Would you like to stop your dog from barking for no reason in your apartment, at passersby during a walk, or at other dogs? Well, this is the right decision because this unwanted dog behavior can result in a big problem.
At its core, barking is simply a furry prankster’s way of communicating. This is how the dog “talks”, shares its experiences, emotions and anxieties. And there is nothing wrong with barking as long as it does not cause irritation to both the pet owner and the neighbors. Often on the street a dog begins to bark at passers-by, frightening them and causing outrage. This is very unpleasant and sometimes dangerous, because the reaction of a stranger can be unpredictable.
To ensure that barking is not unreasonable and does not cause anyone’s indignation and anger, today I want to give you some tips on how to correct this dog’s reaction.
First of all, you must identify the reason why your pet begins to show anxiety or joy, and tries to attract attention by barking. Perhaps the dog is bothered by something or is injured. In this case, you need to urgently take the necessary measures.
Well, if this is barking for no reason, then it is worth moving on to educational measures aimed at stopping barking for no reason.
Reasons for dog “concerts”
A pet's warning "tirade" when meeting another dog, barking at a stranger knocking on your gate - this is an integral part of the behavior of a four-legged pet. But if a dog barks at everyone, you should wonder what happened to it. Perhaps someone greatly frightened your pet, and she began to assert herself by barking? Or was the dog poisoned by spoiled food and is now not happy about anything?
Let's name the most common reasons for dog barking:
- Features of the breed. Some dogs (poodles, spitz) tend to bark often just like that - out of love for the process.
- The young puppy's longing for its owner. For a young dog that has not yet become a disciplined member of the “pack,” any separation from its owner is a drama that must be “barked out.” This problem is easy to fix. You should go for walks with your four-legged friend more often, and do not suddenly leave the apartment. And, of course, train a cute puppy.
- Disease. If a well-balanced dog suddenly begins to bark both within the walls of its home and on the street, you should take your pet to the veterinarian.
- The dog's fearful disposition. Fearful pets try to cheer themselves up by barking, and at the same time show other dogs that they are ready for a fight (which is not true).
- Joyful excitement. If the dog vocalizes before a walk, there is no need to worry.
- Manipulative behavior. A dog barks at its owner to achieve something (delicious food, an opportunity to play).
Using aids
If there is not enough time for training, or if the dog is highly excitable, you can resort to alternative means:
Sedatives - tablets, drops or treats with the addition of sedative herbs and mixtures - valerian, lemon balm or mint. Their use should be clearly limited by instructions and dosage.
Special collars are equipped with special sensors that respond to movements of the larynx and send irritating signals (electric discharge, mechanical vibration, ultrasonic signal). Such means are not always effective.
In some cases, dogs, frightened by the sudden impact, begin to bark even louder. In addition, the pet will not understand what he is doing wrong, which means he will not be able to correct his behavior.
How to teach a puppy not to bark out of boredom or loneliness
It is no secret that the easiest way to eliminate unwanted aspects of a dog’s behavior is when its temperament is just developing (in puppyhood).
Here's how to react to a dog's unreasonable vocalization:
- In a raised tone, command: “Ugh!”
- Lightly slap your dog on the rump when he barks. Note that the spanking should be done with the hand, and not with a leash or stick.
- After expressing your dissatisfaction with your pet’s behavior, retire to another room.
If you are used to yelling at a barking puppy, but do not give him clear commands, the animal will decide that you are playing with him. And he will bark whenever he wants to attract your attention. Don't get into a fight with your pet! Change your behavior.
As soon as your puppy decides to bark to get your attention, command “Quiet!” and immediately go into another room. As soon as silence reigns in the room where the pet is sitting, return. Pet the puppy and give him a treat. At first, the naughty dog will be confused, but will soon understand that the owner is thanking him for the silence.
How can you prevent causeless barking in advance?
Try to avoid situations that provoke your dog to bark. For example, many pets often react to the sound of an intercom. To avoid triggering a barking attack, turn it off or turn the volume down.
