Dog barking is a difficult issue issue and frequently a big source of bad feelings between neighbours. For anybody, a dog barking is an unpleasant noise to hear for even the shortest time period and you can understand that when the dog next door barks on and off all day like a defective automobile alarm, it will try anyone’s patience. What we frequently overlook is that the dog will be barking for a reason (as far as they’re aware) and it is doubtless just as troubling for the dog who is feeling the fear or anxiety.
Finding out what triggers your dogs barking could be the toughest part of the problem as dogs can bark at the tiniest of things. External noise, for example somebody walking past your home will start some dogs barking , however, even within the house, some dog owners find that they can’t leave their dog in a room alone without them becoming anxious and barking the place down, and the door bell or telephone is often the cue for an outburst of barking.
Anxiety frequently lies behind a dogs excessive barking, even though on the face of it, it can look more like aggression. So to stop dog barking we need to beginby dealing with any anxiety problems, which will automatically reduce our dogs need to bark.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Separation anxiety is affecting more than 15% of dogs (and some reports indicates as much as 50%). The anxiety creates numerous behavioural symptoms from a dog pacing the floor, to chewing everything in sight as well as other damaging behavior. Dog separation anxiety is nearly always the root of a dog barking so much when left home alone.
Reducing anxiety in dogs could be a lengthy process, depending on how acute the symptoms are and will need both time and patience on your part. When you have worked out the things that set off the anxiety you’ll be able to use desensitization training to help your dog.
Leading the Pack
Closely interlinked to separation anxiety is pack leadership. As a pack animal, dogs know there must be a pack leader, one who is accountable for the safeness of the remainder of its clan. If one of its charges goes missing, barking is one method of helping them to find their way back. Clever stuff, but then if we stop and realize the dog could believe itself to be the responsible member of the pack, what does it feel when everyone goes out, locks the door and leaves them home alone?
Excessive barking in dogs is very like any concerned parents reaction to a child that has disappeared. In our anxiety we might shout at the very top of our voice in they hope that they can hear us and come running back, so too a dog will try to let the missing pack members know how to find their way home. This is also why dogs will scratch wildly at the doors or windows, because they want to get out and search for you.
How To Stop Dogs Barking
One of the best ways to stop dogs barking is to take back the responsibility for the pack from the dog by showing them you’re the pack leaders and the ones to be trusted.
That doesn’t mean using devices like the shock collar each time your dog is barking (why punish a dog for doing what it thinks is its job?) or removing its vocal chords (does it change the dog’s mind about its responsibility?) Neither does it mean you’ve got to control your dog by pinning it down or pushing it around. Leadership can be established by showing your dog you are the decision maker, for example by always making them sit and wait for their food and only begin eating when you give the go ahead.
It could appear like a roundabout way to stop dog barking, but by handling both dog separation anxiety and leadership problems you are more likely to bring calm to the home and the neighbourhood too.
Author Venice Marriott is a writer, rescue dog owner and runs a Dog Anxiety website, which provides help and information for dog owners dealing with dog anxiety. Get more information about how to stop dogs barking, when you visit the site.
Jan 06, 2012 | | Dog training
It can be very hard to keep some dogs safe and sound at home where you would like them to be, when they are focused on running away. Actually, the sheer determination and creativeness that goes into your dog escaping can be as mind blowing as watching Steve McQueen in the Great Escape!
Are They Really Running Away?
Many dog owners don’t understand why their dogs would like to run away, which stands to reason when they are well fed and looked after, but there is often a very good reason behind a dog escaping. Nevertheless realizing that doesn”t stop it being the most worrying of all dog behaviour problems you have to sort out.
If we put aside the very potent call of nature when female dogs come into season, there are two other major reasons your dog could be trying to get out. The 1st is driven by separation anxiety in dogs and the second by pack leadership issues.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Dogs with separation anxiety aren’t actually attempting to run away, but attempting to get out and come and find you. This is because their anxiety is not about being left on their own as is often believed, but caused by stressing about where you have gone and whether you can find your way back home.
This is also why some dogs will cause so much destruction around doors and windows when they’re locked in a house alone; they are completely desperate to get out and come and find you.
Dogs acting in this manner will most likely have chosen that they are the leader of the pack and thus accountable for the survival of its members, so the panic is quite understandable when some of their pack members go missing.
Pack Leader Behavior
A dog that believes it is pack leader could also try and escape to do something else that comes instinctively to them – patrolling their territory. Because you have a fence around your garden doesn’t always mean a dog sees that as the sole part of its territory!
