What Makes A Dog Bark Non-Stop?
Dog barking is a difficult issue issue and regularly a massive source of stress between neighbors. For anyone, a dog barking is an unpleasant noise to listen to for even the shortest length of time and you can understand that when the dog next door barks off and on for hours like a defective vehicle alarm, it will try anyone’s patience. What we often overlook is that the dog will be barking for an perfectly good reason (as far as they are concerned) and that it is probably just as unsettling for the dog who is experiencing the fear or anxiety.
Finding out what causes your dogs barking may be the hardest part of the problem as dogs can bark at the smallest of things. External noise, for example somebody walking past the house will start some dogs barking , however, even within the house, some dog owners discover they can’t leave their dog in a room alone without them becoming hysterical and barking the place down, and the door bell or phone is often the cue for an outburst of barking.
Anxiety often lies behind a dogs excessive barking, although on the face of it, it can look more like aggression. So to stop dog barking we need to start by dealing with any anxiety problems, which will automatically reduce our dogs need to bark.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Separation anxiety affects more than fifteen percent of dogs (and some reports indicates as much as 50%). The anxiety results in several behavioural symptoms from a dog pacing the floor, to chewing everything in sight as well as other damaging behavior. Dog separation anxiety is nearly always the cause of a dog barking so much when left home on their own.
Reducing anxiety in dogs could be a lengthy process, depending on how acute the symptoms are and will need both time and patience on your part. After you have worked out the events that set off the anxiety you’ll be able to use desensitization training to help your dog.
Leading the Pack
Closely interlinked to separation anxiety is pack leadership. As a pack animal, dogs instinctively know there must be a pack leader, one who is accountable for the safeness of the remainder of its clan. If one of its charges goes missing, barking is one way of helping them to find their way back. Clever stuff, but then if we stop and realise that the dog could believe itself to be the responsible member of the pack, what does it feel when everyone goes out, locks the door and leaves them in the house alone?
Excessive barking in dogs is much like any worried parents reaction to a child that has gone missing. In our anxiety we would scream at the very top of our voice in they hope they can hear us and come running back, so too a dog will try to let the missing pack members understand how to find their way home. This is also why dogs will scratch wildly at the doors or windows, because they would like to get out and search for you.
How To Stop Dogs Barking
One of the best paths to stop dogs barking is to take away the responsibility for the pack from the dog by showing them you are the pack leaders and the ones to be trusted.
That does not mean using gadgets like the shock collar every time your dog is barking (why punish a dog for doing what it thinks is its job?) or removing its vocal chords (does it change the dog’s mind about its responsibility?) Neither does it mean you’ve got to control your dog by pinning it down or pushing it around. Leadership can be established by showing your dog you’re the decision maker, for instance by always making them sit and wait for their food and only start eating when you give the go ahead.
It could seem like an indirect way to stop dog barking, but by dealing with both dog separation anxiety and leadership problems you are more likely to bring calm to the home and the neighbourhood too.
Author Venice Marriott is a writer, rescue dog owner and runs a Dog Anxiety website, which provides help and information for dog owners dealing with dog anxiety. Get more information about how to stop dogs barking, when you visit the site.
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