Tips for How to Stop Your Dog's Barking

Your dog's barking is driving you mad? I don't doubt it. It would drive me crazy, too. And it has.

But there is a solution. It's YOU!

Not what you thought I'd say? Dogs don't bark to hear their own voices. Even if they quite enjoy them. They bark for a reason. Like we yell for a reason. Fingers crossed that you can figure out the cause and the cause can be removed. If it's as easy as that, outstanding.

Sadly. Irritatingly. That is typically not the case. The barking motivations can be simple or complex:

· Separation anxiety. Who wouldn't want to be with you every second of the day? Fear of fireworks or thunderstorms is another. They can be loud and scary, you know!

· Trying to get your attention. Wants to play with you. Right NOW not later.

· Warning people that they shouldn't come around. It's their territory. Don't enter it, strangers. Or letting you know there is someone at the door. They'll protect you. Don't worry about it, human.

And the list goes on... Be a detective. Keep a log if you need to. What is your dog barking at? When is your dog barking? And where is your dog barking?

You have to figure out why, when and where, then the training begins. And training is involved no matter why your dog is yapping your ear off. (Unless you were one of those lucky owners and able to remove the cause.)

Exercise Mentally & Physically. Big dogs, little dogs. Doesn't matter. They need exercise, mentally and physically. Pent-up energy & boredom are a BIG cause behind barking. Play fetch, take walks. Everyday. Twice a day. More if you need to. A tired dog is a happy dog and owner.

Do Something Else, Dog. Teach your dog to do something else. Something that can't be done while barking. Instead of saying, "Stop barking," tell your dog to go to their bed. Dog goes to bed and stops barking, then the dog gets a treat. Dogs love treats.

Reward the Right Behavior. When your dog stops barking, your dog gets a reward. Not the other way around. Treat does not get the behavior. Behavior gets treat. Live by this rule for all dog training.

Be Patient & Allow Time to Learn. Most dogs won't learn the first time around. In fact, count on your dog making you work for that good behavior from him. Show patience as most dogs need two weeks or more to figure a new skill or behavior. It's like any habit. It's got to be broken, then a new one put into its place.

Be Consistent. Once you choose a training tool or method, don't waver. Don't let that adorable puppy face sway you from sticking to your guns. Be consistent and make sure your WHOLE family is, too. Dogs test limits and they will take advantage of the weak. I promise you that!

Ask for Help. Having someone to express your frustration to along with getting tips and advice will help your struggle. Don't discount that friend whose dog was formerly a barker. Or they may know someone who can steer you in the right direction.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-for-How-to-Stop-Your-Dogs-Barking&id=9374334

Top Three Factors Why Your DOG Needs A Dog Trainer

A lot of pet owners struggle to house train their dogs due to lack of dog trainers. It is certainly true that a dog trainer is a lifeblood for training any fussy furry pal having behavioral issues. He is a wonderful resource to help pet behave in the right manner and develop techniques to help them overcome their aggressive nature or teach them good habits. Though it takes much time and at times pet may ignore the commands, your pet can benefit hugely from obedience training.

Not Listening to Owners

Not all breeds are easier to train. Some are easier, whereas some are tough shells to break. However, all canines can be trained to fall into the league to follow simple commands. Pet owners get frustrated when they command their pooch to sit and the furry pal just barks back or run away from them. If you have to shout or nag or repeatedly give them the command before they listen to you, it straightly means that they lack respect towards you. Some pet owners may be wondering that their pets obey them most of the time, but still do they need a dog trainer. If your pet doesn't give a heed to simple commands at the very first time, it is likely that opting a dog professional would be really beneficial.

Though, your furry pal listens to you, it is good to hire a dog trainer to improve the ability of your dog to always obey your commands and behave in the shell even in the presence of others.

Barking

Barking is a natural instinct of canines. This is the way of their communication through which they express their emotions and feelings such as pain, anger, fear, and excitement, to the human world. Nevertheless, this becomes abnormal when a dog's barking becomes excessive. For example, even if for a small thing like a moving car, a passerby, a pet cat, a little sound from TV or a presence of a guest, your pooch barks it seems wrong.

