You know the Amazon guy is here before you see him. You know when your neighbor is walking by- God forbid, with their dog, or when a garbage truck comes by, way before you could see or hear them. Because you don’t have to see the issue to hear your dog’s barking.
This is a complaint I hear a lot from new clients. And for good reason! Barking can be obnoxious, and in some cases, can cause legal trouble for the owners. So, let’s talk about what barking is and how you can fix it.
Barking is a form of communication. There are many types of barks: fearful, excited, demand, defensive, etc. Learning to differentiate which is which can help you to understand more about your dog’s barking. Here’s how I deal with some of the more common causes:
Demand Barking
Demand barking is characterized by shorter barks, sometimes done with a huff. The dog doesn’t look fearful, and the body language, while more tense than relaxed, is not fearful- the eyes are focused (on whatever the dog is about to bark at), no hackles are raised, and the dog would love nothing more than to get closer to the thing they are barking at.
I treat demand barking by ignoring it. Here’s the thing: if the dog is demanding my attention, even saying “No,” is going to give them that attention. So instead, I ignore. Once they’ve been quiet for a few seconds, they can have a treat or some attention. If I can catch them before they start to do their barking, I might ask them to sit, or do another behavior that is polite to get my attention, instead of barking.
Excitement barking
Many dogs bark when they’re excited: maybe you just got home, or your friend that always brings the dog some goodies came over. It’s an exciting time! Excitement barking is characterized by many of the same things as demand barking, except the body language may be more exuberant.
Some breeds may be more prone to excitement barking than others- a coonhound or husky come to mind. However, there are ways to help them unlearn this habit.
The most important thing is teaching them to stay calm in the face of excitement. I really like teaching a default behavior to get my attention, and doing mat work with Karen Overall’s relaxation protocol.
Excitement barking can take a while to break, but if you’re consistent and patient, it can become much more manageable.
Fearful and defensive barking
Fearful barking can be indicated by a lowered body posture, tension in the mouth, and ears pulled back. It may be uncertain in tone until it grows to more consistent barks.
Defensive barking can be indicated by a more alert posture, with ears forward, tail up high, and the body leaned forward to the object of the dog’s attention.
These types of barking indicate that the dog is uncomfortable with the situation at hand. In these cases, I recommend working with a good trainer to get to the root of your dog’s discomfort.
While I never recommend correcting a dog anyways, correcting a dog when they are showing fear is a very good way to make the fear worse. Avoid yelling at the dog if they are showing discomfort, and instead try to get them someplace where they feel safe, in another room.
Barking can be a huge hassle- luckily, we can help you. If you want more information on how to fix your dog’s barking, reach out! We offer virtual training, too .
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