Obviously, most problems with barking dogs result from dogs that don’t have their owner around to quiet them down. In
fact, the owner’s absence in many cases is what’s rousing the dog’s vocal chords.
Most of what you can do to get your dog’s barking under control is done directly by you when you catch your dog in the
act. For instance, if you know that your dog is barking at, say people who walk their dogs past your house when you’re
away, then it is possible to recreate this scenario with you present so you can correct the behavior. However,
intermittent barking such as this may be tolerated, by you, the neighborhood, and indeed your local dog legislation,
provided your dog is not menacing passers-by through a crumbling fence.
A lonely dog barking or whining can be both much more of a nuisance and much more difficult to address, but there are
still some things you should be doing. Try to come home more often, or try to arrange for a friend to visit, ideally with
their friendly and energetic dog. It may nip the problem right in the bud. Enough said.
If you know you’ve got a barking dog problem that has the potential to anger neighbors, a little public relations work
can go a long way. If possible, ask your neighbors if there is a barking nuisance coming from your place and, if there
is, tell them you’re working on it. Then work on it.
You might also try staging a false exit. Walk once around the house or whatever it takes so they think you’re gone. When
your dog barks, correct the behavior with a “Quiet” command (though your sudden appearance will likely be enough).
You can use special bark collars, that either use sonic or electric power to correct your dog. Others squirt a substance
such as citronella when they bark, a scent they despise. I don’t use them, and the ones I have seen in use were awkward
and not 100 percent effective. But I stay away from them less because they train through discomfort (they do not harm your
pet), and more because they displace the source of authority from you to some device they don’t understand. Furthermore,
they don’t differentiate between acceptable - even necessary - barking on one hand, and noise pollution on the other.
There’s also a medieval-like procedure whereby the dog’s voice-box is removed to render them barkless, or at least takes
the bite out of their bark. This is simply abhorrent.
A better option for desperate dog owners is arranging some form of doggy day care, whether it’s a professional service or
a personal arrangement. Some dogs simply do not get enough stimulation during the day, and they will let the world know
about it until they do.
About The Author: Martin Olliver is a proud member of the Kingdom of Pets team (http://www.kingdomofpets.com). For more
great articles on problem barking, visit: http://kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/articles/barking_dogs.php