Stop Excessive Barking

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Barking that is a behavior problem that may result from one of several different issues. The key is to first identify the cause of the barking and then to change your dog’s triggers.

Loneliness Barking
One key to dog obedience training is knowing that loneliness is the cause of incessant barking, giving your dog more attention may solve the problem. To stop excessive barking in a family situation, encourage family members to take turns playing with your dog and taking him for walks. When he is left alone, provide toys for him to amuse himself.

Sometimes more attention won't solve the problem. If your dog has developed a habit of barking, place some pennies in a can and tape it shut. When he barks, shake the can near him and say "quiet" in a firm voice. The purpose of shaking the can is to startle him. If the excessive barking resumes, shake the can again and say "quite", keep the can away from him so he does not consider it a toy. As your dog catches on, your verbal command "quiet" should stop the barking.

If the can does not work, use a squirt bottle to squirt your dog's legs and back accompanied by a firm "quiet" command.


Please remember, as we have learned in the previous post on stoping dog chewing, basic dog obedience training taught us that any action to deter your dog from barking must be made while he is barking. After-the-fact corrective action only confuses him. Use a strong, firm voice. Avoid yelling, which can be stressful to a dog.

Separation Anxiety Barking
Dogs housed inside who are left alone may suffer from separation anxiety. Some may show their fear and resentment by excessive barking. The ideal way to prevent this problem is to train a puppy to be left alone. To stop excessive barking a similar training can be applied to an older dog, but more time and patience may be required. Put the puppy in a room by himself. Say "quiet" and leave the room. If the puppy barks, return, say "quiet" and leave again. If the puppy is quiet for a brief period, return and praise him. Extend your time away from the puppy and, upon returning, praise him for being quiet. With an older dog, leaving the house or apartment may be necessary because the dog may pick up your scent and is sensitive to familiar noises.

Territorial Barking
Some dogs bark to protect their territory and a "bark/reward" cycle may be established. A dog who barks at a letter carrier when the mail is delivered is "rewarded" when the letter carrier leaves. This

bark/reward may lead him to bark at other service people, neighbors and passersby. If possible, introduce your dog to people who come to the home regularly. Short conversations with delivery or service people, with your dog present, may solve the problem.


Another dog obedience training method is a firm "no" or "quiet" when your dog begins barking. If he responds by being quiet, praise him briefly. Remember, you have to be present when he is barking to give the "quiet" command.

Other Excessive Barking Behaviors
Often a dog will bark in an invitation to play. This is accompanied by body language — tail-wagging, crouching with the head lowered and hindquarters raised. Barking usually stops when play begins or the invitation goes unanswered.

A dog may bark to threaten intruders. This is usually a more menacing bark and may be accompanied by growling. Depending upon the situation, you may need to move the dog to a more secure location or quietly reassure him.

A dog will also bark to warn other dogs or people of danger. The excessive barking generally continues until the source of danger is removed or the dog is taken to safety.

Sometimes pain or illness triggers barking. If a well behaved dog in his usual environment begins barking or creating other forms of vocalization, a trip to the veterinarian may be in order.

A Final Thought
As with all aspects of behavior training, consistency is the key to success. Enlisting the cooperation of each family member is important in controlling your dog's barking as well as in all other aspects of dog obedience training. Verbal commands and expectations for your dog's behavior must be consistent if you are to be effective.
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"Secrets to Dog Training"

Dog Commands

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Basic Commands
"Come"
When using the "come" command, the owner should first call the dog by name followed by "come". This will help get the dog's attention so that they will be more attentive to the next dog command. It will also let the dog know that the owner is speaking directly to them and not to someone else.

Remember an important dog obedience training method is to alway's encourage your puppy to "come" with enthusiastic praise and lots of encouragement. Keep in mind that no two dogs or puppies are alike so you will have to adjust your training methods according to the individual. Try to avoid calling him in a threatening tone as he may associate this with being scolded.

If he begins to ignore you and act as if he does not hear you, attach a long leash to him so you can reel him into you after you give him one dog command to "come." This way you are not repeating the dog command and your dog will learn to come when he is called.

"Heel"
One of the most important things to keep in mind with this dog command is to make yourself more interesting than anything else around you during your walks. Give your dog a reason to stay with you, talk to him, give him a "sit" dog command, stop, make him lie down for one second, make it an interesting walk.

Begin your walk by telling your dog to "heel"; use his name first to get his attention and be very enthusiastic as you give the dog command. Also it's important with basic dog obedience training to not forget to talk to him so he pays attention to you, praise him when he is in the correct heel position, which is dog on your left, his right shoulder should be in line with your left hip.

