Dog Barking Problems, Part 2

On the first page of this article (Dog Barking Problems), I discussed some of the various reasons that dogs bark that are not considered  dog barking problems. Since some of the barking is due to your dog’s excitement it will therefore be brief enough in duration that it shouldn’t be much of a problem As soon as your dog has calmed down from playing or seeing you come home, his barking should naturally abate. This kind of “happy  barking”  is merely the way your dog tries to communicate  with you to say he is feeling great and glad to be with you. I wouldn’t want to do anything to stifle my dog’s joy. To me this type of barking is not a dog barking problem in the true sense, and I kind of  like him to greet me with a happy bark or two when I come home or to bark happily to express himself while we are playing in the yard.

To read much more about all aspects of dog training your dog at home, please click here. Dog Training Advice.

Here is a list of some other reasons that cause dogs to bark in excess that are indeed dog barking problems that must be corrected in order to stop them. These are not “happy barks” unfortunately, and these more serious types of dog barking problems definitely need your attention. A dog that barks excessively is a noise-polluter, and a nuisance to others in the neighborhood. These habitual excessive types of dog barking problems are behaviors that you can solve by using the tips in my article Stop Dog Barking.

• Dogs will often start barking when they see another dog or a stranger somewhere within their visual range.This is part of their instinct to protect their territory and is natural. The trouble is when they just won’t stop the barking even after they have made their point. They get a form of positive reinforcement from the fact that the other dog or human has moved away in response to their barking, and decide to keep it up some more.

• Some dogs will respond to hearing other dogs or in my neighbor’s case, coyotes, barking in the distance, and begin a sort of conversation that goes on and on.  If your dog is out in the yard long distance barking you will want to teach him not to be doing that. This is a dog barking  problem you should not ignore, since all that unnecessary barking is very annoying for you- and your neighbors, too.

• Dogs that are stressed out and feel insecure are likely to bark for insignificant reasons. They just aren’t confident with their surroundings, and bark out of nervousness. These dogs often bark on and off all the time unless their masters are with them. I had a friend with a very high-strung dog, that I once saw start barking at a leaf that fell down from a tree above. Now that was one very  nervous dog.

• Dogs that are really bored often shout out their frustration with incessant barking tirades-Its like they are going on a rant.  Dogs that are left alone most of the time and don’t get enough playtime and attention from their masters are the most likely dogs to have this particular dog barking problem.

• Sometimes your dog just wants your attention, and will bark at you until you give it to him-even if you are busy doing something else. He really isn’t respecting you as the Alpha dog in this case, or he wouldn’t try that. In fact, if you give in and play or feed him when he barks excessively at you for attention, you are giving him the upper hand, and teaching him that he can boss you around. My Lab used to bark at me when she was bored and wanted to play-she was trying to train me, and did a pretty good job of it-until I learned better and turned the tables. It is easy to love your dog so much that when she asks you to play with her it is hard to resist. Still, you have to be the boss of when playtime starts, not your dog.

There are a variety of ways to deal with excessive dog barking problems. For some great tips on stopping your dog’s barking problems, please read my next article on barking,  Stop Dog Barking.

To learn more about how to stop dog barking problems, and about solving other behavior problems, I use the positive reinforcement training techniques that are  taught in Secrets to Dog Training. Read my full review of Secrets to Dog Training to see how it can help you train your dog at home.

Please click here to visit Secrets to Dog Training.