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Barking: When Is It Bad?
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December 2nd, 2010Pets AdviceWe all love our pet dogs to bits. But when they bark incessantly, it gets really irritating to the point that we want to throw them out of the window. I know I’m overstating it but you get what I imply. We cannot stop our dogs from barking, it’s in their nature. It’s the means of expressing themselves and the manner they talk to us. It is also the means puppies hint to their mother that they are starving, in pain, scared or are lost. As watchdogs, owners want their dogs to bark whenever someone is approaching. So you can notice, barking is our dog’s part of life. But how will you know if your dog has extreme barking problems or he’s just fulfilling his duty?
Good Barking
Not all barks are terrible or unnecessary. There are barks that are definitely needed by the owner or even the dog himself. The bark that notifies the owner of new people and animals near their property are what we consider the good bark. The thing that differentiates “good bark” to the excessive bark is when the dog stops barking when a family member gets there.
Your dog must know two instructions to learn this: COME and SIT. Let the dog yowl for two to three times after that, call him, have him sit and offer him a treat. This will assist to divert his attention and he will stop barking. If he continues barking, walk up to him, show him the treat but never give it to him until he keeps quiet.
Other techniques like spraying your dog’s face with water or jingling a can near your dog when he barks are only employed when he keeps on barking and won’t stop eventhough you’ve tried everything.
Excessive barking
Excessive barking is, well, the contradictory of good barking. Your dog barks at anybody or even for no cause at all, every time, all the time. This is when barking becomes a trouble. This may be due to some of the following reasons:
1. Boredom- He has nothing else to do so he spends his excess energy on barking.
2. Fear- Fear of anything or anyone enables him to bark. This is for the reason that they have a protective instinct.
3. Excitement- When he sees something he actually likes, he woofs at it.
4. Separation Anxiety- When you always leave him alone all day long, he becomes stressed and will continuously bark when he sees you leaving.
5. Attention-seeking- When he feels you don’t spend sufficient time for him. He barks to catch your attention.
6. Hunger, pain or thirst- When he is in pain, starving or is thirsty, he barks.
This might produce great stress to you, your neighbours and your dog. You must address this problem as soon as it manifests. The earlier you detect this problem, the better. The first step that you should o is to identify what triggers him to bark then work your solution from there. There are many barking solutions that are available like citronella collar and the bark collar. However, using these stuffs maybe inhumane. So ask your vet first on what would be the best thing that you should do that wouldn’t hurt your dog.
Tags: dog barking solutions, Excessive Dog Barking, how to stop dog barking, prevent dog barking






