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Barking, Barking!
Silence Please!
I am generally a very easy going person and I must say a very tolerant one. But there are somethings that really annoy me, a continuously barking dog and a continuously talking human!
I have a son that starts talking the minute we are in the car together. He continues until we get out; if its a very long trip I have to tell him to "Shut Up" already!
He is a teenager, and I don't want the communication channel to end, so I need to be very careful in how I handle it.
Chihuahua's are notorious yappers and they have this high pitched toy dog bark that goes right through me. I yell at them to "Shut Up", and it works for awhile.
Now, one little yapper may be tolerable, but get 4 of them going and going and going (get my point), is asking a lot of my patience!
The cause needs to be determined before taking steps to eliminate it.
Chihuahua's are hyper vigilant, their alerting bark can go into overdrive easily. I had to teach them the "enough command" and I had to start with the alpha alerter first, and work my way down the pack order.
With most dogs the most common reasons for prolonged periods of barking are boredom and loneliness.
Yes, they do it to communicate, and to alert if a stranger or scary object is nearby.
They do it during play. For attention, not from loneliness exactly, more like a "hey look at me!" type.
If it's another dog, it's a territorial thing and more than likely your dog will sound the alarm.
The Yard Dog
Dogs are pack animals, and need to be with their "pack" most, if not all, the time.
If your outside dog is making a big fuss, go out and play with him, give him lots attention, take him for a long walk, or just bring him inside with you. I think you'll find this works really well. He is "Woofing" because he wants YOU.
Loneliness and Boredom
These are the most common, and the easiest to cure, and quite possibly the most rewarding for you as well. It almost always happens when you leave the house.
So, are you aware that they may be annoying the neighbor?
Get ahead of the game. Don't wait for your neighbors to complain, go and ask them if they hear your dog while you are gone, or try to catch him, either on tape, or by going home earlier.
So How Do We Stop The Dog Barking?
Some things to try...
- Leave the radio or the television on, if they’re indoor dogs, or plug one in outdoors. It gives them a feeling of company.
- Give him something to keep him occupied while you’re gone. A time-consuming, entertaining toy works well.
- If possible get another dog for companionship. Two dogs will often keep each other company and entertained when alone. Don’t do this unless you are prepared to deal with having two dogs (or more)like me.
- Doggie Daycare close to where you work may be a better choice.
Many people encourage their dogs to alert them. If you want your dog to let you know when someone’s at the door, in the yard, or anything else unusual, but then you want him to stop.
Well, its time to start training and stop yelling, afterall this alerting is only natural. behavior.
Just as the human who likes to talk will do so if they have a captive audience.
I am still working on the constant talker, but as for the barking I learned a lot from Dr. Dennis Fetko's ebook:
“Dr. Dog”.
With Dr. Dog’s FAST, EASY, FUN Behavior Solutions, you can quickly and easily train your dog to...
- Bark only to warn you and stop when you say “Quiet!” (After a week your overjoyed neighbors might even bake you brownies)...
- He'll explain why they do it and how to train your dog to bark only when you or your property could be in danger.
he also offers free "DR. Dog" Ebooks and Audiobooks.
Return from Barking to Bad Dog Behavior
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