How to Resolve Barking Issues

Dogs bark for a variety of reasons. Attention seeking, guarding, boredom, frustration, and anxiety are some of the most common motivations for nuisance barking. Punishing barking when you are home will not stop your dog from barking when you are away. Punishing barking caused by fears and anxiety will actually increase the problem and add other behaviors as well. Changing a few things in your dogs life may reduce and eliminate problem barking.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.