Barking Dog Help

by Janice Kumar

If your dog keeps barking, you need to find the cause and the corrective measures will follow. All dogs bark, what is important is to find out why the dog is barking loudly.

A dog may bark at strangers as it is out of its comfort zone with them and is naturally protective of its turf and its owner.

It may bark because it is a alone and seeks company or if it is naturally aggressive.

A dog may also be barking because it is being abused, neglected or ignored. A dog is a pack animal and needs the love and attention of the family to be happy and contented.

If the dog insists on barking and annoying everyone around, there are a few techniques and options available.

The first is behavioral modification. This involves finding out the specific cause and then altering the response of the dog to that cause. For example, if the dog barks every time a heavy vehicle goes by..Next time try and divert its attention and give it a ball to grab.. Reward it with biscuits etc if it does not bark. Reinforce the positive. This needs to be done again and again before a satisfactory result can be had. It may take a few tries, but the results are long term.

A dog (shock) collar can be used to reinforce a No. But this is better used with lot of care as dogs can get used to pain quite quickly and then they will be difficult to control. If used incorrectly the electrodes can cause infection and further complication.

There are other kind of dog collars giving different kinds of negative reinforcements. However all of them have to be used for a short time only, targeted towards modifying a specific behavioral problem and have to be used consistently to break that association. They require sensitive handling and careful handling to avoid doing damage to the dog in more ways than one.

If the dog is barking out of loneliness because for example it is left alone for long periods of time, then you need to give it various old articles, like an old blanket of the owner or some other used article it can associate with its master. This will help give it some kind of an association with the absent owner and help it get over the loneliness. It should also, preferably not be chained.

If nothing works, the last option is Debarking. In this method, a part of the vocal cords of the dog are snipped by a vet and the dog bark becomes less loud. Some pet lovers feel this is an inhumane way to control a dog's loud bark as the dog may lose self respect or become cowed down. However in extreme cases, this may be a last resort. This will reduce the intensity of the noise level but will not help in modification of the dog behavior.

Unfortunately many pet owners do not make the effort to find out the cause of the dog barking and try to go for a quick fix. Incase, the dog owner finds himself to be at a loss, it may be better for him or her to seek the help of a professional dog trainer who will help in behavioral modification of the dog and will also provide appropriate guidance and counseling.

I hope you find these tips useful. Do experiment a bit to check what will work best for your pet. Best of luck.

Disclaimer: The article and tips are for guidance only. Use them at your own risk and discretion. We take no responsibility for any suggestion given above. We strongly urge you consult a qualified professional vet to find a lasting cure for any problem. Please consult a professional , before using any information on this site. No liability of any kind is accepted by us.