Incessant Dog Barking: MAKE IT STOP!!!
Dr. Julaine Hunter
Do you or your neighbor have a dog who incessantly barks for no reason or for no reason you can perceive? Nuisance barking is a big problem in some pets. In some parts of the country hefty fines and even incarceration of the perpetrator is performed. My main rule of training is as follows: Behaviors that are rewarded INCREASE so reward your dog with attention, affection or treats only when she is calm and IGNORE bad behaviors and REDIRECT them and praise for the positive behaviors she displays. Because you will not be able to always give the cue to be quiet, you will have to DESENSITIZE her to activities going on outside the fence in addition to teaching how to bark and how to be quiet. Teaching a dog to be quiet is easiest to achieve after having taught her how to bark. You’ll notice in the video that Elaine is receiving a lot of treats but is lean and trim. Use your dog’s breakfast and dinner as training treats. Every morning work with her for no more than 5 minutes on cueing to bark and to be quiet. This way she will be hungry and receptive to working for food, you won’t risk overfeeding AND you will keep training sessions short. Remember, learning is traumatic, and these are new skills to her. Neither you nor she should become frustrated. Short, effective training sessions will prevent this from occurring. Also, always end on a positive note. If a training session is not going well, key other behaviors she is solid on such as a “sit” or a “stay” or a “come,” and reward these behaviors before ending the session. We all have bad days sometimes.
Good links to review having varying training perspectives are as follows:
As mentioned above, dog barking falls under nuisance laws so when first embarking on training program it is a good idea to go and meet your neighbors. Involving them in the training process by enlisting their assistance is a great way to demonstrate that you recognize a problem exists AND that you are resolved to fixing it. Most folks who participate in and have a stake in training often are more forgiving of problems and more committed to helping you and your dog succeed. This goes for people walking past your home as “fence fighting” dogs are often the most notorious barkers. If your dog is always chill unless someone is walking by “their territory,” desensitizing them to this activity in addition to training for “QUIET!” is key to long term success. Dog loving pedestrians, as with your neighbors, can be recruited to assist. One word of caution: walkers with dogs should only be enlisted if their dogs are easy going and non-reactive types because engaging amped up dogs can make training sessions too intense and unproductive if not detrimental.
At LazyPaw Animal Hospitals, we are committed to the success of our patients in all facets of their lives. We are just a phone call away if you need further tips or ideas. The key to success is first determining why your dog is barking so that you can address this problem directly through training, redirecting, desensitizing and eventually eliminating the problem. You and you’re your dog will be better for it in the long run. We know you can do it! You only want the best for your pet; so do we.
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