Some owners seem to want their dogs to stop barking, period: a
good dog is a quiet dog, and the only time that barking's
permitted is when there's a strange man in a black mask
clambering in through your bedroom window.Dogs don't see barking in quite the same way. Your dog has a
voice, just like you, and she uses it for the same reason: to
communicate something to the people she cares about. Unfortunately, the language barrier between dogs and humans is
pretty well impermeable, which means it's up to us to use the
context, the body language of our dogs, and the circumstances of
the vocalization to extract meaning from a volley of barks. So why do dogs bark? It's not easy to say . Let's start off by
saying that dogs bark for a lot of reasons.
A lot of it depends on the breed: some dogs were bred to bark
only when a threat is perceived (like Rottweilers, Dobermans,
and German Shepherds); some were bred to use their voices as a
tool of sorts, to assist their owners in pursuit of a common
goal (sporting breeds like Beagles and Bloodhounds), and some
dogs just like to hear themselves talk (take just about any of
the toy breeds as an example of a readily-articulate dog!).However, all breed specificity cast aside, there are some
circumstances where just about any dog will give voice:She's bored, lonely, hungry, or knows it's time for a meal, or
that something is wrong/someone is near the house, or she's
inviting you to play, etc, etc. If your dog is barking for any of these reasons, it's not really
realistic for you to try to stop her: after all, she's a dog,
and it's the nature of all dogs to bark at certain times and in
certain situations. Of course, there are times when barking isn't only unwarranted,
it's downright undesirable. Some dogs can use their voices as a
means of manipulation. For example, when your dog continually
barks at you to take her outside and you at first ignore her,
but then give in just to make her quiet.Respect is an essential part of your relationship with your dog.
You respect her, which you show by taking good care of her
regardless of the convenience of doing so, feeding her, and
showing your affection for her in ways that she understands and
enjoys. But in order for her to be worthy of your respect, she has to
respect you, too. Something that many people struggle to come to
terms with is that dog ownership is not about equality: it's
about you being the boss, and her being the pet. A dog has to
respect your leadership to be a happy, well-adjusted, and
well-behaved pet.Affection and play-times are obviously necessary aspects of
life with a dog, but they have to be doled out on your own
terms. If she learns that she can get what she wants by barking,
then your house is going to become a Noise Pollution Zone (and
this is not going to endear you to your neighbors, either). To prevent this bullying behavior in your dog from assuming a
familiar role in her repertoire of communications, you have to
prove to her that you're not the kind of person that can be
manipulated so easily. It's simple to do this: all you have to
do is ignore her. Not passive ignorance, where you pay her no
attention and simply continue with whatever it was you were
doing - you need to take more of an active role.
This means
conveying to her through your body language that she is not
worthy of your attention when she acts in such an undesirable
manner.The absolute best and most effective thing for you to do in this
case is to turn your back on her. When she starts trying to
'bark you' into doing something for her, turn your back on her
straight away. Get up, avert your eyes and face, and turn around
so your back is towards her. Don't look at her, and don't talk
to her - not even a "no". She'll probably be confused by this, and will likely bark
harder. This is particularly true if you've given in to her
bully-barking in the past - the more times you've reinforced the
behavior, the more persistent she's going to be. In fact, the
barking will almost certainly get a lot worse before it gets
better.As in all aspects of dog training, consistency is very
important. You must ensure that you don't change your mind
halfway through and give in to what she wants - because by doing
so, you're teaching her to be really, really persistent ("OK, so
I just need to bark for ten minutes instead of five to get a
walk," is the message she'll get).But what can you do in other situations where bullying isn't an
issue and you just want her to stop the racket? If you want to
get the message across that you'd like her to cease fire and be
quiet, the most effective thing you can do is to use your hands.
Here's what you do: when she's barking, give her a second to
'get it out of her system' (it's a lot kinder, and a lot more
effective, to give her a chance - however brief - to express
herself before asking her to be quiet). If she doesn't calm down
after a few moments, reach out and clasp her muzzle gently, but
firmly, in your hand. She'll try to shake you off, or back away,
so you can place your other hand on her collar to give you
greater control. This method is useful for two reasons: firstly, it effectively
silences the barking (since no dog, no matter how loud, can bark
with her mouth shut!). Secondly, it reinforces your authority:
you're showing her through direct physical action that you're a
benevolent but firm leader who will take no nonsense, and who
won't balk when it comes to enforcing your guidance. Hold onto her muzzle and collar until she's stopped trying to
break free: only when she calms down and stops wriggling does it
mean that she's accepted your authority. When she's still, hold
on for one or two more seconds, then let her go and praise her. Just remember: Dogs are social animals: they need lots of
attention, lots of interaction, and lots of communication.
Without these things, they become anxious and on edge.
If you're
at home with your dog, you're not paying attention to her, and
she's spending a lot of time barking at what appears to be
nothing, she's probably bored and lonely and would benefit from
a healthy dose of affection and attention. Recommended reading. If you'd like more information on unwanted behaviors that your
dog's exhibiting, you'll probably be interested in taking a look
at Sit Stay Fetch. It's a complete, A-Z manual for the responsible
dog owner, and deals with recognizing, preventing, and dealing
with just about every problem dog behavior under the sun.
Perfect for all the dog lovers in Vancouver!About the author: Dr Ruff
Dr Ruff is a world renowned expert in dog training.
