Ann Arbor Dog Blog

There are some occasions where it is expected or possibly even helpful for your dog to bark, such as an uninvited intruder in your home. However, most of the time we don’t want our canine companions to bark at every visitor. Especially troublesome for owners who live in an apartment or condominium building and have been the unfortunate recipient of neighbor complaints. There is hope with training techniques and products to help stop your dog from barking.

First off it’s important to realize that many dog’s barking stems from his boredom. Proper exercise can cut down on barking. If a dog isn’t getting any attention, barking sometimes seems to be his way of getting your attention – even if it’s negative attention. Ensuring that your dog has been properly exercised is a good first step toward stopping their unfortunate barking problems.

The last thing you want to do when teaching a dog not to bark is give him positive reinforcement.  When chastising a dog, address it in a clear, authoritative voice, and after you’ve made it clear they’re doing something wrong, don’t go on to give him or her positive attention. Spraying a dog with water instead of verbally chastising it might work better in some situations, though many dogs don’t mind being wet. If you find you can’t solve the problem on your own, you might want to find a professional behavior trainer.

For some more challenging situations, an owner may need to look towards anti-barking products. These products include: electronic collars, citronella collars, sound-emitting collars, remote sound-emitters, muzzles, debarking surgery, and medication. These items, except for surgery, can be used temporarily while training is still in the process. Some trainers or kennels offer overnight training and will incorporate the owner into the training, so he can uphold the trainer’s ground work.

Taylor writes on a variety of other subjects, including how to select an xlarge dog bed.

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