How to stop dog barking – Get peace today!

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Stop dog barking

There is nothing more annoying than a dog constantly barking. Now I live on a quiet street of about 20 houses; my neighborhood is great – I couldn’t wish for better people. However, opposite my house, an elderly man owns a Chihuahua who he refuses to train – I feel sorry for his neighbors.

Again, twenty years ago, I lived in a small house, and I was blessed with a neighbor who owned a Jack Russell. This dog was extremely vocal during the night, as a result my sleep suffered badly so I moved on because the owner wouldn’t take responsibility.

A few years ago, I went to visit my sister in Australia; at the time, she was blessed with new neighbours who owned two small dogs. However, it didn’t seem such a blessing when their dogs barked all night long – none of us slept!

These are just a few incidences of my experiences; I’m sure if I surfed the Internet though, they’d be thousands of other people with similar stories – feel free to leave yours in the comment area.

Stop dog barking forever!

Smaller dogs tend to yap compared to larger dogs, large dogs woof and in some cases like my wolfdog they can also howl – this can be amusing! It’s not wrong for a dog to bark, but if it’s continuous barking, it can cause heartache and a headache to you and everyone around.

So, let’s look at how to stop dog barking by taking a look at the common issues…

Did you know dogs are not happy constantly barking? This behavior is generally a sign of tension, frustration, anxiousness, protection or over excitement? Sometimes though barking is specifically related to the dog breed, but all is not lost – help is at hand. This conduct is not particularly healthy for your dog – remember a content dog is a relaxed dog!

Sometimes people are totally unaware of their dog barking when they’re away from home. It’s a common concern, but dog owners can be oblivious until a neighbor speaks up or the dog patrol turns up on your doorstep.

One thing we must do is see through our dog’s eyes or think how a dog thinks. So here goes…

Dogs are pack animals, and so they instinctively understand there are leaders and followers. A leader is a protector and a provider; they also create security. When the leader leaves the pack, in our case go to work, dogs can become stressed and stress causes tears. Think of barking as tears, it’s similar to a baby crying.

If you left your toddler in the house to go to work what would be the child’s response? They’d cry of course, and they’d probably want to chase the parent.

When a dog is left alone, they’re crying for help, they want their leader back. They can’t chill out, put their feet up or pray for your safety; as far as they’re concerned you’ve disappeared. When a dog is stressed, guess what else happens? Yeap, you’ve guessed right; they chew, dig, jump and become totally disruptive.

Easy solutions to stop dog barking

stop dog barking

The last thing we want to do is completely stop dog barking, often it can warn us of danger or there might be an intruder. What we’re after is calming unnecessary barking when there’s a slight noise or movement, disturbance or constant barking when we leave the house.

The solution to stop dog barking is actually very simple; it’s all about being a confident pack leader. It’s certainly not emulating your dog; he may think your joining in with the barking, and this isn’t good. Even offering affection at the wrong time could encourage more barking.

If I’m at home when my dog is barking, I will gently close his mouth and firmly say NO. If he stops I will praise him and offer huge amounts of affection. Another method of how to stop dog barking is to use a pet corrector or make a jingler.

Traditional tips to stop dog barking

Pro’s…

  • A tired dog is a happy dog – exercise him before you leave for work
  • Leave him in an area of the house where he feels most comfortable
  • Make sure your dog has been fed and watered before you go out
  • Leave dog toys around the house or in his crate – check out crate training
  • Leave the radio or TV on, some dogs love soothing music
  • If you’re out all day make sure you, a neighbour or a dog walker to pop in midday
  • Always leave and return to your house calmly

Cons…

  • Comfort jackets are expensive and their success rate is limited – I know of one dog that ate their jacket
  • Giving your dog herbal remedies to help relax can help significantly, but they don’t beat the problem
  • Buying another dog to keep you present dog happy is not recommended – your dog isn’t bored, he’s afraid

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