Barking Control Dog Noise
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When you want to stop a dog from barking,
control of the dog’s noise making is a long process and you have to be
very patient while the dog is learning when it is appropriate to bark.
Barking for a dog is like talking for humans – it is its method of
communication and there are reasons why dogs bark. You have to become
attuned to the reasons for the barking, especially if this is a new dog. A
dog naturally starts to bark when it hears another dog barking, while it
is playing, when it wants to alert the owner of a possible danger or when
it is hungry or lonely.
When the dog’s barking becomes excessive, such as when the dog barks for
hours on end, owners seek ways to stop the barking through control of the
dog’s noise. This requires training for both the dog and the owner. For
example, when a dog starts barking for no apparent reason and the owner
constantly tells it to be quiet or gives it food, this may be reinforcing
the barking because the dog feels this is a way to get attention. The
owner has to try to ignore the barking and after a while the dog will
realize the barking is futile and will stop. When the dog does stop, then
it is time for the owner to praise the dog for being quiet, thus
reconditioning the dog not to bark.
Having lots of toys for the dog to play with and making sure that food and
drink is within easy reach is another way of keeping the dog happy and the
barking to a minimum at any time of the day or night.
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