Controlling your dog’s barking is a big issue. In the event that you’ve taken a walk around your neighborhood, I’m sure you’ve likely run into this very issue that your dog won’t stop barking whether it be at other dogs or strangers. Sometimes you may be extremely disappointed because you can’t make the barking stop. Barking can sometimes last a few seconds, but it can also go on for hours if it isn’t properly controlled. So let’s figure out how to control your dog’s barking.
The Root of Dog Barking
If you need to control your dog’s barking, you need to understand why they are barking. We’ve listed several possible sources of why dogs tend to bark at other animals or strangers.
1. Boredom – A lot of the time, your dog just likes to bark because they are bored. More mental and physical stimulation could help control your dog’s barking because their mind won’t be so bored all of the time. If your dog like to fetch, consider getting them a fetching machine. You can read an iFetch Too Review that we wrote.
2. Nervousness – Nerves will cause your dog to bark if they don’t feel comfortable. It’s more of a warning sign for other humans and dogs that your dog may be uncomfortable.
3. Cautioning – Dog’s have a 6th sense, and sometimes they bark because they are cautioning their owners. Whether this be stranger danger, or simply to warn their owner a dog will bark.
4. Attention: If you’re not giving your dog attention, it’s very possible that they will bark at you. Sometimes they just want to be pet, other times they may need to go to the bathroom, but dogs oftentimes bark for attention.
5. Surprised – If your dog is surprised by another dog, or hears a noise that they don’t like, they will often times bark. Sometimes they are scared or sometimes they are happy, but surprising a dog will cause them to bark.
6. Playing – Dog’s bark at each other when they are playing as a form of communication. This type of barking is somewhat common and is difficult to control.
Sometimes barking is normal and these issues ought not to be changed. Other times, if they are barking for an hour because they sense a car driving by, that is behavior that you will need to change.
Halting the Barking
In order to get rid of your dog’s barking, you need to take control every time your dog barks. As soon as they start barking, you need to be an alpha authoritative figure and tell your dog to stop. If they do not stop barking then you need to put them in time out in an isolated room with the door closed. Once your dog stops barking, you immediately reward them with a treat.
Truth be told, most dogs that are under-exercised and will simply bark to bark. If you have a which is known to bark like the Great Pyrenees get them the best dog food and take them for a long walk or hike. Exercising your dog drastically will reduce the amount of barking.
Barking Caused by Anxiety
Serious nervousness or anxiety may even need to be treated by medicine, but most of the time your can help to treat your dog’s anxiety by simply calming them down and showing them that everything is going to be alright. Often times, dogs need to see a source of noise, like a car, bike, or skateboard, so they can associate noises which will make them less anxious. If your dog is barking at a neighbor, perhaps they may just need to be pet by that particular neighbor. Dog’s are friendly creatures and most of the time you can control their barking with a little bit of training and by giving them treats.
Conclusion for How to Control Your Dog’s Barking
We hope that you enjoyed our article and some tips on how to control your dog’s barking. A dog’s barking can usually be controlled by proactive training over a long period of time. Don’t expect immediate results, but you need to continue to work with them for several months. However, the good news is that most of the time barking can be controlled by proper socialization and a lot of dog treats. For more tips about dogs, visit Care Of My Dog.