Barking Blog
Posted on September 10 2021
Like me, most dogs are born to bark. Yet, many dog owners find themselves wondering how to stop their dog from barking. Chances are that barking is a part of your life as a dog owner. Thankfully, we have a few tips and tricks to help with your barky pooch.
- Territorial Barking: barking in response to people, dogs, or other animals encroaching on their territory.
- Alarm Barking: barking in response to noises and sights. Alarm barking is not limited to defending territory.
- Attention-Seeking Barking: used to gain attention or rewards, like food or playtime.
- Greeting Barking: Greeting barking is accompanied by relaxed body language and a wagging tail.
- Compulsive Barking: repetitive barking often accompanied by a repetitive movement, such as pacing.
- Socially Facilitated Barking: aka “response barking,” when a dog barks excessively only when they hear another dog bark.
- Frustration-Induced Barking: excessive barking in response to a frustrating situation, such as being confined or being separated from other dogs or people. ( we find this is the main bark Co has when we leave him alone in the car or home ).
Chances are, you recognise your dog in at least one of the above. Once you know your dog’s motivation for barking, you can look at tricks and tools to stop it.
We have narrowed it down to 4 sections based on what has worked for Co & I.
- Sight barriers
- A quiet zone
- Anti-stress and bark control gear
- Training
1 - Use sight barriers
Territorial and alarm barking happen when dogs see or hear something that arouses their attention. The quickest trick to stop barking at the window or in the yard is to manage the environment. Block your dog’s sightline to potential barking triggers. In the backyard, use privacy fencing to cut off views to neighbouring backyards or the street.
If you own your home and seek a long-term option, consider planting hedges or a nice sturdy fence to bark-proof your backyard in style. Indoors, leave the curtains or blinds closed in the peak times of day when you get a lot of foot traffic past your house or when your dog is most active. Personally once Co has had his morning walk, he chills out heaps, so it's generally before 'walkies' that i look at creating these barriers, if he's got extra energy to burn.
- A crate decked out with a comfy bed and privacy cover, or a baby gate to block off other areas
- A stuffed KONG toy or puzzle feeder to keep them busy (and keep their mouth occupied with something other than barking!)
- White noise or music to mask exterior sounds and produce soothing soundscapes, i've put Norah Jones on for Co many times if we are out for date night and it works wonders!
For Co, we have found that setting him up with his comfy bean bag bed in my office works a real treat for him. We also generally stuff a kong or give him a long lasting chew to keep him occupied.
3. Bark control and anti-stress devices
Ultrasonic anti-bark devices
These devices work by emitting an ultrasonic sound that dogs find unpleasant, which startles them out of barking. Some dogs don’t respond to them, and others are too sensitive for what is essentially a correction. But for some dogs, these are very effective, it is worth trying one of these on your dog, if you are in need of a solution fast.
The team at Pet Connect can order both the Petsafe Citronella sprays & the Ultrasonic anti bark house specially for you on request.
Contact us to arrange a special order!
Pet Corrector Spray
The Pet Corrector emits a hiss of compressed gas, which produces a broad spectrum sound (white noise) varying from a low-frequency rumble to a high-frequency hiss to interrupt a dog’s unwanted behaviour.
Previously called 'Thundershirt', Zendog helps dogs that suffer from anxiety, over-stimulation, or compulsive barking by applying gentle, constant pressure to help dogs feel calmer and more secure. We have tried this on Co when we were getting through his seperation anxiety, and it really took the edge off his overall anxiety throughout the day. it enabled him to relax & enjoy his day to day life, rather than worry and get himself into a tailspin ( excuse the pun ).
4. Training
There are lots of tricks and tools you can use to help control your dog’s barking, but all of them are more effective when combined with basic training.
A few key commands can help control barking:
- Recall.
It's handy to have recall nailed, this helps to call your dog away from barking triggers (like the doorbell ringing, or a neighbor dog outside) - “Speak.”
Training your dog to bark on command can help teach them not to bark at other times, especially when paired with the next command on this list. - “Settle or “quiet.”
Helps your dog “calm down” on cue. - "Sit/stay".
Useful for keeping your dog otherwise occupied when a barking trigger is nearby. If your dog tends to bark on-leash, have her practice being still and quiet.
Training products
Pet Connect have a range of training products that will equip you with the right tools to train your pooch basic commands to help prevent barking.
The aim of the Pet Corrector is to grab the attention of a dog. Dogs exhibit a wide range of reactions according to their hearing sensitivity and prior conditioning. Nevertheless, almost all dogs initially react to the Pet Corrector because the sound is genetically programmed to be associated with danger, such as from the hiss of a snake, an angry swan or the buzz of a dangerous insect.
CALMING & ANXIETY - Drug-free solution for anxiety due to noise, travel and separation. Activates pressure points with four-way stretch.
SHED CONTROL - Helps to keep dog hair, dirt, dander & allergens out of your house and car.
RECOVERY - Protects mild skin irritations, lacerations & hot spots on the back & torso of the body.
Hope this helps!
Ryan & Co the Pooch.
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