Excessive barking may be related to behavioral issues pertaining to separation anxiety, stress, attention seeking, barking out of boredom or loneliness. A professional dog trainer can very well understand the underlying issue of your pooch and can help in to assess out the right theory in order to correct his behavior and carries on a few techniques to help your pooch wad out of this problem.

Licking

Normally, dogs like to lick to show their feelings of love and attachment with their owner. Canines are social and playful creatures. At times, Fido may start licking aggressively on his owner's face or hand, and they may even lick to the strangers or the guests in the house. Owners may take it wrongly thinking that their dog is really lovable and is affectionate towards everybody, even those coming to the front door.

However, you need to understand that this pet behavior is not likely to be appreciated or liked by outsiders especially small kids and old people. And, if you have a large breed dog, then there is every possibility that your dog with his huge body and powerful stamina can overpower the person. A qualified dog trainer knowing rightly to handle such dogs can help your furry pal to control his excitement a little bit, and under training he can learn to greet people without licking.

A dog trainer is really helpful if you think you need to house-train your pooch or in case if he is facing some particular behavioral issue.

We love our four-legged companions but training can help them to mingle in human society very smoothly without any complaint from the outsiders or neighbors.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Three-Factors-Why-Your-DOG-Needs-A-Dog-Trainer&id=9449775

Dealing With a Dog's Destructive Chewing

It is one of life's greatest joys to know the love and companionship of a dog. They follow you around with deep admiration in their eyes. They get excited when you come home. A lick on the face and the wagging of their tail confirms that you are everything good in the world to them. Such a simple and complete love.

At times, however, living with a dog can also be one of life's greatest frustrations. Dogs chew. It's instinctive to their nature, and until you teach them otherwise, they see no difference between your couch and a chew toy. To them, it all looks like fair game for a chew session.

There are several reasons a dog will chew. You have to understand first why he's chewing before you can determine how best to handle it. A young dog will chew to relieve the pain caused by incoming teeth. This teething phase is usually complete by the age of six months.

But your dog's chewing behavior will not necessarily end once your dog passes the age of six months. A dog's mouth and whiskers are, for all intents and purposes, his hands and fingers. He will use them to explore and understand the world around him. He must have some way to find out what tastes good, what stings, and what bites back.

Grannick's Bitter Apple

You can use deterrent sprays on objects you do not want your dog to chew, but it cannot be your sole means of addressing destructive chewing. Your dog will also need to learn what it is okay to chew. When you catch him chewing something he is not allowed to chew, intervene with a sharp "no" and give him a bone, rawhide or toy that he is allowed to chew. Then praise him. Eventually, he will make the connection that it is okay to choose some things, but not others.

Adult dogs instinctively chew to keep their teeth clean and jaws strong. But sometimes, chewing can become excessive. Some of the top reasons for excessive chewing in dogs are:

Boredom

Lack of exercise

Separation anxiety

Many dogs will chew excessively when they are bored or have pent-up energy. The quickest and most effective defense against chewing from boredom is to give them plenty of exercise. Get outside and take long walks. Let them enjoy playtime with other dogs. Keep your dog's mind engaged through training exercises. Playing fetch and tug with him will help burn off excess energy.

Chewing can be a sign of separation anxiety. One of the best ways to help deal with it is to make sure your dog has plenty of chew toys, bones or rawhide available to him whenever you must leave him. 

We might wish otherwise, but sometimes we must leave our dogs at home for extended periods of time. At least until you get his destructive chewing under control, use a crate or confine him to a small area like a bedroom when you leave. The laundry room is not recommended because there are too many tempting smells to try to taste in there.

Whether he's home alone or you are with him, make sure any shoes and clothing are put away. Shut the closet and bathroom doors. And, most importantly, give him things that he is allowed to chew. You can find many great toys and treats online. By reading buyer reviews, you can determine which toys stand up to aggressive chewing.

Do not give your dog cooked bones or any bones from fowl, such as chicken. These bones are dangerous. They have a tendency to splinter, which can cause harm to your dog's mouth, throat and entire digestive system.

If your dog is eating strange things and nothing you do works to divert his behavior, see your vet. He may be suffering from a nutritional deficiency or a gastrointestinal issue.

