My West Highland White Terrier used to be a nightmare in the mornings. As soon as he would hear the newspaper come through the letterbox, he would rush downstairs, growling and barking like crazy. And this would be a good hour before I wished to get up. If you find yourself in a similar situation and scream "How do I stop my dog from barking?!", then let me be of assistance.
Let us first establish why dogs bark the way they do. Barking is their verbal communication, and in the same way that our tones of voice can reflect our moods, barking can be responsible for several social purposes. For example, it can be a way to warn people, a way to greet people, and just plain old excitement. You cannot quell this natural instinct, but you can control it to a large extent.
1. A training collar
You can purchase a training collar for your dog. Each of these collars give off a small vibration, activated by remote control, to stir the dog's attention. This is a neat way of training your dog through Pavlovian methods, and you don't have to move a muscle. These collars typically retail for around $100, but can be relatively cheap for what the results they produce.
2. Use verbal commands
Dogs can usually be trained the traditional way, with a stern verbal command relaying whether an action is correct or incorrect. By tapping certain parts of their body in conjunction with the correct tone and language, repetition can result in modified behaviour. This is certainly a cheaper and more natural option.
3. Bribe the mutt!
You can stop the noise immediately by giving the dog a treat or a toy to play with. Obviously if the canine's mouth is full, they will be incapable of barking at the same time. Although this is a bit of a quick fix method, it can be particularly useful at a delicate time of the day, such as night-time. You can of course play with your dog afterwards.
Although there are increasingly technological methods to training your dog, the more natural methods remain time-tested and arguably more ethical. Learning to train your dog helps you develop a valuable skill, as well as the respect -- rather than the fear -- of your pet. Persistence and repetition in the short term will reap great rewards in the long-term.
Hugh Campbell runs the Hottest Picks Online website which provides recommended resources on how to successfully train your dog (http://www.hottestpicksonline.com/TrainYourDog.html) |
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