Correcting Bad Dog Behavior
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There can be nothing more annoying that the constant bark of a dog. Particularly if the dog belongs to you and your neighbors are beginning to compain. There are many reasons why your dog’s behavior has changed from being a placid dog to a dog that cannot stop barking. Here are a few ways you can prevent them from occuring.
Working Dogs
Working or hunting dogs behavior change when they get bored and have nothing to do. This boredom can lead to barking, barking and more barking. This type of dog loves to run and be active but since many dog owners live in cities one of the simplest solutions is to ensure that the dog is kept motivated. Regular walks are a must, and extra periods of play give your dog something to look forward to. Play has the same effect on dogs as it has on people – physical exercise puts us in a better mood, loosens up our muscles and joints and helps everyone sleep better at night. One way to deal with your dogs boredom is to provide your dog with toys that he can play with while you’re occupied.
Aging Dogs
Many aging dogs behavior change especially if they suffer from arthritis pain, they can feel achy and stiff in cold weather, or may just get less understanding and more crotchety as the years get on. Being upset could cause a dog to begin to bark at things that did not bother them before. If your older dog has started to bark lot, start by checking out his physical surroundings and any obvious changes in his health. If you cannot see anything different, take him to the vet for a check-up and talk to your vet about possible physiological changes that may be causing your dog’s new behavior. As an older dog’s hearing starts to go, he may bark at things that are not really there. In your dogs mind it is better to be onguard than be caught asleep on the job. Also anther thing to note in older dogs is that sudden and/or prolonged barking may signify a change in your dog’s mental state—old dogs sometimes suffer from confusion and even dementia just as people may—and there are drugs to help with these problems of aging.
Territorial barking
Normally a dog tends to bark when they are trying to protect their territory from intruders and other animals. This can be a good thing as it can discourage possible housebreakers and mischief-makers. The trouble begins when the dog continues to bark after the threat is gone (or when the threat isn’t real). Some territorial barking may be taken care of by changing physical cues that set your dog off. If your dog barks at the kids on their way to school every morning, moving him to the back yard may be all that’s necessary to solve the problem. If your dog barks like a maniac when the mail arrives, shutting him in the kitchen beforehand might do the trick.
If you find that none of these things work then looking at a barking collar may provide the solution for you. Barking collars come in a variety of styles such as the citronella based which work when your dog barks; a burst of all-natural citrus spray is emitted, which dogs find bothersome to their highly developed sense of smell. While not harmful, it is a sufficient deterrent to excessive barking. Then there is also the barking control system collar. This works as soon as your dog barks, a harmless static correction is sent to address the behavior. It is a sufficient prevention to unnecessary barking.
Your dogs behavior does not need to be a nuisance you just need to find the cause of the problem and apply the correct method in correcting it.
