Stop
Dog Barking
Q:
My dog won't stop barking. He was my friend's
dog but she lived in an apartment and
could not keep him because of his barking.
I would love to give the dog back to her
as I have two dogs and two cats of my
own and the barking is driving me crazy.
Is there any hope for us?
A:
Dogs bark for many reasons so
there isn't just one answer. Here are
just a few examples:
- Excitement.
These dogs need to be taught to relax.
- Stress. These
dogs need more self confidence and
to trust their humans as their leader.
Positive training installs the human
as the leader.
- Nervous tendencies
around things that move. These dogs
need to be gradually taught to ignore
things that scare them and to relax.
- Boredom. As
an example, a bored dog might think
it's his job to chase the mail carrier
away. The dog needs to have that “job”
removed and be taught the mail carrier
is a nice person.
I'd
suggest you call on a local professional trainer
who only uses positive training methods
to ascertain the root of the problem and
set you up on a program to resolve it.
Also,
dogs pick up on their human's stress.
And an unwanted dog certainly might be
more stressed. If your dog must be re-homed,
I'd do some networking and see if there's
a family that doesn't mind a “chatty
Cathy” and can take the time to
teach her to talk a little less.
My book, The Dog Whisperer (
www.dogwhispererdvd.com
) offers many solutions for barking.
Paul |
