Barking is your dog's natural way of communicating with you and with the world around him, but excessive barking or barking at the wrong time can be very annoying. In addition, uncontrolled vicious barking increases the risk of biting. Curing your dog of the barking habit takes patience and consistency, and depending upon the reason for his barking, different techniques and aids may help you solve the problem.
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Training
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Teaching your dog not to bark inappropriately involves training him to recognize and obey a verbal command to be quiet. Often called the "Shush" command, the owner or trainer uses a food treat and holds it in front of the barking dog, allowing him to sniff the treat within a closed hand. The command, ""Shush," is issued and the dog is given the treat as soon as he becomes quiet. This is an effective method of teaching a dog to obey a verbal command to cease barking because the dog cannot bark and sniff the trainer's hand at the same time.
A typical training session should last a few minutes and it should be repeated once or twice daily. The trainer should avoid raising his voice to a barking dog who may take it as a signal to bark more.
No-bark Aids
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Collars designed to discourage barking are effective for many dogs when used with discretion and combined with positive reinforcement. These collars fall into one of two categories: those that operate independently with a noise sensor that attaches to the dog's collar, and those that function by the use of a remote control.
Independent, no-bark collars emit a shrill noise, a squirt of citronella or an electrical shock to the dog's neck. While all of these methods may assist in teaching a dog not to bark, they may also increase anxiety in the dog, especially if the noise sensor is very sensitive and is set off by nearby children playing or strong winds. The use of these collars should be limited to short intervals when the owner can monitor the dog's reaction and praise him for being quiet.
Remote control collars are operated by a trainer or the dog's owner and they emit an electrical shock, set off by remote, to the dog's neck if he disobeys the command to shush. When the dog barks, the owner commands the dog to be quiet and if the dog continues to bark, he receives a shock.
The downfall of no-bark collars is that a dog may respond to a shock, a shrill noise or a squirt of citronella with frightened barking, creating a highly stressful situation for the dog. Take care when using these products to ensure that the dog is not subject to unwarranted punishment.
Barrier methods
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Some dogs bark at anything that moves. Placing their kennel or crate where they cannot view the neighbor cat or children walking by may reduce unwanted barking. In addition, kennel and crate covers will eliminate a dog's visual triggers and may reduce barking.
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