"Training tips for heeling"
If your dog insists on pulling ahead, work with him in small counter-clockwise circles. This will encourage him to pay attention to you as you are walking.
Play with him in your backyard and allow him to burn off some excess energy before you try to take him out for a controlled walk.
Do not let your dog eliminate anywhere he chooses. This type of behavior is also known as a "leader" behavior, which allows him a feeling being in charge and could also lead to "territorial" behavior.
Using "Off" to Prevent Jumping.
Dogs will jump up on people for one reason: to get attention from you. Teach your puppy or dog to "sit" for attention or praise of any kind. When he jumps on you, use your lowered tone of voice and lean towards the dog giving him the dog command "off." He will have no choice but to back away from you and when he does, teach him to "sit" by firmly planting his bottom on the ground. Offer him calm praise for obeying you. Soon all you will have to say to your dog is "sit" and he will comply readily because he knows he will be rewarded.


"Training tips for preventing jumping"
Attach your leash to his collar so he can’t jump on you and run away. Tell him "off," now "sit" (help him into this position), now praise him calmly.
Offering too much excited praise will reinforce his bad habit, so be calm in your praise. However, you cannot expect him to be calm if you are talking to him in your cutest baby talk.
"Trick for Treats"
Here are some ways through dog obedience training that you can treat your dog to better training:
Treat and train your pet after a play session. After a rousing game of fetch, let your dog know who's in command and reward him with a treat.
End every grooming session with a treat. Teach your dog the reward of good grooming by giving him a treat after brushing.
Never give a treat without a trick. Always make your dog obey some kind of dog command before rewarding her with a treat.
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Know Your Breed

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An opinion is only as good as its' results with an individual dog. That's why you need to educate and inform yourself about your own dog. What breed is it? Believe it or not, that can make a big difference in training techniques The methods used to teach a herding or retrieving breed probably won't be as effective for hounds or sled dog breeds. One reason is that herding and retrieving dogs were bred to work closely and take
direction from humans. For example, a pretty reliable dog obedience training method of getting them to come when they don't want to is to turn around and walk away from them. Their inclination is to turn around and catch up with you. Of course if you chase and/or beat them when you do get them,you can pretty much rule out that technique. A hound dog or sled dog was bred to either work independently of you or to move away from you e.g.hounds move away and work on their own and when they find the scent call the hunter to THEM. Especially for these dog breeds early puppy imprinting is essential, with lots of tactile and/or food/ball rewards, so that you become the BEST place to be.

Numerous dog breeds exist today. The last reported official recognized breeds were over 900. All dog breeds derive from mixed breeds and it is important to recognize the fact that a purebred can only be called so if it hasn’t bred with a different breed for a certain number of generations.
Before anyone gets a dog or a puppy the first thing that they need to think about is what dog breed do I get? The breed of dog that you choose will have a huge effect on how your family operates and runs in the future. Why? Well a dog breed will determine a lot of things. How? A dog breed has specific traits that are common among all dogs of that particular breed. For example, a Rottweiler is a wonderful dog breed in my opinion but they have certain traits that many people cannot handle. Since you can have a wide array of personalities while sticking in the same dog breed we will focus on the general things. In our example of the Rottweiler, they are huge dogs. They are considered a large dog breed and must be recognized as such. Large dog breeds will require more room in a house and yard than smaller dog breeds. When it comes to food, largerdog breeds will require substantially more dog food that the smaller dog breeds. That is just the tip of the iceberg.

There's more to choosing a pet than just looking for a cute dog. Some dog breeds are more suited to certain lifestyles than others are. You need to find that perfect match between your family and circumstances and your dog. For instance, if you have very little free time, you're going to want a dog who doesn't require a lot of attention and maintenance time. Or, if you live in an apartment with no yard, you'll need to focus on a pet that can live happily in confined spaces.
In addition to the physical attributes of dog breeds there are the mental attributes. Many dog breeds like to be very active and do require either a large area to run around freely or substantial amounts of walking and exercise on a leash. If you are a person that lives in a small apartment and does not have a yard or a lot of time for walking your dog then the larger and more active of the dog breeds may not be the best for you. This is not a horrible thing and many people fit into this group. The good thing is that there are a ton of dog breeds that will fit just that situation. Many dog breeds do not require a whole lot of exercise or room to run around, mostly the smaller dog breeds. If you have limited room and time consider selecting one of these dog breeds.
In closing, dogs are great and there are huge amount of dog breeds to choose from but do yourself and your dog a favor, choose a dog breed that fits your lifestyle and needs. For more information on dog breed’s and obedience training, please visit this link! "Secrets to Dog Training"