How to
stop your dog barking and annoying neighbors.
This article is one of a great many articles written by Dennis Fisher about a very wide variety of subjects concerning different dogs, such as obedience training, breeding, showing, health matters, training problems and other subjects. All these articles appear on Dennis Fisher's websites. Visit http://www.allaboutgermanshepherddogs.com the site that has been set up specifically for German Shepherd Dog enthusiasts, or http://www.freedogadvice.com if you interested in a breed other than German Shepherd Dog
A dog that
keeps on continually barking – especially at night - is a tremendous nuisance
and a source of conflict with your neighbor.
Your neighbor could even be a dog lover but a dog bark that goes on and
on can upset even the mildest mannered person.
At one
time I was training director of an all breeds training school.
A new member of my Club, who had just joined the class, explained that
the reason why she had joined the obedience training school was because she had
been obliged to get rid of her Dobermann – that she loved dearly - because of
the complaints of her neighbor, who had objected to the dogs incessant barking
at night.
I told her
that it was a great pity she had not started the obedience training before and
come to training with the previous
dog, because unnecessary barking can be avoided with the correct training.
The same
principle applies to dog training problems as with any problems,
One has to
look at the situation logically.
First of all determine why has the problems arisen in the first place?
Secondly what effective measure can be taken to solve the problem.
Why do
dogs bark? Dogs have an
inherent guarding instinct and the reason why they bark is because they are
warning you of intruders. Obviously
you will have no objection to the dog barking for this reason, so it is
important to identify the nature of the bark.
If you
listen to the nature of the bark carefully you can easily detect whether it is
an unnecessary bark or whether there is a good reason for the barking.
In the
case
Why do
some dogs bark incessantly without any apparent reason?
A very common reason is because they are bored and lonely.
The dog is a pack animal and craves company.
If you only have one dog, it is highly likely that this could be the
reason.
How do you
cope with this situation?
Here are
three ways that have worked for many dog owners who have to deal with angry
neighbors who complained about their dog barking.
(1)
Get another dog as a companion for your dog.
If your dog is a large dog, you can get a small dog, preferably a small
spayed bitch. They will soon become
excellent companions.
(2)
Another solution is to get a toy for the dog.
Dogs love their own special toys. Choose something very durably like a
kong that cannot be damaged. During the day make a point of playing with the dog
to get rid of excess energy.
(3)
Also make sure that your dog has it’s own special space to sleep where it
can be comfortable and feel secure.
Stress is far more common with dogs than people realize. A dog needs to have
it’s own area of security as much as humans.
Training
is absolutely essential with all dogs.
A training school is an ideal place to train your dog because of the
opportunities for socialization.
The socialization should begin early. Not only with this prevent aggression with
other dogs as the dog grows older, it will also result in a more balanced
temperament.
If it’s
not convenient to join a training class, this should still not prevent you from
socializing your dog by taking it for a walk in public place.
If you
hear your dog barking incessantly at night, first of all establish from the
sound of the bark whether the animal is warning you of danger or whether it is
just barking with no apparent reason.
If the dog
has had some obedience training, you can go and correct the dog with a firm
“No!” in the same way as you did in obedience classes when you had to correct
the dog unsatisfactory behavior.
If you
have never had any obedience classes this make the situation a little difficult.
Don’t shout your correction from inside the house, because this has the
effect of giving the dog the attention it wants.
Establish your own training schedule.
Use a
command that the dog understands when it does something that is not
acceptable to you.
Although
you may be tempted to bring the dog inside, especially if the barking continues
at night, try and resist the temptation. The dog will obviously bark to attract
this type of action from you.