21 Sep 2008

Barking is a natural behavior of a dog, as this can be a form of greeting, a sign that they want to play, or simply an indication that it is happy. However, if your dog is starting to bark more than usual, do not ignore it and hope that it would just go away, as it can actually be a sign of something serious. Like a doctor diagnoses a patient, you should also analyze your dog. Do not immediately apply negative reinforcement to the dog; otherwise, this just might increase the chances of him repeating such unwanted behavior of barking excessively. What you need to do is first understand what motivates such behavior and to take down notes if the problem becomes continuous. Let us take a look then at the possible causes why a dog barks too much: 1. Your dog may be over stimulated. A sign of over stimulation is if, for example, the simple act of someone crossing in front of the dog makes him irritated and it starts barking excessively. To minimize this, one can try to block images from crossing the dog’s line of vision. 2. Your dog is marking or protecting his own territory. Dogs are quite protective of what belongs to them and they become increasingly dominant and start showing signs of aggression when they perceive a threat. If you see this occurring, then you might consider having your dog undergo a training program. 3. Your dog is bored. You would be surprised at how much dogs are like humans. If we can become bored, they can as well and thus, they start barking as a means of keeping themselves occupied or catching your attention. To keep this from happening, make a plan of the different activities that your dog can do. Even a simple walk around the neighborhood may do wonders. 4. Your dog is uncomfortable around a certain person or thing. Should you notice your dog barking non-stop at someone or something, it is best to try reconditioning your dog to elicit a different response. If this does not work, just simply remove or keep this person or thing away from your dog. Training techniques and efficient punishment may be necessary in order to teach your dog a lesson. Remember to give rewards, such as doggy treats, or do some petting only to reinforce positive behavior in your dog. If you give treats or pet your dog when it behaves badly, this would only reinforce the negative behavior. Your dog might end up confused and not really learning anything at all. However, if proper training, such as crating and letting him into the house during nighttime, still does not cure your dog’s habit of barking too much, it is now time to look at other options, such as using specialized collars and muzzles. And if these still do not work, your last resort would be to perform a surgical debarking procedure on your dog.