Dog Training - Dealing With Barking

It took years of delicate breeding and domestication before dogs learned how to bark. This wasn't always a natural thing that they did in the past, especially when it came to doing this for specific needs as they do today. Dogs bark because we've trained them to do such over the years.

You don't hear wolves bark, do you? They howl, but they'll never do it as regularly as our canine companions do. It is a completely different thing for dogs. They developed their barking skill to a greater extent to help their owners on farms and to frighten intruders. This only took place over the last few centuries as the different breeds of dogs became more domesticated.

Getting attention, showing their excitement for certain things and communicating with their owners are some of the reasons why dogs bark. This makes it much easier for them to communicate with their masters, as their use of emotions with respect to barking makes it much easier for them to let us know what's on their mind.

Rewarding your dog for barking will only motivate him to do it more. Of course, you'll need to carefully control the stimuli that affect their disposition since you don't want them making noise at anything and everything that impacts their attitude. So why not investigate first on what your dog wants to tell you so you can have a good start?

Try to decode what your dog is trying to express if he is barking too much, instead of simply yelling at him to stop. This is the natural tendency that most of us have, but there's a way to curb this all. Do not give in to your dog's bark instantly. Instead, refuse to notice them and wait until they stop before giving them what they want.

Rewarding your dog's barking with attention will make the action stronger. If you'll wait for your dog to stop barking before giving him attention, it will teach him he'll get things if he will quiet first.

Unfortunately, there are dogs that are very territorial. They will bark at you even if you are just merely walking or passing by.

Distract your dog to stop barking. Draw his attention to you by playing with him or giving him some treats. The bark cycle could be broken this way and thus making your pet learn that he'll get things by keeping his mouth shut.

Take time to give importance to your dog's communication needs if you want less stress. You will both win from this situation because he will get the attention he wants and you on the other hand will have serenity at home.

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