How can I stop my dog barking?

The first thing is to discover the reason why the dog is barking. It can then be as simple as taking away the cause but it is usually a bit more complicated than that. Barking in a dog however is generally symptamatic of a couple of things; excitement or fear.

The cure for the two are quite different with fear being a little more time consuming to sort out.

Any Tips?
With an over excited dog they should  be taught to bark on command and then also taught the "quiet" command. This should be done in the same way that you would teach any dog any new trick, but for specific information, you can get the look at the "Train Your Dog To..." series in this section. 

There is no point in yelling at your dog when he is barking if he hasn't been taught what quiet means! So the two should be taught in conjunction with each other.

Fear based barking however is a completly different animal if you will excuse the pun. If your dog is barking at anything he doesn't understand or is already fearful of something, then the process of exposing him to that situation over and over is generally the best way to deal with the problem. Importantly, in these situations it is important that YOU do not respond to your dogs barking. Holding him and telling him to be quiet is only likely to re-inforce his fear.

As you would expect, there are an array of product on the market to help such as anti bark collars, pet behaviour spray and remote control dog collars. All have their advantages and will work if used correctly.

Finally though, where fear based barking is directed at other people or dogs whilst you are out, it is important to seek the advice of a professional pet behaviourist.

We hope that this answered your question but if not, please feel free to submit any further questions you have using the form below.


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