Put a Stop to Your Dog Running Away
Handling the leadership issue will help with each of the above reasons that your dog runs away. Learning to show your dog you are pack leader doesn’t involve being dominant or harsh towards your dog, just showing them you are the decision maker.
Keep an eye open for more indications of separation anxiety in your dog too, eg barking non-stop when left alone or urinating or pooping in the house, as you might need to use some desensitization training to lose their behavior issues fully.
Author Venice Marriott is a writer and dog owner and runs a Dog Anxiety website, which provides help and information for owners dealing with dog anxiety. Get more information about your dog running away and other dog behaviour problems, when you visit the site.
Oct 07, 2011 | | Dog training
If your dog is ripping holes in the settee, chewing up the carpet or leaving unpleasant teeth marks in the table and chairs, you’ll already understand that its far too costly an issue to ignore!
Sadly, chewing is standard dog behavior and it is impractical to expect them to stop chewing completely. For example, chewing is vital to a puppy’s development, helping to relieve teething pain and enable their teeth to come in to place. And, while a dog’s drive to chew decreases with age, it might not disappear, so the best you can aim for is to keep the dog chewing away from your furniture and focussed on other items, like their own chew toys!
A Two-Step Approach to Stop Your Dog Chewing the Furniture
Your first step is to take rapid action to limit any more damage, while you get to grips with the second step, that may take a little longer. Step 2 involves observing your dog carefully to identify the reasons why your dog is chewing the furniture, so that you can take the right actions to stop the chewing problems and allow you to trust your dog again.
Limit the Damage Caused by Dog Chewing
Start by taking a few of these practical steps to restrict the damage due to your dog’s chewing.
- Do not let your dog have unmanaged access to furniture they can chew. This means don’t permit them to be in a room without anybody there to keep an eye on them.
- When you go out, limit their access to a room that has nothing in it they can damage, or utilize a dog crate or dog house run.
- Use baby gates to stop your dog accessing areas where you cannot trust them, eg the dining room.
- You can try dabbing furniture with chewing deterrents like Bitter Apple spray, which will need to be re-applied continually. Feedback indicates this doesn’t work for all dogs as some don’t appear to be bothered by the taste. Remember also that it won’t actually teach your dog not to chew on the furniture, just not that bit of furniture!
- Supply your dog with items that are strong enough and safe to chew. Many toys are all to easily demolished and can be a problem if they chew bits off and swallow them, so be careful what you give them.
Get to the Root of the Dogs Chewing Problem
Your dog’s chewing issues can be driven by numerous different factors, so observe your dog closely and attempt to work out what lies behind your dogs chewing, before deciding how you’re going to stop it.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
If your dog is only chewing things when you go out, it is feasible that your dog is suffering from separation anxiety. The method of chewing will help the dog produce natural endorphins that calms their anxiety down, (a bit like someone chewing their nails when frightened).
Dog separation anxiety training is the most commonly recommended way to remove this problem and can be especially helpful when combined with demonstrating to your dog that you’re the pack leader. With very worried dogs you could need to think about using some dog separation anxiety medication, but you should always talk about this with your vet first.
Dog Teething Issues
Puppy dog teething lasts until around 7 months and a puppy’s chewing will helps ease agony, remove and loosen puppy dog teeth and help adult teeth come through, so if your dog is at this point, provide plenty of acceptable chewing toys and give them one of these every time you spot them heading towards the furniture or spot them in the process of chewing your furniture. Praise them for chewing on their own toys.
Chewing for teething reasons can last 1 year, with teen dogs trying to relieve the discomfort in their gums or jaw till all adult teeth have settled in.
Attention Seeking in Dogs
Some dogs use chewing as a trick to get their owner’s to pay attention to them. As an example, if he starts chewing on a chair leg and you react by shouting or maybe chasing him, he has worked out how it’s possible to get your attention each time he wants it, and if you chase him he’s also got an interesting game!
To remove this habit, don’t pay your dog any attention for this behavior. You might try walking from the room he is in and getting out of his sight line, to teach him that not only does he not get your interest but will lose you altogether.
If your dog is after your attention, then at that time, he is very likely to stop chewing and follow you. Equally, you can take your dog by the collar and without speaking to, or looking your dog in the eye, put them on their own for a short while in a crate, or room alone. This also shows them that they might lose the pack for this behaviour which is something your dog will not want to happen and so it should be a powerful incentive.
Picking the Best Approach to Dog Chewing Problems
After you have worked out the root cause of your dog’s chewing problem, it’s time to get in to action. Decide what strategy you need and commit some time to it, and be commited to be patient and be persistent with your dog.
