petspedia

Teaching the QUIET Command

You will need either a spray bottle filled with 50/50 vinegar and water OR a tin soda can with some rocks or pennies inside and the top taped closed. Squirt the dog or shake the can to cause the dog to be quiet for a moment. The instant he stops barking say "Quiet, Good Dog" and praise him for the few seconds of silence. Repeat as necessary, always saying "Quiet" the instant he stops barking followed by a quick "Good Dog, Good Quiet." With persistence he will soon get the idea.

If all else fails and you just can't get your dog to be quiet long enough to praise him for a quiet moment your last resort can be a Citronella or Lemon spray bark collar. They work pretty well and will not harm the dog in any way. The problem with using a training collar is that the dog is usually smart enough to know when he's not wearing the collar and will probably resort to his barking again. Once you begin using it you might have to use it all the time, or at least during the times the dog is prone to barking.

Digging

Digging is done for various reasons. Once you figure out why the dog digs and what reward he is getting out of his digging, you can begin to solve your problem. Some of the more common reasons dogs dig are:

1) to get to the cool ground to lie down in; 2) out of boredom; or 3) because it's just plain FUN. Some breeds of dogs are bred for digging and rooting in the ground, like the terrier group of dogs.

The first reason is easy. Be sure there is plenty of shade and water for your dog when he is outside. The dog wants to keep cool, so why not supplying him with his own baby pool. Buy him a hard plastic pool and put it in a nice shady place (not on dirt). The dog will probably love soaking in the pool on hot days. Just be sure to keep plenty of towels handy so you can dry him off before letting him in the house.

The second reason is little harder to deal with. You might need to increase the dog's exercise time so he is too tired to be bored or give him a good meaty bone to chew, or some fun toys to play with. Also, if you leave the dog outside by himself for extended periods of time, you might try letting him come inside with the family more often. Dogs are pack animals, and don't really enjoy being by them selves. If your dog is going to be strictly an outdoor dog you might want to build him a large kennel with a cement floor so he can't dig. Just be sure to give him shelter, some toys and maybe a pool to play in.

The third reason is really hard to control. If he really enjoys digging you will probably do well to go with the flow and give him his own garden to dig in. Seriously. Dig up a small plot of ground and mix some good sand in it to keep it soft. Go out and dig with him until he realizes that it's OK to dig there. This might work well for the dogs that are bred to root and dig for vermin. I know people who have successfully done this with their digging doggies.