Understanding Why Your Dog Is Barking And How To Control It

First and foremost you must understand that barking is a language that you do not understand.Yes, the language makes no sense (at least right now), frustrating (since you don’t speak dog), and loud. This combination can make for a frustrating afternoon, good night sleep, or that one moment in day you have to yourself. However, you do not want your dog to remain silent; rather you want to be able to curtail their enthusiasm for expressing their voice.
Tone, the tone of your dog’s bark will lend great insight, if you pay attention, to what the cause of the barking is. Dogs, similar to humans, have various pitches in their bark communicating certain situations, protection or territorial, out of fear or from being startled, attention, wants to play, and anxiety or stress.
According to the Humane Society here are some measures you can take to help quite your dog’s eagerness to exercise their freedom of speech. The first is to remove the motivation. If your dog is barking at people walking by your home simply close the blinds or curtains. Another tactic is to ignore the barking, however, once stopped make sure to praise the animal, not necessarily give them a treat, but a warm friendly voice that assures them they are doing the right thing. Work with your dog and teach them a command that signifies for them to be quite. This process involves teaching your dog to speak first and then teaching them the command to be quite. For example, when teaching your dog to speak after a few barks place a treat in front of their nose, as they stop to sniff-praise the animal and give them the treat. This will begin to shift the behavior more under your control. The final measure, keep your dog TIRED! Yes, a sleepy dog is quite dog. Keeping your dog active throughout the day and week is not only essential for their physical health and mental health but will help curb excessive dog barking. ­
The biggest key to curbing your dog’s barking is to understand that they are attempting to communicate with you and that you are the one not understanding. If you take a moment to understand the situation you will ultimately uncover the source that is causing your dog to bark. In the end, understanding is key to a peaceful afternoon.

This post was written by David Lee a pet lover who recommends wuffstuff.com for all your doggie requirements