Barking Issues

1 ANSWERS

1. Guest3827
   

   For dogs, barking is a natural form of communication. Since they can't tell you when they need something or are worried about a strange noise outside, they bark, growl, or howl to let you know what's going on. And while it's unfair to expect your dog to stop communicating altogether, you can curtail the barking to keep your dog from waking your family or the neighbors. There are several reasons a dog is a barker, and once you address the "why," you can curtail your dog's barking habits.
   
   Some dogs bark for attention. If they're lonely or want to play, they bark. When you react to their barking, you give them the attention, which reinforces their barking behavior. Even if they receive negative attention from you because of the barking, they're happy because they're getting attention. This barking habit can be broken by giving your dog lots of positive attention when it's quiet. When your dog quiets down, praise it and give it lots of attention then. Conversely, when your dog barks for attention, don't respond. Your dog will soon get the picture that barking isn't the way to get attention.
   
   Some dogs bark because they know that if they do, they'll get what they want. They bark at the door to be let outside, the bark at their dishes to get food, and they bark at the counter to get a treat. Because you give them what they want when they bark, they continue the behavior. After all, if you could get whatever you wanted by saying, "Hey!" you probably wouldn't quit, either, right? To retrain this behavior, work on only giving your dog what it wants when it's quiet.
   
   Some dogs bark when they're left alone. These dogs have separation anxiety. They're the dogs that bark all day while you're at work. These kinds of barkers have two parts. First, they're lonely, and second, they aren't used to your daily routine, so it's jarring to them to be left alone without knowing when you'll be back. Retraining this kind of barker is more involved, but is worth the patience it takes to show your dog that it's okay if you're gone during the day.
   
   Along with retraining your dog using positive reinforcement, there is something simple you can do to help curtail your dog's barking. Make sure your home is stocked with a variety of dog toys. Believe it or not, if your dog has a selection of toys, you may not have to worry about barking as much.
   
   When dogs play with dog toys, they usually use their mouths. On a basic level, that means there's something in their mouths and they can't bark. But having dog toys also means your dog has something to do when you're not available for tummy rubs and ear scratches. Many toys are designed to engage and entertain your dog, and can help keep your dog from being lonely and bored.
   
   Remember: dogs bark to communicate. And though you may want to teach your dog that it's not okay to bark all the time, you don't want your dog to feel it can't tell you how it feels. There's a balance between communication and behavior problems, and you can find the perfect balance with patience, positive reinforcement, and some great dog toys.

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