How To Correct Dog Barking Problems
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Amongst the many different problem behaviors that a dog has and is most annoying is the dog barking problem. There can be a lot of grounds as to why a dog might start barking and it is very important that the reasons are analyzed so the dog barking problem can be ceased.
The barking is always triggered by something in the environment. The dog might be trying to assert dominance over another dog or animal that it is around. It may be trying to stake out its territory or it may be just barking for the fun of it. There are some dogs that have a barking problem because they are not socialized to other dogs and others that are barking to get what they want from their owner.
Taking Care Of The Issue
There are many owners that escalate the barking problem by rewarding it in some way, even if it is through negative attention. The dog needs to be clear that barking is not acceptable behavior and will never be rewarded by the owner. When the owner yells at the dog for the problem barking, he is only negatively reinforcing the behavior by giving it attention.
If the dog is barking outside and the owner lets it in, this is also reinforcing the negative behavior and it will continue and escalate. If the dog is comforted when it barks or given a treat to ‘calm it down,’ this is also reinforcing the dog barking problem and it will continue.
There are several methods to training a dog to correct problem barking behavior. One of these is to not react when there is a barking issue, such as the dog barking at the phone ringing or the doorbell. If the phone rings or the doorbell, the owner should sit there and not react to it, thus showing the dog that there is not anything to be stressed out about or alert to when those sounds occur.
It would be useful for the training if the dog is made familiar of the doorbell and the phone rings so that he will be able to see that a reaction is not needed when those sounds are played.
There are ways to prevent the dog barking problem if it still occurs when the owner is not home. One of these ways is to give the dog a lot of things to play with while he is alone so he does not get bored and another way would be giving him a lot of exercise.
If the dog has been continuously barking when its owner is away, no greetings should be given to him by the owner upon coming home. He is only to be greeted when he has already calmed down. Praises should be given to the dog when he is not barking and that there should be a negative association created when he is such as a bark collar or a loud noise.
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