Nearly 90 million dogs were owned as pets last year in the United States. While owning a dog typically brings joy, fun, and a furry friend to destress with, pet ownership has a lot of responsibilities as well.
Many issues arise for dog owners, one big one being barking. This behavior can be annoying to not only you but any neighbors or friends that come to visit.
You don’t need to suffer forever. If you have been struggling to handle a dog barking problem, keep reading below for five awesome tips
1. Bark Diary
No, you don’t need to write about your dog like a thirteen-year-old does in their secret diaries, but keeping track of when your dog barks excessively can help you hone in on the cause.
Sometimes it can seem like your dog is barking at everything and anything. This likely is not true. Honing in on one or two triggers can inform what your next steps should be.
2. Keep Your Dog Entertained
After working through the bark diary as mentioned above, you may come to realize your dog barks when bored. If your furry friend isn’t really active during the day, barking can serve as a way to create some excitement.
Be sure to give your dogs ample opportunity to do things during the day, especially exercise. Check out these great tips for keeping your dog fit and healthy.
3. Interrupt Alert Behavior
Some problematic dog barking is related to alert behavior. This type of barking is prevalent especially in breeds known for guarding.
Barking to alert of potential intruders or strangers is the desired behavior, but sometimes it begins to happen with anyone who walks by on the street.
To alleviate inappropriate alerting, create w way to interrupt your dog. If your dog begins barking as a mailman puts mail in your box, call to him. If he comes to you and stops barking, reward him.
Over time this will decrease the problematic and over excessive alert behavior.
4. Decrease Fear and Anxiety
Dogs are just like humans, they can be afraid and anxious. They usually express this by barking.
If you can clearly identify the issue (a scary decoration, a loud lawnmower, etc.), see if you can take steps to solve the issue. Sometimes it might just take getting your dog used to whatever is scaring them.
If you still believe your dog is barking due to fear or anxiety and you haven’t been able to help, contact your local vet.
5. Work to Control Excitement
One final tip to control your dog barking problem is helping them regulate their excitement. Dogs and puppies especially, bark to show they are happy and excited.
To address this, train your dog to self-regulate. This can include sitting, laying, or grabbing one of their favorite toys.
End Your Dog Barking Problem Today
With these five tips, you should be well on your way to minimizing your dog’s problematic barking. Remember that some barking is normal and healthy for dogs.
Do you still have some questions? Maybe you have a barking tip that we missed? If so, please let us know in the comments!