9 effective ways to stop a dog barking and avoid problems with a neighbor
9 effective ways to stop a dog barking and avoid problems with a neighbor.
By Dennis Fisher.
A dog that keeps on continually barking – especially at night – is a tremendous nuisance and a source of problems with your neighbor. Your neighbor could even be a dog lover but a dog bark that goes on and on can upset even the mildest mannered person.
At one time I was training director of an all breeds training school. A new member of my Club, who had just joined the class, explained that the reason why she had joined the obedience training school was because she had been obliged to get rid of her previous dog – that she loved dearly – because of the complaints of her neighbor, who had objected to the dogs incessant barking at night.
I told her that it was a great pity she had not started the obedience training before and come to training with the previous dog, because unnecessary barking can be avoided with the correct training.
The same principle applies to dog training problems as with any problems,
One has to look at the situation logically. First of all determine why has the problems arisen in the first place? Secondly what effective measure can be taken to solve the problem.
Why do dogs bark? Dogs have an inherent guarding instinct and the reason why they bark is because they are warning you of intruders. Obviously you will have no objection to the dog barking for this reason, so it is important to identify the nature of the bark.
With the little bit of training and observing your dog closely you can tell from the sound of the bark, whether it is an unnecessary bark or whether there is a good reason for the barking.
In the case of incessant barking we are obviously not talking about this type of barking. Why do some dogs bark incessantly without any apparent reason? A very common reason is because they are bored and lonely. The dog is a pack animal and craves company. If you only have one dog, it is highly likely that this could be the reason.
How do you cope with this situation?
Here are nine ways that have worked for many dog owners who have to deal with angry neighbors who complained about their dog barking.
(1) Get another dog as a companion for your dog. If your dog is a large dog, you can get a small dog, preferably a small spayed bitch. They will soon become excellent companions.
(2) Another solutions is to get a toy for the dog. Dogs love their own special toys. Choose something very durably like a kong that cannot be damaged. During the day make a point of playing with the dog to get rid of excess energy.
(3)Also make sure that your dog has it’s own special space to sleep where it can be comfortable and feel secure. Stress is far more common with dogs than people realize. A dog needs to have it’s own area of security as much as humans.
(4) Obedience Training is absolutely essential with all dogs. A training school is an ideal place to train your dog because of the opportunities for socialization. The socialization should begin early. Not only with this prevent aggression with other dogs as the dog grows older, it will also result in a more balanced temperament.
(5)If it’s not convenient to join a training class, this should still not prevent you from socializing your dog by taking it for a walk in public place.
(6) If you hear your dog barking incessantly at night, first of all establish from the sound of the bark whether the animal is warning you of danger or whether it is just barking with no apparent reason.
(7)If the dog has had some obedience training, you can go and correct the dog with a firm “No!” in the same way as you did in obedience classes when you had to correct the dog unsatisfactory behavior.
(8) If you have never had any obedience classes this make the situation a little difficult. Don’t shout your correction from inside the house, because this has the effect of giving the dog the attention it wants. Establish your own training schedule. Use a command that the dog understands when it does something that is not acceptable to you.
(9)Although you may be tempted to bring the dog inside, especially if the barking continues at night, DO NOT DO THIS. Try and resist the temptation. The dog will obviously bark to attract this type of action from you.
You are invited to visit the following site for a great deal of useful information about dog training: http://www.freedogadvice.com
Dennis Fisher has owned, bred and trained dogs for more than 40 years. Although he has concentrated on breeding top quality German Shepherd Dogs ? a breed he judged in many parts of the world ? as Chairman and director of training of an all- breeds training school, his training experience covers a wide variety of different breeds. He is still actively involved in showing German Shepherds and entering obedience trials. A great deal of useful information about dog training can be found on his site
http://www.freedogadvice.com
Feeding Your Golden Retriever – How To Avoid Giving Him Human Food!
All of us who have pets, find them sitting next to its favorite member of the household, who is at the dining table eating human food. The Golden Retriever looks longing at you, and often utters a small woof, especially when it smells a delicious piece that you are picking up and putting in your mouth.
What should you do? Is it advisable to feed the Golden Retriever, your pet, what you are eating? You have bought the recommended dog foods, but it has become a human almost, living day and day out with you. And it acquires the same tastes as you do. So there’s a dilemma here.
The best would be to consult with the Vet what kinds of human foods you can feed safely to your Golden Retriever. A bite does not matter, but going the whole hog? That’s a very different cup of tea, and care has to be taken.
So without substituting the Vet’s advice for your particular Golden Retriever – every dog has its own allergies and digestive system, and the metabolism may vary, we give some tips on what can be given generally.
Chickens, raw vegetables, turkey, brown rice, furits, oatmeal, are as good for them as they are for you. All animals have taste buds just like you and me. Some may prefer the oatmeal or chicken, ignoring the brown rice or the raw vegies, some the other way around. You can’t tell, just as you can’t tell for your children. If you are a child, you too ignore what your taste bud doesn’t like or you are not in the mood! And the dogs love to eat with the family; if you see a litter, and you have, they all eat together, just like us!
Well, if you open the frig, and your golden retriever runs up and sits there with his tongue hanging out, you can take it as a compliment! its not that it is asking you for a piece or a slice, it’s just that what you have cooked smells great to him! And he would love it if you gave him a piece.. how many of your family members do that?
There are some don’t does. And do follow them, and be firm about it.
1. Egg whites
Feeding large amounts of egg whites is spoiling the golden. Too much of it creates an excess of avidin, which results in Vitamin B deficiency. But if you give him egg yolks, it’s okay; egg yolks contain higher Vitamin B levels which will neutralise the avidin. The best is to give him the whole egg – raw – including the shell. That gives them lots of proteins. To vary it, you can choose to mix up the three, egg whites, whole egg, and the egg yolk. That means you have a choice of 9 varities you can use. (3 to the power of 3)!
2. Chocolates
Chocolates are a big NO. it contains Bromine, very toxic to dogs and cats. Unsweet chocolate is even worse: the Bromine content is much larger, and even more toxic. And is fatal if not checked right from the beginning.
As we said earlier, generally most human foods are acceptable for your pet, except chocolates. However, it is always best to consult your Vet who can guide you properly, which human foods can be used, or not used, what should be the ratio, and so on.
It’s just like your asking your physician for a healthy diet for yourself. The same applies to your pet. After all, it’s your best friend. Would you not take that precaution for your human best friend?
So take care. And, yes, by the way, this article is an illustrative one, and is not meant to be a substitute for professional advice. Never act on it without consulting your Vet first.
Yes, we do so emphatically, NO CHOCOLATES for your pets, come hell or high water!
Abhishek is an avid dog lover and he has got some great Dog Health Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 80 Pages Ebook, “How To Take Care Of Your Dog’s Health” from his website http://www.Dog-Tale.com/192/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.