How can I stop my dog from barking

Man’s best friend isn’t always at their best behavior  When they get excited or troubled, there’s an incessant need to express it. Barking could mean many things. It could be that they need something, or they want to say that there’s something amiss in their surroundings. They express what they sense with their uncanny awareness and that’s what the owners perceive as acting out or simply a barking noise.

Barking is a natural trait of a dog, just like cats are born to meow. Excessive barking is another story. The first step is to check your pet and its living area. There could be a number of reasons for the disturbing cry. See if they want to be let out so they can poop or pee. Maybe they’re hungry or thirsty after running around the yard. It could be that there’s a stranger cat on the fence or a stray animal wandering around the house. It may be that they can smell someone at the door. These are all physical reasons and can easily be remedied.

Remember to stay calm and not join the dog in its dilemma. The owner’s job is to find the cause, come up with a solution and not add to the stressed atmosphere. Dogs are balls of energy that also respond to the energy around them, especially their owners.

Your dog’s barking may be due to a past experience. The dog may be remembering an excitement or a stress that he had in the past. For example, when a dog gets scratched by a cat, it will then bark at cats for as long as it sees a cat. The dog would have to be re-oriented with cats so that it will know that not all cats will hurt. The process of re-training him to get rid of traumas can be a little tasking. But dogs are smart and they will eventually get it. Just like when dogs were trained to achieve good habits of elimination, the owner would need consistency, calm perseverance and devotion to change a dog’s barking tendencies.

Pent-up energy is another cause for over-barking. This is easiest to correct since all a dog needs is to do some exercise. The owner can also show support by walking or running along with the dog. Some people who don’t have time can simply prop the pet on a treadmill. But the best place for a dog is outdoors.

Dog lovers cannot imagine a life without these canines. These pets are non-judgmental, receptive and responsive to love, and they never leave their owners. Dogs are happy to serve and they understand their owner’s temperament. It’s high time that they receive understanding too.