Dogs bark for many reasons. They can be warning you of strangers, or greeting you home excitedly, but either way there should be a limit to how much you allow them to bark.  Many people have issues with excessive barking, and if this is something you need to teach your pet, it is best to start at an early age due to the fact that it will become habitual and sometimes even irreversible.   With some easy dog training tips, it will be simple to teach them to bark and be silent on command.

Ways of Barking

Dogs bark in many different ways for many different reasons, and it’s important that you can decipher what your dog means by the way that they bark in order to resolve the issue.  Dogs often bark because they feel that a threatening situation is in place.  Reasons for the ‘threatened’ bark can range from situations dangerous to simple, such as when a stranger is on what your dog considers his/her ‘property’ to seeing  you talk to an old friend they do not recognize.   This bark usually sounds loud and sharp.  The ‘threatened’ bark is very commonly used as a protection for your family, which can be good because it is used by many families as a warning.  Another reason for barking is playfulness.   The playful bark is used most often by puppies when they are playing, and should be easy to spot.  One other reason that dogs bark is just for attention.  Much like toddlers, dogs love attention and will be excessively loud to get it.  The last type of bark that we will mention is the anxiety bark.  Many dogs have separation anxiety, especially puppies, and bark out of self pity.  This type of high pitched barking is usually accompanied by whining.  All of these types of barking can get extremely annoying (especially the anxiety bark) So if you have a dog that constantly barks unnecessarily, there are many options you should consider.

Solutions

Once you have found the reason for your dogs barking, the solution becomes easier.  Putting your dog in a dog obedience class is always a good way to go, seeing as a trained professional will be able to better administer information and solutions to your problem, and teach you how to handle the situations.  A good idea is to get your dog plenty of exercise to release all that extra energy that may be causing them to bark.  If your dog has the ‘anxiety bark’ never give in, but also don’t leave them alone for long periods of time to teach a lesson; if they are barking, don’t pay attention, but feel free to once they stop.  You can also train your dog to react with a clap, a dog clicker, or a whistle, and give them treats when they don’t bark as a reward.  As a last resort, you may want to consider debarking your dog.  Debarking your dog will work by altering their vocal tract, in order to quiet a dog.  The coined phrase ‘debarking was created by animal rights activists as a way to put a negative connotation on on the surgical procedure, but it will not harm your dog.  Debarking your dog will not completely eliminate barking, but rather make it quieter.  Another common result of debarking is a raspy and quiet bark, sort of like a broken squeaky toy.  But remember that when dealing with barking, always look at surgery as a last resort.