Don’t use punishments as most dog experts agree that this approach can be useless, making a dog fear you rather than teaching them what they should do. As an alternative by taking a positive approach to training and using lots of positive reinforcement with praise and treats, you should be able to stop your dog chewing the furniture.
Get more info to help stop your dog chewing furnitureand find out more about dog anxiety when you visit the writers website.
Oct 05, 2011 | | Dog training
Whining is a natural part of dog communication very like dog barking, howling and crying and has it’s place in a dog’s communication both with each other and with us.
Right from birth a young puppy will learn when to whine when it’s hungry to attract their mother for milk. Whining is equally used at this stage as a distressed call when a puppy might be hurt or shocked and needs attention.
Handy as it is, there is definitely something in the pitch of dog whining that makes it tough to pay no attention to, and is the reason why it’s so much more difficult to put up with in totally grown, healthy dogs.
Why Your Dog Whines at You
Most often, whining is used to get you to pay attention, whether or not that’s to tell you they desire food, affection, play, their toy (you put beyond reach), or because they need to go outside to toilet. My dog use to drive me crazy with his whining whenever he lost his ball under the couch or kitchen cupboards.
Another prominent reason for whining is because of separation anxiety in dogs and some dogs will whine constantly whenever left home alone, driving the next door neighbours up the wall. This can also be the case with a dog whining at night and the same for a dog whining in their crate because they don’t like to be separated from you.
Occasionally a dog will whine because they are feeling physically uncomfortable like wet, cold, hungry or parched, or when they’re in pain, so you will always need to make a judgement about how much attention you pay to their whining.
Obviously some whining is useful like showing you to a health problem or going outside to toilet, so if you do not like your dogs whining, you don’t want to try and stop them whining altogether, just keep their whining to suitable incidents.
The best way to Stop Dog Whining
First, identify what triggers your dogs whining by observing them and noting when they whine and what they whine about. Then use an acceptable training systems to show them that their whining won’t get them what they want (which mostly means ignoring them when they whine).
But remember, to be effective you need to make sure all the family reacts in the same way to your dogs whining. You will need to be patient as it can take some time before they give up this behaviour, consistant in your reply to their whining and persistant so you stick with the training till the whining stops!
Venice Marriott is a writer, dog lover and owner of the Dog Anxiety website, which provides help and info for dog owners handling dog behaviour issues such as whining, caused by separation anxiety in dogs. Get her free help sheet about the major symptoms of dog separation anxiety, when you visit the site.
Sep 30, 2011 | | Dog training
It’s so vital you work out why your dog’s urinating in the house before you deliberate on how you are going to treat the issue.
You’re going to need a completely different approach in each circumstance and get this wrong at this point and you may make the issue worse. See if you can identify the cause of dog urination in the house using the questions below.
Could it be hooked up to your dogs health?Because if you suspect it could be, you should visit your vet as fast as possible and a short course of medication may be the answer.
Could it be your dogs age? An old dog might suffer from a touch of incontinence, similarly a young puppy might not have mastered house training yet. Either way you’ll need to show a bit of patience here.
Could it be a timing issue? Are your dogs urinating in house because you’re leaving them a little to long before you let them out? Perhaps you’re missing the signals of your dog needing to urinate? Try observing your dog closer, and try letting your dog out more frequently and see if this does the trick.
If you have excluded all of the reasons above there are four other reasons your dog might be urinating in the house
- Because they are suffering from dog separation anxiety
Dog Attention Seeking
Attention seeking behaviour is quite common in dogs, some can be cute like bringing you things, others can be pretty sneekly like gently leaning on your legs to get you to notice, while others could be a bit more extreme.
A dog desperate for attention will not be put off by the simple fact the his bad dog behaviour gets him into your bad books so long as he’s getting your attention. It quickly becomes part of a game.
The only possible way to cope with this sort of attention seeking is to blank their actions utterly. Not easy if you have just witnessed your dog urinating in the house, but necessary if you’d like to clear this problem up. No quantity of rubbing their nose in it’ll help, so faced with this situation just put your dog out of the room without speaking to them or looking at them while you clear it up. Your dog will gives up urinating in the house if it does not get him the expected result “your attention.
Who is the Pack Leader?
Quite recently dog owner who had a few dogs, asked for help when one of her dogs came into the the lounge, cocked his leg and started peeing on the occasional table directly in front of her. Even worse he was promptly followed by another dog who started peeing in the same place!
To stop this sort of urinating in the house, you’ll need to find out how to be the pack leader, because the above was a real instance of a direct challenge and her dogs were attempting to establish who was leader of the pack.
