How to solve your dog barking problems
It is perfectly natural for dogs to bark. It is a tool they employ for communicating their needs, their wants, warnings of any dangers around, and so forth. Many of these reasons are very similar to why we talk and even scream. Thus we cannot expect to eradicate barking completely as this would be cruel, but it is key that it is kept under control at all times. Dog barking only becomes a problem when it truly is excessive. But perhaps in order to solve these problems, it might be best to determine what causes this excessive barking in the first place. It is likely that your dog only barks excessively when certain circumstances exist, such as when confronted with other dogs, or even when the phone rings. Pin-pointing when it happens is the first step in understanding why it happens, and doing something about it. Therefore we will identify a few typical scenarios where dogs tend to bark excessively in an attempt to start to solve your dog barking problems.
Dogs which are very protective of their owners and of their home, might begin barking frantically at anyone else that approaches the house, such as the postman, or even dinner guests. Obviously this can be quite embarrassing for the hosts, and is best addressed through a dedicated dog training program. But your dog does this out of loyalty to you. He perceives these visitors to be threatening intruders to his territory and his pack, and is instinctively defending himself. It might be worth getting the postman, who comes to the house often, to give him treats or attention in order to minimize the barking, as well as training him with proven obedience techniques.
By contrast, you might find that your dog barks when you are not at home. While the outcome of this dig barking problem is similar to that discussed above, it is for a very different reason. In this case your dog barks as a result of stress and vulnerability as you are not around for protection. This is known as separation anxiety, and can only be overcome by ensuring that your dog is as comfortable as possible, with a relaxing place to sleep and plenty of toys to chew and play with, as well as not giving him too much attention when you return. Ignoring him for a while will eventually demonstrate to him that he does not need you for security. This latter point is only for dogs which are barking when you arrive home. If you only give them attention after they calm down, they will soon realize that the sooner they calm down the better for them! Over time this should sort this particular dog barking problem.
While these are just a few examples of dog barking problems, they go some way to highlighting the reasons why a dog barks excessively at times when might be inconvenient for us. Other typical occasions include barking at passers by or even just for attention, both of which happen for similar reasons to those we have already detailed. Thus employing a rigorous obedience training program will not only establish you as being in control of your dog at all times, it will result in both owner and dog enjoying a relaxed and happy relationship free of dog barking problems.
