Barking Relief

"No, Sparky!"  "Stop!"  "How many times do I have to say 'no'?" "No.  NO.  NO!"

If this is your response to a barking dog, then you might want to invest in some ear plugs because your dog won't stop barking any time soon.  In fact, that kind of response might even make the problem worse.

Clearly, a dog who persistently barks does not know how to respond in certain situations.

Let's look at the classic bark at the door.  Generally speaking, dogs who bark at a knock at the door fall into two categories: The "I'm letting you know there's someone at the door" kind, and the "This is my territory and you better remember that or else" kind.

The dogs that are just letting you know someone is at the door don't usually make a big production out of their barking.  Just a few barks, and their job is done.  The territorial barking dogs are not only letting the owner know that someone is on the property, but they are also sending warning signals to intruders; letting them know who's in charge.

If your dog is just acting like a doorbell enhancement, you can usually curb this behaviour either by ignoring the barking altogether (so what if you miss a couple of travelling salesmen at your door?) or by simply asking the dog to 'sit' or 'down' every time someone knocks.  Either way, the barking won't be inadvertently rewarded.  In the case of a 'sit' or 'down' command, you will be actively teaching the dog what you want her to do when someone comes to the door.

If your dog is trying to fend off intruders, then you have an additional concern.  You may like the idea of people being afraid of your "protective" dog, but in reality, your dog is fearful of such non-threatening people as mailmen, girl guides selling cookies door to door, and the paper boy.  Since it is not a good idea for a dog to react aggressively unless absolutely warranted (such as a burglar), the solution for this kind of problem is increased socialization.  Dogs need to take their cues from you.  If you wouldn't be scared of someone, neither should your dog.  Her excessive, vehement barking is more likely a sign of fear, than anything else.  Fear of losing territory, fear of confrontation, fear of losing status in the pack are all concerns dogs have.  Socialization teaches dogs that none of those things happen just because someone walks onto the property.  Once the dog is more experienced, coupled with some basic obedience training, the barking problem can usually be significantly reduced.

Barking dog?  There is a solution.  With a little work on your part, you won't need those ear plugs anymore.

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