petspedia

Barking

Why do dogs bark? Some of the more common reasons that dogs bark are: 1) to warn us of a stranger approaching or someone at the door, 2) to ward off trespassers on our property whether person or animal, and 3) for attention or protest.

Barking at the door.

If your dog is barking because someone is at the door, be glad. You have a good watchdog, which is probably what you want. What you don't want is for the barking to go on and on and get out of control. The first rule is DON'T YELL at the dog. If you yell, you are joining in with the barking as far as your dog is concerned and his barking will get worse. You don't want to discourage him from barking but you also don't want to encourage him to bark more. Have a short leash draped around the doorknob and when your dog alerts you to a stranger at the door, quietly go up to him and say good dog while you put the leash on him and lead him away from the door where you can put him on a "Down Stay" so you can answer the door. If he gets up and begins barking again, repeat the process. It might be a good idea to enlist the help of a friend to come to the door and ring the bell, so you can do some training.

Barking at everything he sees.

If your dog barks at everything that goes by the house he is again protecting his property. Think about it. Something comes by the house, either people or animal, the dog barks, the person or animal goes away. The person (like the postman) or the animal was probably going to continue on anyway but your dog is convinced that he chased the intruder away. Big ego boost for the dog and a great reason to continue barking at everything that goes by. In a case like this its a good idea to keep the dog away from the windows he usually barks from. What he doesn't see won't bother him. If your dog barks while he is alone outside you need to limit the amount of time he spends outside alone. Unsupervised confinement can cause your dog to become bored and he will look for ways to entertain himself. Barking at things going by is a great way to entertain oneself.

Barking in the car.

This can be quite aggravating when you are trying to keep your eyes on the road. First, use some kind of restraint device to keep the dog from running back and forth between windows. Always have your dog pause and wait for an enter command before getting in the car. Remember, its your car not his. Stay cool and DON'T YELL and join the barking. He's probably barking for the same reasons cited above and the rewards are the same because when he barks at something it goes away. If he barks at attendants at gas stations, banks or toll booths you should hand the person a treat and ask him to toss it in the window for the dog. This might change your dogs attitude toward the situation.

Barking for attention.

You need to ignore the barks if you can and only respond to your dog when he's being quiet. If he barks when you leave or come home make those times calm and very matter-of-fact. Don't make a big deal out of your comings and goings. If your dog just wants attention all the time and seems to be glued to you, give him one of those biscuit balls or a hollow bone with some peanut butter in it to occupy his time. He needs to learn that he doesn't have to be with you every minute of the day.