Dogs are social animals. They cannot be alone for long. But a person cannot always spend a lot of time with his pet for various reasons: work, business, and much more. Therefore, from a very early age, it is necessary to accustom the puppy to independence and loneliness, so that the owner’s departure for work does not cause stress and a feeling of fear, and as a result, loud barking.
It is necessary to ignore causeless barking from an early age. Gain strength and patience. If your pet barks, wait until he calms down on his own. After this, come up and reward the tailed one. This way he will remember that silence is valued, and they also give treats for it.
Ways to wean an adult dog from an annoying habit
Teaching an adult dog to bark exclusively “for business” can be difficult. But if you know the character and preferences of your dog, you will be able to develop the right tactics to deal with your reckless pet. After analyzing your past mistakes, you will understand how to stop your dog from barking.
Some four-legged beauties can bark at everyone out of fear. The essence of the problem is that the dog is afraid of people and other animals, so it barks at strangers. The following signs will tell you that your pet is scared:
- The dog's ears are pressed to the head.
- Tail tucked.
- When a stranger approaches, the pet tries to hide behind an obstacle (bush, fence) or runs closer to you.
You will teach your dog not to be afraid of strangers if you visit crowded places with him more often - squares, markets. Of course, there is no need to let your pet off the leash. After observing how the owner calmly greets “scary strangers” and walks in a crowd of people, the dog will not react so sharply to the stimulus.
Nervous disorder sometimes develops in bitches that have been separated from their offspring. Therefore, animal psychologists do not recommend that owners sell or give away suckling puppies.
If, due to circumstances, you were forced to sell small, unintelligent puppies to a customer, you should not despair. But remember that longing for puppies can cause the bitch to bark at her owner and at strangers. The four-legged pet seeks solitude and eats poorly. Usually this condition does not last long. To prevent your dog from getting “stuck” in depression, you should walk and play with it more often. Eventually, the animal will calm down and its attitude towards you will become the same as before.
Briefly about the main thing
- Dog barking is your pet’s natural reaction to the reality around him.
- The frequency and intensity of barking does not depend in any way on the size of the dog.
- The reasons for barking can be both physiological factors (fear, reaction to pain, excess energy) and psycho-emotional moments (an attempt to attract attention, the desire to protect territory, joy, etc.).
- Without correctly identifying the cause of barking, it is pointless to start training.
- Any training should be based on patience and care. The use of intimidation or brute force is strongly discouraged. The correct actions of the pet must be encouraged.
- The most effective way to combat barking is to switch the dog’s attention. To perform already known commands, a favorite toy, etc.
- The use of additional measures - medications, collars - is permissible only if all other methods have proven ineffective.
- Surgical intervention is an extreme and undesirable measure that poses a serious threat to the life and health of the pet.
Each dog is a four-legged individual with its own character, habits, level of adaptation, etc. The recommendations presented in the article are general in nature. Each individual case may have its own nuances. Send your questions and tips in the comments. Perhaps your life experience will help someone find the right solution to a problem.
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Train your dog to spot real danger
Sometimes a sensitive pet begins to bark at passers-by after a bad joke has been played on it. There are many cases where a drunk or rude person chased an animal or pretended to hit a dog. It is not surprising that a pet’s trust in people can be seriously shaken. If you suspect your dog is being scared, don't make the problem worse. Severe punishments are not what will help you cope with trouble.
What can be done to reduce anxiety in a dog? Distract your pet as soon as he starts barking. This trick helps a lot: the owner gives the dog its favorite toy or simply pulls the leash and commands: “Quiet.” When the animal becomes silent, you should give it a treat.
Do not forget that demanding absolute silence from a dog is strange and unreasonable. After all, a four-legged friend should warn you about the approach of a stranger and respond by barking to the doorbell. It `s naturally. If your dog only barks at strangers, you should encourage it.
At the same time, you can scold your pet for barking for no reason and slap him on the rump. It is advisable to reward the dog with a piece of treat both for appropriate “vocals” and for the fact that the dog becomes silent at your request. Your pet should be trained every day until the dog has learned all the necessary commands.
What not to do
Any educational process is a complex and labor-intensive task, requiring from the owner not only time and a large supply of treats, but also patience. The most common mistake when training is trying to influence a dog with brute force or fear. Such training will not lead to anything good, except that the pet will develop mental instability or, even worse, embitterment.