If you take care of your dog by giving him lots of exercise and long-lasting, durable toys to chew, you will spend many more of your days enjoying his love and adoration rather than suffering through the frustration of inappropriate chewing.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Dealing-With-a-Dogs-Destructive-Chewing&id=9503056

Why Is Dog Training The Best Thing We Can Do For Our Dogs?

We're always told how important it is to train our dogs, but what exactly is dog training and why is it so important anyway?

The following list explains why it is absolutely vital that we provide proper socialization and training to our canine friends.

Please read these 5 undeniable reasons why we owe it to our dogs to train them:

1. Dog training helps to build and strengthen a healthy and productive relationship with your dog.

• Dog training opens up the lines of communication between you and your dog. A real form of two-way communication is established through positive non-violent dog training. You and your dog will learn to interact with each other in a mutually respectful manner, based on co-operation and understanding.

• A well socialized and trained dog will become a fantastic life-long companion, workmate and friend. An untrained dog can quickly become a burden and an endless source of frustration. Instead of having a lopsided relationship where you are continually yelling at or reprimanding your untrained dog, why not set your dog up to succeed by providing some leadership and clear guidelines for him/her to follow?

• A trained dog is a well respected and trusted member of society who is welcomed almost anywhere. This has to be a positive thing for your relationship, doesn't it?

2. Training prevents many common "dog problems" from ever arising.

• A whole range of common dog behavior problems can be prevented through some obedience training. Dogs are creatures of habit so why not use this to your advantage by helping your dog to develop good behavior habits from an early age? If you are proactive and set up some simple guidelines and routines for your puppy to follow you may never have to deal with destructive behaviors such as digging, chewing, excessive barking and even separation anxiety.
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• When a so-called behavior problem does arise you and your trained dog will be well equipped to work through it. You will be able to clearly communicate with your dog that the behavior is unacceptable. You may even choose to get your dog to perform an alternate behavior in place of the existing problem. An example of this would be if your dog was up surfing your countertops for food scraps you could get him/her to "go to your spot" instead.

•  The vast majority of "bad dogs" or dogs with behavior problems eventuate because the dog has never been taught any better. A dog does not chew your expensive shoes to get back at you or because he/she is evil. They do it simply because you left the shoe lying around with a bored and stressed dog. Most probably if you provided a tasty chew toy and did some chew toy training then your dog would be more than happy to chew on the toy only.

• A trained dog is also a pleasure to take for a walk (no pulling!) and trips to your Vet or Dog Groomer are never a problem.

3. Training your dog is a necessary safety measure for you, your dog and everything that comes into contact with your dog.

• Having your dog under voice control in any situation is a very reassuring position to be in - it may even save your dog's life one day. If your dog is about to bolt out onto a busy road or pick up something dangerous it is great to be able to immediately intervene and change their behavior with an obedience training command such as "no", "come" or "leave it".

• A properly socialized and trained dog is a much safer proposition around other dogs and animals. Dog training plays a crucial role in educating your dog how to act appropriately around yourself, your children and visitors to your home.

4. A trained dog is confident, secure and comfortable with his/her place in your household.

• A well-trained dog appreciates the guidance, structure, and boundaries you provide through training. It's far better than having a nervous, anxious and confused dog who is continually being yelled at for things he/she doesn't even understand. Training relieves much of the frustration and stress that exists between you and your dog.

• Training sets up proper household etiquette for your dog to follow. It addresses such issues as bolting out the front door, chewing, jumping up on guests and excessive barking.

• Dog training provides a brilliant release or outlet for all of your dog's pent-up energy. This energy has to come out in one way or another so why not channel it into something productive like obedience training?

5. A trained dog's life takes a far different path to that of an untrained dog.

• Most dogs that end up in animal shelters arrive there because they have at least one behavior problem - many of these problems can be easily controlled through some basic obedience training. Untrained dogs often become a pest and are pushed further and further away from the family. This of course only compounds the existing problems. Behaviors such as jumping up, mouthing and cheeky barking which you considered to be cute in your young puppy suddenly become a real problem as the dog grows up.

• When we bring a new dog into our lives we are bringing a different species into a world that is completely foreign to them - our human world. We owe it to our dogs to help them fit into our way of life by clearly showing them what is expected of them and what is acceptable behavior - this is what dog training provides.

