Barking is a totally natural bahaviour for all dogs and often only considered a behavioural problem when it affects the people around us.About a third of all noise complaints in the UK are due to excessive barking. As a result, this is a problem that many local councils take very seriously.
Dogs bark for many reasons…
To warn off intruders
When left alone
Through frustration and or Anxiety
Through fear
In some cases because of medical problems such as senility.
Its worth considering that many of our modern breeds have been designed for their vocal attributes where barking is considered beneficial.The German Shepherd is an excellent example of this.
As with any training it’s easier to prevent barking in the beginning than to treat it later on so here are some tips:
Socialise and habituate your puppy to as many of the kinds of stimuli he is likely to meet as an older dog.This will encourage you puppy to be confident, which in turn will give him a better ‘bounce back’ from novel stimuli and will help reduce the intensity with which he ‘Alarm’ barks.
Introduce a crate to help encourage your puppy to feel secure when you leave him alone.Use a thick blanket to cover the crate, to create a synthetic den where he can wait until your return.
Training is essential in controlling barking to an acceptable level.Barking should never be banned just controlled.Once your dog has alerted you to someone at the door, use training to quieten him.Ask him for another behaviour such as ‘quiet’ and with good training he will learn to be responsive.For further details on ‘quiet’ training, contact us direct.
If you suspect your dog is barking to get your attention, make sure he doesn’t get it!If you react to him, even in a punishing manner, you will be reinforcing his behaviour and confirming that barking works.
Physical and verbal punishment in most cases will only make barking worse.It will either be so severe that it will increase anxiety and stress or it will reinforce the behaviour by giving attention.
Some barking problems will require a behavioural modification programme and in most cases the chances of successfully treating excessive barking is good, although there are a number of factors which will determine the efficacy of a treatment plan.
If you are experiencing a problem with a barking dog, feel free to contact to arrange to arrange for a visit, where the problem can be assessed and a treatment plan put in place.
Are anti - barking spray collars any good?
Anti-barking spray collars can be very effective if used in the right way.It is however important to understand first the reasons for your dogs barking.Spray collars used on an anxious or nervous dog will only increase the anxiety and cause much more stress.These collars should not be considered a quick fix and are only designed to complement a treatment plan.Some dogs will learn to distinguish when they are not wearing the collar and will resume barking when it’s not on.
The collar works by emitting a spray of compressed air under the dogs chin, causing the behaviour to be interrupted due to the unpleasant sensation.In time the dog learns not to bark or the collar will activate.Remaining quiet, becomes a form of avoidance learning.
These collars should be used wisely and their effects not abused.