One Easy Trick To Stop Dog Barking
Dogs bark because we humans want our dogs to bark. For years our domestication process and selective breeding has allowed our dogs to develop their barking abilities. Wolves don’t bark Barking was further developed in dogs in order to scare intruders or to help the master out (i.e. on farms to assist in gathering the sheep).
Due to our domestication of our dogs, the dogs bark to get attention. They also bark to show their excitement. Repeated behavior is caused by reinforcement with training and lifestyle. So teaching dogs to communicate is dependent on the reward given. If you reward your dog when it barks it will continue to do so. It is important to figure out what your dog is trying to tell you before you reward your dog and then act appropriately at the time of the barking.
Try to figure out what your dog is trying to tell you. If it is out of a need for attention, the best way to break this cycle of excessive barking is to wait for him to be quiet, then give him positive attention. Remember that by acknowledging the barking you will reinforce the barking and not the behavior you want. Waiting until he quiets will teach him that he gets more attention if he’s quiet.
Because dogs are territorial, they will bark at people approaching them and when they see someone walking across the street or on the next block. The best way to stop the barking is to distract your dog when he starts to bark. Break his focus with a treat or play with him. Every time the barking habit is broken it reinforces the message that he will be rewarded when he stops barking.
Ultimately it is important to learn why your dog is barking. Once you know what your dog is barking about, then you can redirect, refocus or reward your dog for his barking. It’s up to you to take the appropriate action depending on the situation.
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