How do I get my dog to stop barking?

This article is loaded with pointers to help you control your dog抯 excessive barking. This article comes with a list of pointers that you can use to control your dog抯 barking. To know more, read the article!

Does your dog fancy himself as the third tenor and is driving you barking mad in the process? If your answer is in the affirmative, you need to read this article. Dogs tend to bark just as a cat tends to meow, there is not much you can do about it. However, the one thing you can do is to control the barking, if not the volume then at least the frequency of the barking. Your dog could be barking at the neighbor抯 cat or he could be just trying to get your attention. Think of it as his way of talking to you and you will be able to better relate to the reasons for the barking. Here are a few pointers to help you localize the barking and try to reduce it altogether. These pointers have been gathered from some of the secrets of a professional dog trainer and will prove invaluable to you in due course.

1. Nature抯 call: Dogs tend to bark to intimate their needs by barking and this applies to attending nature抯 call. If your dog does not bark to be let out to the yard to relive itself, then chances are that you will find a nasty surprise waiting for you in the drawing room. In this case you should thank your lucky stars that your dog has the presence of the mind to bark when it comes to attending a call of nature.

1. Lonely hearts 101 ?Dogs are very sociable animals and they do not like to be left alone for hours on end. Would you like it if you were cooped up in a room, all by yourself for hours on end? Your dog has not done anything wrong so there is no need to punish him by leaving him alone for hours on end. Dogs that are left alone for long periods tend to suffer anxiety symptoms and will give a free rein to their barking. Once they realize how good they sound, well, there is just no stopping them. I am not asking you to hang out with your dog 24*7, but try to spend as some quality time together. Dogs tend to bark for a variety of reasons; it could be presence of new people on the block or the new cat. But more often than not, it is mainly because they are feeling lonely.

1. Exercises for the mind ?Dogs are very active animals and love to run about. So make it a point to exercise your dog by taking him to the park as well as on long runs. A well exercised dog will be too tired to start composing his own song, so he would leave you as well as your immediate neighbors in peace.

1. Do not reward bad behavior ?There are times when your dog starts to bark and you immediately start petting him or even offer him doggy treats. Desist from such behavior as your dog may make the association between barking and rewards.

Keeping the above pointers in mind, if your dog barks for no reason at all, perhaps it is time to take him to the vet to get him checked out. Just remember, that dogs like us are social animals and excessive barking may just be an indication that he wants to spend more time with you. With these pointes from the secrets of a professional dog trainer being available to you, I am sure that you would be able to bring the singing career of your dog to a screeching halt, no pun intended!