Dogs bark for a number of reasons. It can signal the presence of an intruder, or the absence of food or water. Dogs that bark at the same time daily are often barking because they are bored. According to writers at the website perfectpaws.com, a dog that has been alone for a period of time may turn to barking simply as a way to pass the time. Any type of dog training, including training a dog not to bark, involves consistent reinforcement of the appropriate behavior.
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Training a Dog Not to Bark in the Morning
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Training a dog not to bark also involves training the owner. According to the Web site perfectpaws.com, some people are inadvertently training their dog to bark. Owners that try to quiet the barking dog by going to the animal and petting it or giving it other forms of attention are actually giving the dog a positive reinforcement to bark.
Perfect paws recommends taking a more active approach to avoiding doggy boredom. Walking the dog or working on obedience training exercises occupies the dogs mind. In some cases this will keep the dog engaged enough to avoid barking out of boredom.
If the dog continues to bark, it needs to learn a command to stop barking. The wording of the command doesn't matter but it should be used consistently. Some dog owners use quiet or hush as a stop barking command.
While the dog is barking, hold a dog treat in front of its nose and give the stop barking command. Dogs can't sniff the treat and bark at the same time so the barking will cease. As soon as the dog has stopped barking give the treat and praise the dog. As the training progresses withhold the treat and praise a little longer each time. The idea is to extend the quiet time, after the stop barking command is given, until it reaches the point the dog completely stops barking after the command is given.
The Web site placervillevet.com offers another training method. The method described by the site involves splashing a small cup of water on the dogs face when it barks. The owner stands in front of the dog without giving any command. When the dog barks the owner splashes the cup of water on the face of the dog and walks away. The procedure is repeated as often as necessary to train the dog not to bark even when no command is given.
Proper training is always the preferred way to deal with dog behavioral problems. Other options include electronic collars. These collars sense the vibrations of the vocal cords. The collar then reacts by either administering an electrical shock, dispensing a foul odor or a triggering a loud sound. These devices do discourage the dog from barking but should be used only as a last resort if training is not effective.
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