Strangely, urinating may also be a form of submission in dogs and you frequently see this in really scared dogs who might pee when you call them because they suspect they’re in trouble.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
But separation anxiety in dogs is maybe one of the most important causes of a healthy, housebroken dog urinating in the house.
So if your dog only urinates in the house after you have gone out and they’re left alone, separation anxiety is most likely to be the cause. What they are doing makes perfect sense to them, because by scent marking the house they are showing you where to come back to. The issue in their plan is they are assuming that your sense of smell is as good as theirs.
In natural settings a dog urinating would act in 3 ways; to mark their boundaries, keep other packs away and let their own pack members know where they should come back to.
Solution to your Dog Urinating in the House.
You probably now know whether you want to concentrate on house training your dog, cope with their attention seeking behaviour, meet their challenge for leadership, or sort out their anxiety issues. If you believe your dogs peeing issues spring from separation anxiety, get our free report on separation anxiety by visiting our dog anxiety site. Key to stop the anxiety issues is learning the way to be the pack leader.
The writer faced the difficulty of her very own rescue dog urinating in the house because of dog anxiety. To get some more tips and info about dog anxiety, inlcuding a free report on dog anxiety symptomsclick to come to the site.
Aug 15, 2011 | | Dog training
Dog barking is both natural and useful and yet it is likely to be the cause of so many problems in the home and out. From falling out with the people next door to driving you crazy at home, to much barking gives dogs an awful name!
On the up-side, many of us are quite happy to have a dog that barks as it makes us feel safe during the night and lets us know when a person is approaching the house.
But on the other-side too many dogs just don’t know when to stop. They’re a bit like a defective vehicle alarm, almost anything can set them off and it can take a long while to make them stop. Add into that a dose of dog anxiety and you have got some serious dog barking problems.
Nuisance Dog Barking
In nature barking works and you don’t find dogs barking without cause. Their barking has 3 main functions; The initial one is to let the rest of the pack know where you are, the second is a to alert the rest of the pack to possible risk and the 3rd is an agressive warning to keep away.
Nuisance dog barking crops up when dogs try and apply a system that works perfectly in nature, to a human world they can’t understand.
Thats when literally anything might be a threat to a dog (think postman, fone, Television, plastic bag blowing down the road…) and the more anxious the dog, the more threats it’d feel the urge to bark at. And quite naturally they will keep barking until they’re sure that the threat has gone away.
Dog Barking when Left Alone
Dogs will bark from time to time when left alone “again it is only natural as they will respond to whatever noises they can hear outside the home.
Nonetheless if a dog barks incessantly, particularly right after you leave the house, it’s more certain to be triggered by dog anxiety. Unfortunately, some anxious dogs will literally bark off and on for hours.
Naturally, this is precisely the sort of barking which has your neighbors in an uproar and threatening you with dog barking laws, complaint letters and council action.
In that circumstance the assumption is sometimes that dog lovers are neglecting their dogs or leaving them for too long. But that’s not often the case. When you’re coping with separation anxiety in dogs, more attention and less time away won’t dissolve their anxiety as they’ll feel it whether you leave for 30 minutes or five hours.
How Do I To Stop My Dog From Barking
Excessive dog barking when you are in the house can be stopped with only two short words. We already realize that roaring ‘Shut Up ‘ won’t work, but what about the words ‘Thank You ‘ or ‘Good Boy ‘ or ‘Good Girl ‘?
It’s may appear counter intuitive, but shockingly thanking your dog can work! Here’s why.
In nature one of the roles of a dog pack member will be to warn the pack leader to any possible risk. Once alerted the pack leader would make the choice whether any action was needed, so that would mean joining in the barking if they decided there was a real threat, or doing nothing if they decided there wasn’t any threat to the pack, so the barking would stop.
Move that that into the home and if your dog barks and you scream at them, you raise your anxiety levels, so that the dog will sense that something is truly wrong, and you sound like you’re joining in, and is the reason why your dog will bark far more wildly when you do raise your voice.
By positively thanking them, you cannot sound irritated, and you do not raise your anxiety levels and your dog should naturally stop. If they carry on, you can go and look at what they are barking at and thank them again. If continue, put them in another room on their own until they relax.
The objective is to set up a system that your dog understands. They will still be the one to warn you of something first as their hearing is so much better, and by staying calm yourself and thanking them, you make sure they know there isn’t anything to stress about.
Dog Anxiety Can Cause Dog Barking Problems
Unfortunately, its not a system which you can use when your dog is at home alone. Instead you have to to deal with the source of your dogs separation anxiety which is most certain to be a leadership issue.
If your dog has placed themselves as head of the pack, they’ve also made themselves accountable for decision-making and keeping the pack safe and they can’t do that if you lock them in at home and go out.
