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In many cases dogs bark because they have nothing else of interest to do, a lack of attention can sometimes cause the barking. A lot of the time we give in to our dogs in order to make them behave, this only teaches them that barking will get them what they want which encourages more bad behavior. It’s important to learn and understand the most effective dog training techniques so that you can effectively deal with this type of behavior.

Initially dogs nee to understand that barking just for the sake of attention is not acceptable. In many cases dogs will prefer “angry attention” over “no attention”. This is not the ideal way to train them however. What you should be doing is saying what you want to say, and then backing that up by an action - typically something that the dog doesn’t like.

If you tell him to be “Quiet” and reinforce it by using a spray of water, this action is known as negative reinforcement, where the dog learns to associate the words with an action. So if you do this he will come to expect that that word will be followed by an action he doesn’t like or no more barking. Later on he will learn to keep quiet on his own; when that happens you can praise him to let him know the quiet action was acceptable.

If you should however, find that your dogs bark is accompanied by a growl and the look as though he may bite you, you may not want to threaten or use negative reinforcement, and instead you may want to consult a professional or your veterinarian.

If your dog barks when you leave the house, make sure you do everything you can to minimize the barking. Ensure your dog has a comfortable place to rest and plenty of food and water. Make sure your dog doesn’t see other people as this may only excite him and cause more barking.

Another way to stop your dog barking is to stop praising him unnecessarily. Excessive praising is counterproductive because it teaches your dog that regardless of what he does, he will be praised. When he does what you’ve requested, don’t get carried away, just give him a quick pat and leave it at that. This will teach your dog that if he wants more praise, he’ll have to work for it and do more of what you’re asking for.

Give your dog something to do when you are not around. Use both negative and positive reinforcement to get your dog to behave the way you want, and remember not to get carried away in praising your dog. Practice and persistence will make perfect!

Tags: Dogs

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