So there they are, the 5 reasons I believe every dog deserves at least some basic training - for everybody's benefit.

For just a second forget about all of the benefits listed above that obedience training provides. Would you still train your dog even if all of the benefits listed did not apply? I would, because training your dog is one of the real joys of owning a dog, it is great fun. Time spent training your dog is time well spent - for all involved.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-Dog-Training-The-Best-Thing-We-Can-Do-For-Our-Dogs?&id=710933

What Can You Do About Excessive Dog Barking?

Although you love your dog, sometimes they can get on your nerves when they bark too much. All the noise can really irritate your neighbors too. You should know that there are many reasons why dogs bark. Only after learning why your dog is barking so much can you begin to do something about it.

Attention

One of the main reasons for excessive dog barking is for attention. Canines love their family members and want to spend a lot of time with them. If you don't give your dog enough attention, he may start barking too much in an effort to get it.

Owners need to be careful when dealing with this type of barking. If you do anything to respond to your dog, then he will learn that barking gets your attention, and will continue to do it excessively. Your dog won't care if you give him positive or negative reinforcement, just as long as you do something. Giving him a treat or telling him to be quiet are forms of attention.

Boredom

Sometimes, dogs simply have nothing else to do and decide to bark to pass the time. Leaving your pet alone for long periods of time with nothing to do can easily lead to this behavior. The best way to prevent this type of barking is to provide your dog with toys, puzzles, or other objects to occupy his time. Ensuring he gets enough exercise will also leave him with less energy to expend barking.

Separation Anxiety

Dogs have feelings too, and can easily become anxious when their owners are away. Consulting a behaviorist or trainer is the best way to deal with this problem. One thing you can do is to work on getting your dog used to being alone. Leave him alone for a short period of time, then return and assure him that everything is fine. The next time you leave, stay gone for a little bit longer.

Communication

Dogs are very social animals. Sometimes, your dog will start barking excessively because other dogs are barking. You may notice that your dog will start barking when a canine down the street does so. This is their way of identifying with each other. If you have multiple dogs in your household, then you may deal with this type of barking more often than you'd like.

So, what exactly can you do about excessive dog barking? Most importantly, you will need to understand exactly why your dog is acting the way he is. If you are unable to do so by yourself, don't be afraid to ask for help. That's the reason why behaviorists and trainers exist in the first place. Above all, make sure that you're patient with your dog. Getting irritated and lashing out at him certainly won't make matters any better.

Source:https://ezinearticles.com/?What-Can-You-Do-About-Excessive-Dog-Barking?&id=7309271

How To Stop Your Dog From Destroying Your Back Yard

Destructive behavior in dogs is not only frustrating to deal with but can also be a sign that something is wrong with your dog's health or lifestyle. Here are a few of the most common causes of this type of behavior as well as tips on how to stop your dog from destroying your back yard.

Boredom

Boredom is one of the leading causes of destructive behavior in dogs. When dogs don't have enough to keep them occupied, they will find their own way to entertain themselves. Unfortunately, this often means digging holes in your otherwise perfect flowerbed or lawn, clawing at your brand new fence or chewing on your deck railings.

Putting an end to destructive behavior caused by boredom starts with finding ways to keep your dog occupied. Consider investing in a treat dispensing toy. These toys can be filled with bits of dog food or sticky snacks like peanut butter and are a great way to keep your dog busy for long periods of time. Additionally, be sure that your dog is getting plenty of exercise and that he gets lots of love and attention when you are home.

Separation Anxiety

Many dogs become fearful and anxious when left alone. This fear and anxiety often manifests itself as destructive behavior. A dog that suffers from separation anxiety may bark, urinate, defecate, scratch or dig excessively while you are away.

One way of easing separation anxiety is by making the experience of being alone more pleasurable for your dog. For instance, you could give them a special treat every time you leave the house. Treat dispensing toys are an ideal choice since they often keep your dog occupied for long periods of time. Just be sure to only give the treat when you are leaving so they start to associate delicious food with being alone.

Kong Stuffed with Frozen Peanut Butter

You can also ease their anxiety by being calm when you leave and when you arrive home. Instead of talking in an excited voice and getting your dog all riled up, make it seem like your leaving is no big deal.

