How to Stop Your Dog From Barking

There are plenty of reasons why your dog would bark almost constantly. Although this may be frustrating, there may be some good reasons for this behavior. Your puppy may be alerting you of a threat or trying to tell you it is in pain.

There may be other less appropriate reasons why your dog would be behaving in this manner. They could be trying to get your attention or be acting out on purpose.

Nevermind the cause, a dog that won't quit barking can definitely give you a headache. When the behavior is recurring there are some techniques that you can attempt.

Most often, you can stop your dog from barking by trying a method of training. There are some exact methods and tools to help with the problem of a dog who barks too much.

Many cases of inappopriate barking can be controlled by proper training and a reward and reprimand system where you show the dog when its ok to bark and when not to. If your puppy barks at an inappropriate time, they are scolded and told "hush". When they are behaved and refrain from barking when they should not be, reward them to reinforce this positive behavior.

If the problem can not be fixed this way, you can want to think about the purchase of a bark collar. A bark collar will shock the dog with a very small current when it detects the dog barking. The shock gives the dog very small discomfort and does not actually hurt the dog. It should be noted that some owners don't like this method.

You will find a similar device available that instead of a shock gives the dog a mist of citronella. Dogs do not like the smell and they soon realize it is due to the barking.

In some extreme cases, your vet may consider your dog a candidate a procedure known as debarking surgery. This procedure involves removing a fold of tissue from the dog's larynx which leaves the dog unable to bark. This surgery isn't always effective and isn't often used.

A barking dog can definately drive you up the wall, as you can see it isn't a problem that can't be resolved. With the right amount of patience and training, you can put an end to your dog's incessant barking.

By: Amber Lowery
Credit:www.superfeature.com