Control Your Dog’s Barking
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Barking is as natural to a dog as talking is as natural to a human being. Trying to stop dog barking altogether would be like trying to stop someone to talk forever! Besides it being impossible, it’s just plain wrong. The thing is, excessive barking (just like excessive talking) can get on anybody’s nerves—not just to you but to your family, your hot neighbor, the children at play, the mailman, and every one else who can hear it.
Although barking shouldn’t be stopped—after all, it’s very useful when your dog uses it for proper reasons like warning you, warding off trespassers, or telling you something of importance—it must be controlled. If you want to maintain peace in the neighborhood and between your neighbors, controlling your dog’s barking habits is important.
A lot of people—even dog owners—aren’t too aware that there are many ways to try and stop your dog from barking at whim.
A lot of dog owners would basically just run to an anti-barking collar. They seem to be the most convenient solution. The great thing about collars is that they can supervise a dog’s barking habits even when the owner is not around. So far, there are generally three different kinds of anti-barking collars available in the market.
There is the sonar collar. This sonar collar is a discreet little thing. Whenever the dog barks, it releases a sound with a certain frequency inaudible to humans but irritable to dogs. The idea is that they will associate the irritable sound as punishment to their incessant barking.
Another one is called the citronella collar. The citronella collar sprays a scent that’s pungent for dogs. When the dog barks, they spray so that, similar to the sonar collar, the dog would find the scent as a punishment for their incessant barking. Though this seems pretty useful, a lot of people say that their dogs have already found a way to get around this anti-barking device.
Some would just keep on barking until the citronella in the collar runs out. Then he wouldn’t have to bother about the smell anymore so he’d just keep on barking the whole day. Other dogs find other ways, like making a face (that probably gets them to hold their breath somehow) when the collar sprays and then barking again.
The third one is called the shock collar. This collar is very controversial. It stops dog barking with electric shock. The strength level of the electric current can even be changed from 1 to 6; 6 being the highest and the one that stings the most.
No-Fail House Dog Training Guide
Many people regard this collar as inhuman and condone it. Come to think of it no decent person would want to do that to their own child (or anyone they want to discipline for that matter) so doing it to their own pet sounds insane, illogical and altogether cruel as well. A lot of people reasonably avoid the sonar collar.
Though collars seem very convenient, they’re merely supplements to help you control your dog’s barking habit.
The best thing is still training—find out first why your dog barks the way it does. Take your dog to a veterinarian behaviorist. A veterian behaviorist basically observes a dog’s environment and circumstances to figure out what exactly triggers their socially unacceptable behavior. Then they find solutions to eliminate the behavior with proper training methods based on their findings.
Some reasons as to why a dog would bark are things like boredom (they might have too much time in their paws with nothing to spend it with) or frustration (are they being bullied by dogs or other people?) to name two.
You can always call a vet behaviorist to help you find out your dog’s behavior problems. A vet behaviorist will also teach you what to do. In extreme cases, they might suggest an anti-barking collar but that should be used side by side with proper training techniques.
If you find out that your dog is just plain bored and has no other way to release pent-up energy, then work on giving your dog something to do. Provide them with physical activities like walks, catch, and play time with other dogs. If you’re always out, put them in the care of someone else while you’re out—like a relative or a friend or a dog walker or a doggie daycare. Especially when you’re alone in the house, when you’re out, like humans, your dog feels lonely and bored and he will do anything to use all his energy.
You can also use other tricks like the “QUIET” command, which you will have to implement whenever he barks senselessly. You wouldn’t have much trouble teaching the “QUIET” command if you’ve already established yourself as the alpha of the pack. If the barking is much of a nuisance and is already getting in the way of your chances with the neighborhood hottie, then using an anti-bark collar might be acceptable, but only temporarily or only as a training supplement.
The sonar collar is most recommended as it is not just humane, but more efficient than the two as well. Never forget to tackle the problem with hands-on solutions and obedience training as well. Training your dog to respond to obedience signals is still the best and lasting way to eliminate dog barking behavior but still maintain his freedom to do what he naturally does.
Technorati Tags: No Tags
Related Tags: No Tags
Possible Related Posts
Stop Dog BarkingTips To Help you Stop Dog BarkingUnintentionally Supporting Barking