The frenzied barking is a noise beacon to let you know where they happen to be and where to return home to. In natural settings that noise would carry a good way, and dogs do not know that our hearing isn’t as good as theirs.
Unfortunately, as long as they have anxiety, they are going to have barking problems. It’s their nature and the sole way you can change their mind and stop the dog barking is to show your dog that you are leader of the pack, not them. That way they don’t have to worry.
The author has experienced dog anxiety and dog barking problems with her recent rescue dog and used these methodologies to successfully stop hisdog barking when left alone.
Jul 31, 2011 | | Dog training
Have you got a dog with separation anxiety? If so, your poor dog can hardly stand to be alone. So much so, that he begins to act in ways that you may find to be pretty undesirable.
At some point, your dog begins to constantly bark. He or she will also likely begin to chew on things or find various ways to destroy your property. If you have a dog with separation anxiety, pretty much anything becomes fair game in your house when you are away. You can always expect to come home to complete madness when your dog suffers from this problem.
If all of this sounds too familiar, you are by no means alone. Millions of pet owners are searching for ways to help their dog with separation anxiety, for their dog’s sake as well as their own.
The first step in this process is to begin to work on obedience with your dog. This helps to give your dog confidence, which in turn has a calming effect. Start teaching commands and their proper responses. Give your dog rewards for good behavior.
Give your dog some independence by setting up his own little area somewhere in your house. Give him a little mat or blanket and place it next to his food and water bowls. Make it as nice and cozy as possible so your dog will want to spend time there.
When you are leaving your house, just give your dog a short pat on the head as a quick goodbye. This gives the impression of, “I’ll be right back.” Don’t make a big deal out of leaving, or it may seem to your dog like you aren’t coming back. This will help to minimize barking, which will please your neighbors!
There are many ways in which you can treat a dog with separation anxiety, and as long as you do it with care you can’t go wrong!
Apr 06, 2011 | | Dog training
If separation anxiety in dogs is a problem for your canine friend, there are several dog behavior modification techniques you can use to change his behavior.
How To Handle Mild Cases Of Dogs With Separation Anxiety
The most important thing to do is to keep your comings and goings low-key.Your dog’s joyful behavior at your return shouldn’t last longer than a minute.
Many dog owners make the mistake of encouraging their dogs to get worked up when they come home.You may think it’s harmless, but you’re really teaching him that your coming home is the highest point of the day. The problem is that when you need to leave again, it makes it even harder for him to see you go.
Try leaving your dog with a piece of clothing that has your scent on it. Dogs with separation anxiety often find it reassuring to sleep on an old sweatshirt or t-shirt that you’ve worn recently.
Although you’re probably not aware of it, you’ve already established “safety cues” for your dog. A safety cue is an action you take upon leaving that tells your dog you’ll be back soon. For example, when your dog sees you going out with the trash, he knows you’ll be right back, and he doesn’t get upset.
A good technique is to use safety cues with your dog. If you know you’re going to be gone for a short time, you can leave the radio or tv on, or give him a certain toy to play with. Use these safety cues when you’re practicing with your dog so he gets to know what they are.
Be careful though.If your use a safety cue for too long, your dog will learn not to trust it, and it will lose its effectiveness. These cues are useful for shorter absences.
Canine Behavior Modification For More Severe Cases
If your buddy has a severe case of separation anxiety in dogs, you may want to try these dog behavior modification techniques. Keep these sessions short, but do them several times a day.
Pretend you’re leaving by grabbing your car keys and putting on your coat, but instead, sit back down.Do this again and again, until it doesn’t bother your dog anymore. Next, you’ll do these things and go to the door and open it, and then sit back down. Again, keep doing it until your dog shows no interest.
Next, go out through the door, leaving it open, and then come back in. The next step is to go though the door, and close it behind you. Immediately come back in. Progress to staying outside for a few minutes and coming back.
Remember to keep your exits and returns very low-key. You don’t want your dog to get excited that you’re back. His attitude should be, “ho-hum, it’s you again.” If your dog gets upset at any point, you’re going too fast. Go back to any earlier step, and start again.
You can see how you’re desensitizing your dog by teaching him that you can go away for longer and longer periods of time and still return safely.
Don’t Make The Mistake Of Teaching Your Dog The Wrong Lessons
You can see how easy it is to unknowingly train your dog to do what you don’t want him to do. If you need to solve the problem of separation anxiety in dogs, just click on any link in this article to find help. You’ll be amazed at how quickly and easily you can solve this problem once you understand how your canine friend thinks.
Dec 07, 2010 | | Dog training