The other side of the extreme is also undesirable - excessive softness or encouragement of loud barking, justified by “well, he’s just playing!” will also not contribute to positive dynamics.
Another mistake is the lack of systematicity - not a single one, even the smartest pet, will learn the rules of behavior at once. Patience and regular training are the key to successful training.
Or maybe they brought the dog?
It happens that a calm, balanced dog begins to get angry at one of the family members and barks at him. And in the presence of other members of the “pack” the pet behaves friendly. Why is this happening?
Most often, the dog is frightened (not intentionally) by an eccentric child. A preschooler can irritate a four-legged pet with endless squeezing and attempts to take away dog toys. If you notice that your pet is offended by one of your loved ones, try to find out what this is connected with. It is possible that the dog is the injured party in a conflict unknown to you. This means that children need your stern reprimand.
Vocal cord cutting
Perhaps the most undesirable way to deal with barking. Such operations are most often the result of complaints from neighbors that have escalated into lawsuits. In addition to the obvious danger to the pet’s life, this procedure has many disadvantages:
- the need to use anesthesia, which can negatively affect the functioning of organs;
- difficult recovery period;
- risk of laryngeal edema;
- the likelihood of scarring making it difficult to breathe and eat.
A portion of sour water
Some dog breeds react nervously to children and do not like them. But that doesn't mean you have to put up with constant barking. When you see a dog barking at a neighbor’s kid, strictly say: “Ugh!” The pet must remember your dissatisfaction.
To calm a dog that has a high level of nervous excitability, experienced owners use the “cold spray tactic.” As soon as the animal bursts into barking for no reason, the owner commands: “Quiet!” If there is no silence in the room, the owner sprays water from a spray bottle into the dog's face. This is a fairly harmless way to silence your pet.
A person who is wondering how to stop a dog from barking can use a special collar. When a dog barks, the collar “responds” quite unexpectedly: it releases a portion of lemon water into the animal’s face.
Extreme and not recommended measures
In addition to the weaning methods listed above, there are other options. Most of them are inhumane and harmful to health, so they are used only in extreme cases.
Sedatives
The safest alternative is the use of sedatives made from herbal ingredients. They reduce excitability and cause drowsiness, but are not suitable for long-term use. Such medications do not solve the problem forever, but only help to cope with the situation at a certain point in time. For example, sedatives will be useful during a move, until the dog gets used to a new home, or during the New Year holidays, when fireworks are making noise everywhere.
Special collars
Another safe option is to use a collar with aroma oils. As soon as the animal begins to bark, the fragrant oil of lavender or citronella begins to evaporate. The dog hates the smells of these plants, therefore, having figured out the relationship, he stops raising his voice.
More severe options include an ultrasonic or electric collar. The first produces an unpleasant, frightening sound that is not perceptible to the human ear, and the second delivers a small electric shock.
The downside of such devices is not only the discomfort, but also the suddenness. Out of fear, the animal may whine, start howling, or even lose control of its bladder.
In addition, the animal does not always see the connection between the voice and the action of the collar. It begins to be afraid not only to bark, but to do anything at all. It is better to spend time training than to intimidate the animal.
Ligament cutting
The most cruel method, prohibited in a number of countries. Surgery on the vocal cords leads to complete loss of voice or a change in tone.
In addition to surgical risks (heart complications, severe bleeding, laryngeal edema, death), there is a high probability of developing mental disorders. Due to the impossibility of communication, fearfulness and aggression worsen. The recovery itself takes a long time and is accompanied by severe pain in the damaged throat.
The leader in the house is the owner!
Only animal psychologists can voice the entire list of reasons that make a dog bark at strangers and familiar people. For an experienced specialist, dog behavior is a book in which you can find answers to all questions. But you can figure out some features of a dog’s character yourself.
If a young dog barks not only at guests, but also at you, it is likely that the animal is trying to dominate in this way. You should “win back” leadership from the dog and show that you set the rules in the house. This can be achieved through daily training and reasonable severity.
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