If neither of these tactics work, you may want to consider enrolling your dog in doggy daycare. This allows them to interact with other dogs and people, preventing the types of situations that often lead to destructive behavior

Getting your dog to stop destroying your back yard starts with understanding what triggers him to act out in the first place..In most cases, when you address issues such as boredom or separation anxiety, the destructive behavior will stop on its own.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Stop-Your-Dog-From-Destroying-Your-Back-Yard&id=9055303

Separation Anxiety and How to Fix It

Separation anxiety affects dogs and makes them appear stressed when the owner leaves home for some time. The phrase describes how the dog behaves when the owner is not around. The dog will exhibit symptoms such as excessive salivation, winning, barking and destroying items including scratching the walls, floors, doors and attempting to escape from the room.

Stimulated separation anxiety - The dog may exhibit and show a lack of self-control due to insufficient leadership. This dog may experience stress due to lack of attention from the owner. The dog becomes aware of the fact that it will attract attention if it behaves badly. When such a dog is reprimanded, it gets motivated because it knows that at least there is some form of attention. Negative attention can also be a reward if the owner is not aware of the needs of the dog. This kind of stress is easy to overcome especially where the owner increases the amount of time he spends with the dog by giving the dog proper exercise and leadership.

Fixing Anxiety

Take the Dog for a Walk

To reduce the anxiety, you can start by taking the dog for a walk. If you make the walk more rigorous, and give the dog enough food and water, the dog will spend enough time eating and resting. This leaves him in a quite or resting mode when you are away from home.

Avoid Touch or Eye Contact

Do not let the dog know when you are leaving or when you return. It makes the dog understand that there is nothing wrong when you disappear for some time. Disappearing for an hour before you leave or after your appear will effectively communicate this to the dog.

Say Goodbye Long Before Leaving

Before you leave the house, show the dog some affection. The dog will learn to associate the affection with leaving.

Remain Calm And Assertive

If you are ready to go to work, let the dog be aware of the fact that everything will be OK. This can be achieved if you project some level of confidence. Be assertive and reduce the separation anxiety.

Practice Leaving the Dog for Some Time

You can do this in a small manner. Leave the dog for some time then come back and leave again for a longer period of time. This should be practiced regularly until the dog learns that your absence does not mean anything.

Separation anxiety can be a huge problem however with some patients and the help of a professional you will hopefully solve the problem.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Separation-Anxiety-and-How-to-Fix-It&id=9055444

A Poorly Behaved Dog, Not Separation Anxiety

I have written about separation anxiety many times and I always mention that it is always possible that the dog is not suffering from separation but is simply a poorly behaved dog. Well, I just found another poorly behaved dog that was misdiagnosed and I thought I would tell you how we solved the problem.

This dog was a 9 month old lab mix that came from a shelter and then was moved a couple of more times with its new family. The owners were using a wire crate (YUCK) for the dog when they were at work. Unfortunately, the dog had learned how to escape and was doing it on a regular basis.

The new family vet suggested medication along with training and behavior modification to help solve the problem.

When I met the dog owners they had already received complaints from neighbors along with a warning letter from their new apartment management.

We started the training and the dog seemed to do well with its new exercises however it was still noisy when they were at work so they decided to leave it loose in the apartment while they were gone. That wasn't good because it became destructive and started a new bad habit chewing.

When I received their phone call asking for help they told me this was the final chance for the dog it had to be fixed or else it was back to a shelter. I hated hearing that but understood so I suggested a new plastic crate that gives more of a den feeling than the old wire crate and a bark collar.

They followed my instruction and got the bark collar as well as an internet camera so that they could see what was going on with their dog using an app on their smartphones. The barking continued even with the bark collar properly fitted.

That evening they took the final step and purchased a plastic dog crate set it up and allowed the dog to play some retrieve the treat from the crate games. The next morning the dog went in the crate as they left for work. The dog barked for less than 5 minutes and then quit. Yes, peace for the neighbors at last.

So was it separation anxiety, no. That was my diagnosis from the beginning. What fixed the problem the bark collar? He barked through it with the wire crate. Was it the new den like crate? I think it helped tremendously. I have had several clients switch from wire to plastic with very similar results.

