Excessive Barking in Your Dog

Dogs bark for many reasons.  They bark to let you know a "stranger" is near, out of boredom, to communicate with other dogs, separation anxiety. Barking for the right reasons at the right time can be a good thing, but, excessive barking can be a nuisance, irritating, and frustrating for yourself, your family, and your neighbors.

The best way to fight excessive barking is to first figure out why he his behaving in this manner. If he is barking to warn you of possible danger, you may need to rearrange things so that he cannot have easy access to see (or hear) the things that are causing him concern. Try leaving the t.v. or radio on, to drown out outside noises. He may need confined to a separate area, where it would be difficult for him to be easily distracted by seeing or hearing things. If he is barking out of boredom, provide him with plenty of toys and chew toys. Toys filled with treats will keep him occupied for many hours.  Take him for daily walks to stimulate him and to provide socialization. If the barking occurs while you are away and stops when you come back, chances are he is suffering from separation anxiety, talk to your vet to determine the best solution for this.  Sometimes, in extreme cases, medication may be needed to curb the excessive barking.

Today, there are several behavior modification devices available to help you stop this unwanted behavior.  The are bark collars that offer a small shock when the dog barks. The more humane solution is to use a citronella collar. This emits a small amount of citronella to stop the dog from barking.

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