Barking is a natural and instinctual thing for your dog to do. In fact, law enforcement agrees that a barking dog is one of the best deterrents for keeping burglars away from your home. It’s just when the barking gets out of control that it becomes a big problem for everyone concerned.
Many dog owners are at a total loss about what to do when their dog is barking excessively and nothing seems to stop it. Some owners totally ignore the barking - hoping that it will stop on its own. That response doesn’t help matters and is actually quite irresponsible. And unfortunately, not addressing the problem only makes things worse.
Because dogs bark for a variety of reasons, finding out the trigger that starts the excessive barking in the first place is the key to solving the problem once and for all. Triggers can include strangers coming to your door, noises outside, boredom, fear or loneliness.
The first step to stopping out of control barking is to find out what your dog’s specific trigger is. You may think you know but until you find out for certain, you can never be sure. You can find out through the process of elimination, or if you have a video camera, set it up to see what is causing the behavior. You may find that for some dogs, it could be several things that start the barking. Once you have determined the reason or reasons, you must find a practical way to eliminate the cause.
Even though there are many mechanical means of training your dog to stop barking today, the more natural methods remain time-tested and are less stressful to your dog. The answer can be as easy as blocking out the noises or giving your dog something to do while you’re away to combat the boredom.
Many people leave their dogs home alone with nothing to occupy its time. Believe it or not, barking is something for a dog to do! Toys, play dates with other dogs, making sure your dog gets enough exercise are all effective ways to overcome boredom and stop excessive barking. Find a way to incorporate these into your dogs daily activities and you’ll be surprised at the positive effect it will have on reducing your pooch’s disruptive barking. To learn how to get your dog to stop barking, click here.
