Dog obedience and training > Information > Dog behavior problems - barking

Dog behavior problems - barking

By Ty Brown

Some dogs are more vocal than others. Some vocal dogs are driving their owners crazy with their constant howling and barking.

The first thing to do is to determine why your dog is displaying this behavior. I have encountered many dogs with this naughty behavior but it was caused by environmental factors. I have known dogs to have excessive barking problems because neighborhood kids on the other side of the fence taunt them or other such environmental distractions. I believe that sometimes it is more feasible to work on the environment than it is to expect your poor dog to stay quiet in the face of taunting children. Alway remember, when dealing with dog behavior problems, be fair to your dog.

Other dogs are more vocal by virtue of their genetics. For example, hound breeds are known for their barking and howling because that is what they have been bred for. They made their living alerting their owners of the presence of their prey by being vocal. With dog breeds such as this it is more difficult to train them to be quiet, but it can be done.

The first step is to make sure that your dog has enough stimuli in his life to keep him occupied, entertained, and challenged. He should be exercised daily, should have plenty of toys, and should be obedience trained. His obedience training should be maintained on a daily basis. The very act of keeping your dog stimulated can greatly reduce his desire and need to bark.

The second step is to teach a ‘turn off’ command. This is a command to let your dog know that he should stop barking. This allows him to get some barking out of his system but lets you be in control of when that barking stops.

There are several ways to teach your dog to turn off his barking. First, decide which command you want to use. Some examples are: quiet, enough, or hush. Next, attach meaning to that word. Too often as humans we give our dogs commands but have never taken the time to attach a meaning to that command. You attach a meaning through proper dog behavior training.

To give a meaning to your command choose from one of the following methods.
1. Keep a leash on your dog attached to a dog training collar. When your dog goes to bark, give him the ‘quiet’ command and give a quick jerk on the leash. If he barks again, repeat the process. It will take him a while to understand what ‘quiet’ means but he will soon learn that when he hears the command ‘quiet’ it is uncomfortable to keep barking.
2. Keep a spray bottle full of water handy. When your dog begins to bark tell him ‘quiet’ and spray him. Repeat as necessary.

This method will work with consistency and patience. Do it correctly and you will be rid of this dog behavior problem.

Another option that I will often recommend is the use of a dog training bark collar. This is a great tool. The drawback is that it does not allow any barking. The dog is corrected every time he barks so he soon doesn’t bark at all. I personally like to allow my dogs to do some barking and then tell them to ‘quiet’. This gives them an outlet while allowing me to maintain control. If, however, you don’t want any barking, you can get a good dog training bark collar and that will get rid of unwanted dog behavior problems.

Consistency is the key. Patience is crucial