If you have a dog that barks and whines in the wire crate upgrade to plastic and see if that solved the problem. Remember that separation anxiety is not always the problem.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Poorly-Behaved-Dog,-Not-Separation-Anxiety&id=9029095

What Does It Mean When Your Dog Sits On Your Feet?

Have you ever wondered why your dog sometimes sits on your feet? There can be several different reasons for this behavior and I bet if you ask 10 people you're probably get 10 different answers. In this article will discuss some of the reasons. 

One of the things that quite often is a reason why dogs sit on their owner's feet is to protect the owner. Yes a dog that sits on your feet can be protecting you from other people and even other dogs. So if you have been seeing aggression in your dog and you also see it exhibiting this behavior hopefully this will give you some idea of what's going on. 

Protecting you isn't the only reasons that a dog might sit on your feet. There are a bunch of other reason as well. Sometimes it can be a sign of dominance so if you have been seeing other signs of dominance as well then this may be the reason for this behavior. 

Well now that we have gotten aggression and dominance out of the way let's talk about some of the other possible reasons why your dog may sit on your feet. Is your dog the type of dog that always wants to be with you or touching you? Does your dog's suffer from separation anxiety? These types of dogs quite often do this behavior in order to be close to you. 

So here's a question for you. Do you enjoy this behavior? Or would you prefer that your dog did not do it? 

If it doesn't bother you I guess there is no reason to make your dog stop. However on the other hand if it annoys you or if your dog is doing it for protective reasons then this is something that you will probably want to eliminate. 

Eliminating the behavior is actually pretty easy. When your dog comes to sit on your feet simply push it away or you can move away as well while giving a verbal correction. If you will be consistent with the corrections you'll find the behavior will go away quickly. 

Of course some good obedience training will go a long way in helping to eliminate not only this bad habit but many other bad habits as well. Simply put obedience training teaches your dog that you are the master and you don't need to be protected. 

Getting involved in a group obedience class or private lessons can make a tremendous difference in your dog's attitude and your relationship with the dog. Remember my old saying that "a trained dog is a happy dog".

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Does-It-Mean-When-Your-Dog-Sits-On-Your-Feet?&id=8572400

Separation Anxiety And Your Dog

Is your dog suffering from separation anxiety or could it simply be just some poor behavior from lack of proper training? Separation anxiety is a truly debilitating mental illness for dogs. In this article let's talk about some of the do's and don'ts when it comes to separation anxiety.

True separation anxiety is where your dog just can't be without you, sometimes not even for just a few minutes. Some of the signs for this illness can include:

· Trying to get out of its crate

· Soiling in the house or in the crate when you're gone

· Crying or barking endlessly for longer than 15 minutes

· Destroying things in the house such as furniture, carpet and woodwork

I actually had a client with a dog that had it so badly that somebody has to be at home with the dog 24/7. Yes you heard me correctly; these people have never been out to dinner or to the store together for almost 2 years. Somebody always has to be home.

Quite often dogs with separation anxiety cannot handle being crated. However there are other dogs with separation anxiety that find a crate to be a great place to relax. As you can see the symptoms can be different for different dogs.

A lot of people think their dogs are suffering from separation anxiety when in all actuality it is simply a poorly behaved dog. For example a nine-month old Labrador that's left unattended in the house without being crated can destroy a living room in no time. In this case it's the owners fault for not crating their dog.

So how do you help the dog that is suffering from separation anxiety? If you would ask your vet that same question he will probably suggest to you that you start off with some obedience training. Yes for some dogs obedience training will do the trick because it gives the dog a job to do. With other dogs obedience training doesn't help at all.

You also need to do some modifications to the way you do things at home by trying to desensitize the dog to you grabbing the car keys and walking out the door. Actually there are a whole list of things that a good dog behavior specialist or trainer will be able to advise you to do in an effort to help your dog.

After training and behavior modification have not solved the problem another visit to the vet may be able to help your dog by prescribing some medications that will help relieve your dog of some of its anxiety.

Separation anxiety it's hard to live with but hopefully one of these ideas will help you solve the problem.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Separation-Anxiety-And-Your-Dog&id=8490315