Dogs have a large number of behaviors that can seem cute or funny to us. There are others who embarrass us when we have visitors in our home.
But without a doubt one of the attitudes that can lead us to madness is when our canine friend barks excessively. Luckily, it has been proven possible that this behavior can be repressed with Houston dog training for aggressive dogs.
We must bear in mind that this is a way for dogs to communicate, so it will only try to stop the negative behavior.
If it bothers you to have to apologize to visitors or neighbors for your dog’s barking , we will give you a series of tips to help you control the situation.
How to stop my dog from barking
Find the source of the problem
As we have already discussed before, dogs can bark for many reasons. This may be the only way the dog can communicate something to us, or alert us. Our dog may bark when he needs to be walked to the bathroom.
Notice if your dog is sniffing around the house and pacing around, these may be signs that he needs to go outside. Another common reason may be to get your attention, either because he needs to burn off energy or thinks something requires your attention.
Observe your pet’s behavior to help identify the cause. If the barking seems excessive, make sure all his needs are met.
Don’t encourage this kind of behavior.
In our previous article we have talked about the mistakes that new owners usually make when training their pet.
One of the main problems is usually that we encourage certain behavior without realizing it. You may think “How am I going to want my dog to keep barking if this bothers me?”.
The reason for this is that sometimes we act in ways that give the wrong signal to our dog. Let’s imagine that we are in the living room while we enjoy watching our favorite program.
Suddenly there is a sound outside the house and our pet has started barking. Saying things like asking who is outside or peeking in will only encourage your dog to do the same.
The same thing happens when our dog barks to get attention , if we decide to call it towards us, we will only make it learn that it can bark so that we can attend to it. It should be noted that by scolding him, you are also giving him the attention he wants.
Learn to ignore him when barking for attention
You are the authority figure in your home and your dog needs you to be that figure for him. If you give him the attention he wants whenever he feels like it, you could turn the tables.
This can become a serious problem because it can lead to future altercations. If your dog is barking a lot and you have made sure that his needs are met, he tries to pretend he doesn’t exist. At all times it is important to remain calm. Dogs are an infallible machine for reading body language .
Your attitude can be reflected in your dog. He endures what you have to endure until he understands that it will not be the way he should communicate and when he stops, reward him.
This should be done every time he is barking for no reason. If you ever give in after an hour of barking, you will have thrown all your effort away. He will learn that if he barks enough you will give in.
If you feel like this isn’t working, it’s time to teach him a command so he knows to be quiet. “Quiet” can be the word you use to give him this signal, at first he will continue barking, that’s when you have to take your attention away from him. When the dog stops eventually give him a treat. This process may take time but the results are worth it.
Keep your pet exercised
One of the reasons why your dog may bark is because he is frustrated or bored. If you keep your pet busy and distracted, these situations will be reduced. Try to give him toys to distract himself and walk him to exhaust him physically.
Our animal friends need activities that make them feel happy. Keep your dog exercised to avoid this behavior and future illnesses.
It is important that you remember that it is natural for dogs to bark, it is their way of communicating and you will not be able to make them remain silent forever. However, you can make him calm down in situations where he is asked to do so. These dog training tips are the most basic, if you want quick solutions you should contact a professional. Remember that you are destined to have moments of anger, but perseverance is the key to solving this problem.