no gaps. Keep the dog inside or in an enclosed area at times when regular distractions occur, or if the dog is barking during the night.
Kenneling or crating your dog for short periods may also help and locking the dog up for the night may allow the dog to sleep.
INAPPROPRIATE CONFINEMENT
Prolonged, sudden or inappropriate restraint without exercise or attention may lead to a barking problem. Avoid any sudden confinement, restraint or putting the dog in an enclosed area such as the laundry if the dog is not used to it. Barking, damage to property or injury to the dog may result. I know I said this can solve some barking problems written above by confining your dog, but use common sense and know your dog. Don't allow boredom! The dog must be conditioned to confinement over a period of time if it is not used to it. This should consist of short periods at first when the owner is home, followed by short periods when the owner is out. Longer periods of confinement, both with the owner at home and when they are out can gradually be introduced.
The dog should be fed and played with in the area of confinement and corrected with a firm "NO" if it barks or attempts to get out when the owner is home. The owner should praise the dog when it is quiet, and release it only when it is silent.
Be careful that when you say NO the dog is not using this as attention. The dog should be placed in the confined area after exercise and at least 15 minutes prior to the owner leaving. The dog should be provided with water, toys or chew bones. No further contact should be made with the dog until they return home. The area of confinement must be safe and secure, as some dogs will make a very determined effort to get out by digging, jumping or climbing. Kenneling the dog in a sheltered and quiet area of the property should reduce the level of outside stimulation. The area of confinement must be warm and comfortable and protected from wind, rain and sunshine. The dog must have water available at all times and this should be in a container that cannot be knocked over by the dog. Effectively confining the dog means having adequate fences and gates, or a secure pen or compound to contain the dog. Tethering the dog to a post or running wire is not a good idea and may increase the behavioural problem.
