Why Dogs Bark
While many owners are pleased with the barking abilities of their dog, sometimes this instinctual protective mechanism is unwanted or gets out of hand. Besides protecting their territory, dogs also use barking as a form of expression, communication, and may even alert owners to emotional and medical concerns. Below you will find a couple of reasons why dogs bark and suggestions on how to control unnecessary barking.
Why Dogs Bark
Some dogs are wired to bark at anything that moves within the perimeter of their domain, while others start to bark simply because their keen sense of hearing has picked up on something occurring many blocks away. As a dog owner, it is important to establish healthy barking habits that make a pet bearable to live with, as well as avoids the complaining of neighbors who start to view your dog as a nuisance.
Different barking patterns of dogs include continuous, fast, slow, brief, and high-pitched selections. A continuous, fast bark at a medium pitch is often used as an alert. An attentive and curious dog may emit one bark at normal pitch. A brief bark at a medium pitch often signifies happiness. A response to sudden pain is heard in a howl or short bark at a high pitch. Some dogs are also known to release frustration through their barking, including high pitches or urgent-sounding barks for no apparent reason. Tips on Breaking Unacceptable Barking Habits Since barking is quite the natural and normal behavior associated with dogs, owners must come to a compromise in distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable barking. In the end, it is impossible to completely control every bark of your pet, but it is possible to help adjust the frequency of intolerable sessions of loudness. Before trying out the few suggestions listed below, it is highly recommended to first determine the reasons or triggers behind your dog's barking behavior: 1) To train uncontrollable barking, usually successful training comes when using the lure of your dog's favorite treat. 2) Teach your dog acceptable barking by giving praise ("good job") and then asking, "What's the matter?" 3) When barking is taking place at an unacceptable moment, get in the habit of telling the dog "Be quiet!" 4) Distraction sometimes works in curbing barking. Try waving a treat in front of the dog's nose to gain instant quiet. Usually, the dog will focus on sniffing out the treat and try to lick at it, rather then continuing their pattern of barking. 5) When your dog has quieted after being told to stop barking, don't forget to shower him or her with praise. After three seconds of quietness, you may give a treat to further reward good behavior. 6) When your dog slips with a bark, repeat, "Be quiet" with a louder, sharp tone, and then immediately reward your dog when they have stopped barking. 7) To strengthen the curbing of your dog's barking habit, add to the time you wait before giving them a treat for good behavior, increasing the time intervals by three seconds.
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