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Step 1
Determine why your dog is barking. The cause of the barking will help you know what to do about it. If you are friendly with a neighbor, ask them to journal how long your dog barks, what time, and how many times per day. Set up a video camera to record him in your absence, this often tells you a lot about the noises or environmental changes that may frighten or annoy your dog.
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Step 2
Once you have collected the information, if it is still unclear what the cause of your dog's nuisance barking is, consult with a veterinarian to rule out health issues. Take your data to a trainer who understands canine behavioral issues. These professionals should be able to assist you with a customized treatment plan. They can also help you determine whether or not your dog's barking is based in fears or anxiety. If it is, the barking remedy will call for different measures than frustration or boredom barking.
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Step 3
If your dog is barking out of frustration or boredom you may want to try a few simple lifestyle changes such as adding more exercise to your dog's routine. This can be done with walking, retrieve games, obedience practice, and play dates with other dogs.
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Step 4
Making the area your dog stays in while you are away more interesting will help keep a busy dog occupied. Use interactive rubber toys which dispense food. You can even place your dog's daily kibble ration inside interactive toys to help keep him busy. Tether balls hanging from tree limbs or patio joists often keep a large dog amused. Put the toys away when you come home and add new ones monthly to keep toys new and interesting
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Step 5
Spend adequate time with your dog every day. Dogs are social animals by nature and want to be with their family. Often, they bark because they feel lonely. If possible hire a dog walker, enroll in a dog daycare, or seek out a person who has a compatible dog that would doggysit your dog a couple of days per week.
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Step 6
Keep your dog inside when you cannot supervise him. Limit his ability to see other animals and people on the front walk if this causes him to bark. Practicing barking at the window will not solve the problem.
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Step 7
When you are home with your dog, call him to you when he barks and ask him to sit. If he barks at strange dogs and people on walks, ask him to look at you and sit. If you cannot gain his attention use a squirt pistol and shoot a stream of plain water at the back of his ear or his anus to get his attention (not to punish). When he looks at you, begin moving and praise him. As he continues to pay attention to you, offer him a treat. If you cannot get his attention, it is time to get some training for you and your dog.
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Step 8
Bark collars should be a last resort if used at all. Punishing barking frequently has unintended consequences. A bark collar may stop barking, but it may then cause destructive behaviors and cause or increase anxiety in your dog. If the collar gives a warning tone before it shocks or sprays, often your dog will become freaked out by beeping noises from pagers and microwaves.
Comments
leftcoastscribe said
on 1/25/2008 Anne,
Without witnessing your dog's behavior and environment, I cannot offer an individualized training protocol. I can offer this link to Ian Dunbar's new website that describes a technique that I have used with great success to help my clients gain control over their dog's barking. http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/excessive-barking-0
I hope this helps.
AnneOminous said
on 1/25/2008 I own a cocker spaniel, and I am sure he barks out of both anxiety and being overprotective of his family. I would like to know a few treatments for this.
imagery said
on 1/24/2008 Good article.My dog is real good about not barking, but when a delivery man comes,I really have to make him sit and stay and he still will whine a little. He will not stop barking when there is a bear around. We now have trained him to say "rut row" on command,he knows this is different then barking. Border collies are so smart.
diggitydogg said
on 11/26/2007 Great article. You've covered all the bases. Now, if the mailman would agree to start giving my dog treats, I'd have it made!
leftcoastscribe said
on 11/26/2007 The question I would ask, is this--did the bark collar stop the barking? Or might it have been increasing the family time, exercise, social time, and changing other things about your dog's environment help stop the barking? Many dogs do not respond to the lowest setting on a bark collar, and as the level starts low and is gradually increased some dogs actually become desensitized to the shock.