Barking
Dogs bark for a variety of reasons. They could be alerting you of an intruder (alarm barking), demanding your attention (request barking), trying to drive off something or someone they are afraid of (fear barking), or they may be bored (boredom barking). To control excessive barking, you must first figure out what type of barking you are dealing with.
Request Barking
Many dogs learn that barking gets them what they want (food, attention, door open, etc.). If this is the kind of barking your dog exhibits, you must teach him that the behavior no longer works. To do this, ignore your dog completely when they bark at you (or better yet - walk out of the room and close yourself behind a door until he is quiet). By removing the reinforcement (whatever it is they are used to getting when they bark), the behavior should disappear. However, remember that because this behavior has worked for so long, it may get worse before it disappears. It is very important that you DO NOT give in because this will only make the behavior stronger. Once they are quiet, you can give them what they want if appropriate.
Fear barking
If your dog barks at something or someone out of fear, you must work to change his emotions about the scary person or thing. This is called counter-conditioning. Get some really yummy treats (hotdogs, chicken, cheese). Set up scenarios in which the scary person or thing arrives on the scene but is far enough away (or quiet enough if the scary thing is a sound) that your dog is aware of it but does not bark. Start giving him the treats when the scary thing comes into view (or is heard), and stop when it leaves or stops. Slowly have the person or thing get closer and closer (or louder and louder) while you give your dog the treats. Over time, your dog should change his opinion about the person or thing they were afraid of because it will now predict great treats.
Boredom Barking
Your dog may be barking simply because they are bored. Increasing their physical and mental stimulation should help. Try the following suggestions:
Exercise them well every day. A walk is not always enough; play fetch or the recall game (having them run back and forth between two people) for 20 minutes.
Hide food around the house for them to search for.
Give them a toy stuffed with food (Kong toys or hollow marrow bones work well).
Practice simple obedience commands (sit, down, stay) every day.
Teach them some tricks and have them perform the tricks every day.
Play ‘hide and seek’ with their toys.
Play ‘hide and seek’ with family members.
Leave a radio or T.V. on when you are gone.
Separation Anxiety
If your dog barks only when you are not home, they may be suffering from separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety often show other signs indicating they are anxious about being alone. If your dog is overly attached to you and follows you from room to room, or if they shake, pants, or cry as you prepare to leave for the day, they may suffer from separation anxiety. You should consult a behaviorist to help overcome the problem.
Alarm Barking
If your dog barks at intruders, like the mail carrier, delivery people, or neighbors walking by their property, the barking likely stems from territorial behavior. Alarm barking is a natural behavior in dogs, and we can’t expect to eliminate it completely, but we can learn to control it.
To deal with this barking, you must teach your dog a “quiet” command. Set up scenarios whereby someone walks past your house and triggers your dog to bark. After 3-4 barks, show your dog a really special treat (hotdogs, chicken, or cheese). When they stop barking to retrieve the treat, say “quiet” and give them the treat. Repeat this until you have paired the word “quiet” with their silence a dozen or so times. Then, try to use your quiet command to stop the barking without showing the treat. If they learn the command, they will stop barking, and you can go ahead and give them the treat as a reward. Once they know the cue, “quiet” means shut up – start to increase the duration of quietness you require before you reward (just like teaching the stay command – add duration slowly). Dog barks – you say “quiet” – they shut up – you count to 10 seconds in your head – then click and give the treat.
