How To Deal With Your Dog Barking Problems
Dogs bark for a variety of reasons, most of which have been genetically programmed and serve a particular purpose. A dog might bark, for example, as a warning when it feels threatened in order to drive away other dogs or animals. Scientific studies have also shown that dogs bark as a form of communication and that barking is their way of talking to each other across various distances. Originally, humans domesticated dogs because their barking was useful, providing an early-warning system when intruders threatened their homes. In this day and age, however, the use of dogs as early-warning systems is much less prevalent and dogs are much more household pets. Dog barking can become a problem, particularly in crowded neighborhoods where neighbors might not be so understanding about being woken up in the middle of night by dog barking noises.
The first thing you should do if you are experiencing dog barking problems is attempt to identify the problem. As previously mentioned, dogs bark for any number of reasons, and often dog barking problems involve the dog experiencing some form of anxiety, causing it to bark. A dog that has been put in a cage or kennel for the first time, for example, will often bark incessantly for some time before it becomes used to its new environment. In a rare few cases, the dog is simply unable to get used to a particular new situation and will not stop barking until it is put back in comfortable and familiar surroundings.
One of the simplest ways of getting around dog barking problems is to expose the dog to whatever stimulus is causing it to bark while constantly petting and reassuring it, so that the dog will quickly become accustomed to the stimulus and stop barking even when you are not around to keep it calm. This does not always work, however, particularly with owners who have just brought home a new dog.
If you have exhausted your options, you can also consider using an anti-bark collar to train your dog to stop barking. This is particularly useful for dog owners who live in apartments and have reached their wits’ end with their dog barking problem. The sheer level of stress that being cooped up with a constantly barking dog can bring should not be underestimated.
An anti-bark collar works on a relatively simple principle. A collar with a detector is placed around the dog’s neck, and is powered by batteries. The detector is designed to sense the vibrations generated whenever your dog barks, and when it detects barking, the collar will apply a small electrostatic shock to your dog. This is not a large electric shock, but more akin to the shock of static electricity that sometimes happens when you touch a doorknob in winter with your bare hand. Over time, the dog eventually learns that whenever it barks it will receive an uncomfortable shock and this will dramatically reduce its barking frequency, thus solving your dog barking problem.
For the best solutions to dog barking problems, look no further than Dogmaster Trainers, who carry a wide variety of training tools to teach dogs to stop barking.
Processing your request, Please wait....
