The Sound of Silence: How to Deal With Barking
Barking. I lived with Shelties. I know barking. Some dogs bark because they are
frightened. Some are protective. Some bark because they are alerting you. Many
bark ... because they can. :)
What you do about the barking can make it worse or make it better. For example,
your dog barks at another dog and you yank his neck and yell at him. You may
have stopped the barking temporarily, but now you've created a bigger problem.
Your dog now thinks other dogs are bad, because they get him in trouble! So he
may bark more, or growl.
Yelling at your dog when he barks just makes him think you're joining in! Many
people also use one word to mean a zillion different things to a dog. As a
result, many dogs think their name is "No!" Or, people will use the dog's name
... "Fido! Fido! Fido!" instead of telling them what they want. It's really no
wonder dogs get confused!
When teaching your dog not to bark, your first step is to pick a word you're
going to use, every time, all the time, for that purpose only. Mine is "Hush."
It can be "Quiet," "Shush" even "Banana," as long as you're consistent! Then you
can do several things.
You can put the bark on cue, "Speak!" and reward your dog every time he barks.
This sounds opposite of what you should do, but here's the kicker ... you show
the dog the cookie and if he barks and you didn't cue him, no cookie! "Too bad!"
Fido will learn that the cookies only come if he barks when you ask.
You can manage the situation. Is Fido looking out the window, barking at the
kids down the street? Shut the blinds.
You can provide a stimulating environment for a bored dog. Some believe barking
triggers a pleasure sensor in a dog's brain ... it's self-rewarding. But there
are many other rewards you can fill Fido's life with so he doesn't need to bark
to get his kicks! Is Fido getting enough exercise? Play fetch, hide and seek, do
agility ... a good dog is a tired dog.
You can make sure you are not rewarding the barking. For example, your dog barks
like a maniac when you're getting his dinner bowl ready. It drives you nuts but
you give him his food to shut him up. Guess what? You've just rewarded the
barking. Instead, every time he barks, freeze. Do not continue fixing his dinner
until he is silent. Every time he starts up again, freeze. The first time you do
this will seem like it takes FOREVER! But you're changing the rules, and habits
are hard to break. The next time will be faster, and faster, and faster, if
you're consistent and patient. Just wait it out. This is the exact method I used
to stop my Shelties from barking when they were let outside ... I just stopped
and wouldn't go one step toward the door until they were quiet. Dogs are smart
... they'll figure it out!
You can help your dog gain confidence. Is he barking because he's afraid? Get
with a professional, positive trainer and start a desensitization program.
And one more thing, but not recommended ... you can just give up and get
earplugs. <big grin>
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