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
Small dog syndrome – how to stop a small dog behaving badly
Small dogs or lap dogs or comforters as they were once called have a very extensive history, encompassing several thousand years. Small breeds were often kept by nobility and given as presents to royal figures. It was also thought that small breeds were good for ones health. The Pekingees, pug and King Charles Cavalier Spaniel are three examples.
Many dog owners have a preference for small dogs over larger breeds, and for many different reasons. However, by virtue of their diminutive size, these dogs are much more affordable to keep, need less exercise in relation to larger breeds in general, and are simple to transport for example.
Many owners of larger dogs, and often those thinking of caring for a new dogs avoid smaller breeds, because of the perceived differences in their behaviour, in relation to larger dogs. It is thought, and wrongly of course, that smaller dogs are by nature, yappy, aggressive, possessive, over protective and demanding,, and so on.
If this assumption is not true, then why do so many small dog owners experience problems with their dogs behaving aggressively towards other dogs and humans and displaying possessive and demanding behaviours etc?
To get an understanding of the problem, we need to begin at the beginning. All puppies are cute and adorable, even the largest breed was small and cuddly at one time. However, the small breeds tend to retain their puppy looks and size, long after the cute Rottweiler puppy has grown and gained 50 Kg in weight, for instance
Researchers have found that humans have developed a biological response to ‘cute’ things, especially baby animals. It is thought the need to nurture and protect, perceived defenceless creatures is automatic.
This is where problems often begin; the owner over protects the dog, may carry him round, let him sleep on the bed or jump on the furniture when he chooses, and picks him up in the presence strange dogs, and gives in to his demands for attention. This is often done through the misguided notion that the dog needs protecting, by virtue of his size and ‘baby like’ qualities.
So how is this all worked out in the dogs mind? Although our domestic dogs are very different in many ways to his ancestor, the wolf, he has inherited much of his ancestors instinctual behaviours. A part of this instinctual blue print,comes the desire to be part of a group or pack. Although most dogs are more than happy to be the follower in their human pack, if their is no obvious leader, or the dog is getting signals from his owner that he is the leader of the pack, then the dog will have no option but to fill the role, as this is how life is played out in the dogs world.
Over time, the dog may show behaviours that to the experienced eye would be considered dominant, however, to the dogs owner these behaviours are seen as either breed specific, for example, ‘that’s how Chihuahuas’s are’, or part and parcel of the dogs personality, eg ‘he’s always been this way’. This kind of behaviour would be a cause for concern if seen in a larger dog, but somehow overlooked, or not considered serious in many smaller breeds.
There are a number of behaviours that are common to small dogs acting dominantly, so much so, that this type of behaviour observed in smaller breeds, has inherited the label ‘small dog syndrome’ or ‘little dog syndrome’. Some of the common behaviours that characterise ‘small dog syndrome’ are listed below.
Your dog has developed the habit of sitting on you, or jumping on you, or next to you, when he pleases.
Your dog does not allow you near him when he is eating or has a toy he is playing with.
Your barks excessively to get your attention.
Your dog is over protective when other dogs or humans come near you.
Your dog growls when you attempt to move him from his favourite resting place.
Your dog is generally stubborn and refuses to follow commands given to him.
Your dog displays an exaggerated reaction to being left alone, characterised by constant barking, or destructive behaviour.
Much can be done to turn this problem around, however, owners must first consider the role they play in encouraging this type of behaviour in their dogs. Owners must come to realise that their small breed dogs are in fact animals and not little humans.
Secondly, owners must understand that it is natural for dogs to be a part of a ‘pack’ and more importantly, a pack in which they would much prefer to be a follower, than a leader. Understanding these two concepts alone, will help greatlyreduce the problem.
In terms of retraining, owners must communicate to their dogs that they are the leader, provider, and protector of the team. This can be done by controlling all of the dogs resources, for example, food, toys, treats, walks, and favourite places of rest, and allowing the dog access to them when the owner decides.
All demanding behaviour, for example barking for treats or to be picked up and so on, should be ignored, and all appropriate behaviour praised.
Aggressive and possessive behaviour towards other humans by the dog can be dealt with by having a place for the dog to go to when the owner is interacting with others. This may be to his crate, or a cushion in the corner of the room for example.
Owners should be aware that retraining takes time, especially in the case of dogs who have been allowed to display this kind of behaviour for a long time. With patience and repetition however, the dog will be content to become a follower, rather than the leader, of his human pack.
Ivan Ojounru has been training dogs in the UK since the late 1908′s. He now lives in France where he continues to train dogs and write about dog related behaviour care and trainig topics. He is passionate about giving dog owners the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable them to train their own dogs successfully. For further information visit http://www.dogtrainingcareadvice.blogspot.com