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Barking Dog Help
by Janice Kumar
If your dog keeps barking, you need to find the
cause and the corrective measures will follow. All dogs bark, what is important
is to find out why the dog is barking loudly.
A dog may bark at strangers as it is out of its
comfort zone with them and is naturally protective of its turf and its owner.
It may bark because it is a alone and seeks
company or if it is naturally aggressive.
A dog may also be barking because it is being
abused, neglected or ignored. A dog is a pack animal and needs the love and
attention of the family to be happy and contented.
If the dog
insists on barking and annoying everyone around, there are a few techniques and
options available.
The first is behavioral
modification. This involves finding out the specific cause and then
altering the response of the dog to that cause. For example, if the dog barks
every time a heavy vehicle goes by..Next time try and divert its attention and
give it a ball to grab.. Reward it with biscuits etc if it does not bark.
Reinforce the positive. This needs to be done again and again before a
satisfactory result can be had. It may take a few tries, but the results are
long term.
A dog (shock) collar can
be used to reinforce a No. But this is better used with lot of care as dogs can
get used to pain quite quickly and then they will be difficult to control.
If used incorrectly the electrodes can cause infection and further complication.
There are other kind of
dog collars giving different kinds of negative reinforcements. However all of
them have to be used for a short time only, targeted towards modifying a
specific behavioral problem and have to be used consistently to break that
association. They require sensitive handling and careful handling to avoid doing
damage to the dog in more ways than one.
If the dog is barking
out of loneliness because for example it is left alone for long periods of time,
then you need to give it various old articles, like an old blanket of the owner
or some other used article it can associate with its master. This will help give
it some kind of an association with the absent owner and help it get over
the loneliness. It should also, preferably not be chained.
If nothing works, the
last option is Debarking. In this method, a part of the vocal cords of the dog
are snipped by a vet and the dog bark becomes less loud. Some pet lovers
feel this is an inhumane way to control a dog's loud bark as the dog may lose
self respect or become cowed down. However in extreme cases, this may be a last
resort. This will reduce the intensity of the noise level but will not help in
modification of the dog behavior.
Unfortunately many pet
owners do not make the effort to find out the cause of the dog barking and try
to go for a quick fix. Incase, the dog owner finds himself to be at a
loss, it may be better for him or her to seek the help of a professional
dog trainer who will help in behavioral modification of the dog and will also
provide appropriate guidance and counseling.
I hope you find these tips useful. Do
experiment a bit to check what will work best for your pet. Best of luck.
Disclaimer: The article and
tips are for guidance only. Use them at your own risk and discretion. We take no
responsibility for any suggestion given above. We strongly urge you consult a
qualified professional vet to find a lasting cure for any problem. Please
consult a professional , before using any information on this site. No liability
of any kind is accepted by us.
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