How to get your dog to stop barking.

Transcription

1 Hw t get yur dg t stp barking. Ways t cntrl yur dgs barking. Here s a list f techniques that can help stp yur dg frm barking. While all f them can be very successful, yu shuldn t expect miraculus results vernight. The lnger yur dg has been practicing the barking behaviur, the lnger it will take fr them t change their ways. Sme f these training techniques require yu t have an idea as t why yur dg barks. We can help yu get sme insight int what is behind the bark. Why dgs bark Dgs usually bark because they: Have separatin anxiety Identify a threat Are bred Are stimulated by smething they see. Always remember t keep these tips in mind while training: Dn t yell at yur dg t be quiet it just sunds like yu re barking alng with them. Keep yur training sessins psitive and upbeat. Be cnsistent s yu dn t cnfuse yur dg. Everyne in yur family must apply the training methds every time yur dg barks inapprpriately. Yu can t let yur dg get away with inapprpriate barking sme times and nt thers. Train yur dg nt t bark Teach yur dg t bark nly t alert yu and t then stp barking afterwards. If yur dg barks at everything that mves, use shrt reprimand wrds. If yu d the same every time yur dg des smething wrng, it will sn understand. Praise yur dg as sn as it stps barking. D nt cnsle a barking dg. This will reward r reinfrce barking. Cnsult yur vet r an animal behaviur specialist if yu are having truble training yur dg t nt bark.

2 Remve the mtivatin Yur dg gets sme kind f reward when they bark. Otherwise, they wuldn t d it. Figure ut what yur dg gets ut f barking and remve it. Dn t give yur dg the pprtunity t cntinue the barking behaviur. Example: Barking at a passer-by:- If yur dg barks at peple r animals passing by the living rm windw, manage their behaviur by clsing the curtains r putting yur dg in anther rm. If yur dg barks at passers-by when they are in the yard, bring them int the huse. Never leave yur dg utside unsupervised all day and night. Minimise sight stimulus D nt leave yur dg hme alne where it can see the ftpath r anybdy passing by. Either cnfine yur dg t the backyard r in a way that it is unable t see things t bark at. Yu can use shade clth r brush stick fencing t blck ff any sight stimulus. Desensitise yur dg t the stimulus Gradually get yur dg accustmed t whatever is causing it t bark. Start with the stimulus (the thing that makes them bark) at a distance. It must be far enugh away that yur dg desn t bark when they see it. Feed yur dg lts f gd treats. Mve the stimulus a little clser (perhaps as little as a few inches t start) and feed treats. If the stimulus mves ut f sight, stp giving yur dg treats. Yu want yur dg t learn that the appearance f the stimulus leads t gd things (treats!). Example: Barking at dgs- Have a friend with a dg stand ut f sight r far enugh away s yur dg wn t bark at the ther dg. As yur friend cmes int view, start feeding yur dg lts f very yummy treats. Stp feeding yur dg treats as sn as yur friend and their dg disappears. Repeat the prcess multiple times. Remember nt t try t prgress t quickly as it may take days r weeks befre yur dg can pay attentin t yu and the treats withut barking at the ther dg.

3 Teach yur dg the Quiet cmmand. It may sund nnsensical, but the first step f this technique is t teach yur dg t bark n cmmand. Give yur dg the cmmand t Speak, wait fr yur dg t bark tw r three times, and then stick a tasty treat in frnt f their nse. When they stp barking t sniff the treat, praise them and give them the treat. Repeat until yur dg starts barking as sn as yu say Speak. Once yur dg can reliably bark n cmmand, teach them the Quiet cmmand. In a calm envirnment with n distractins, tell them t Speak. When yur dg starts barking, say Quiet and stick a treat in frnt f their nse. Praise them fr being quiet and give them the treat. Example: Smene at the dr When the drbell rings, yur dg alerts yu t the presence f an intruder by barking wildly. Once yu ve taught yur dg the Quiet cmmand in a calm envirnment, practice in increasingly distracting situatins until yur dg can immediately stp barking when asked t, even when that intruder arrives at the dr. Ask yur dg fr an incmpatible behaviur. When yur dg starts barking, ask them t d smething that s incmpatible with barking. Teaching yur dg t react t barking stimuli with smething that inhibits it frm barking, such as lying dwn n their bed. Example: Smene at the dr Tss a treat n yur dgs mat and tell them G t yur place When yur dg is reliably ging t their mat t earn a treat, up the ante by pening a dr while they are n their mat, if yur dg gets up clse the dr immediately. Repeat until yur dg stays n their mat while the dr pens. Then increase the difficulty by having smene ring the drbell while yur dg is n their mat, reward if yur dg stays in place.

4 Keep yur dg ccupied Giving yur dg smething t d prevents bredm and barking at everything it sees. Exercise yur dg regularly. Rtate and restrict tys yur dg can play with at ne time. Easy access t all tys will easily lead t bredm. Place treats in different places: arund the lawn s yur dg can sniff it ut in a sandpit, if yu have ne, s yur dg can dig the treats ut hanging n a rpe's end s yur dg has t jump and wrk fr it in a treat ball. Get yur dg t play with ther dgs. This will help yur dg learn the difference between safe and threatening situatins (when barking is helpful). Ask a friend r a dg sitter t lk after yur dg. Keep yur dg tired. Make sure yur dg is getting sufficient physical and mental exercise every day. A tired dg is a gd dg and ne wh is less likely t bark frm bredm r frustratin. Depending n their breed, age, and health, yur dg may require several lng walks as well as a gd game f chasing the ball and playing with tys. Visit ur website t view this infrmatin at: ryurdg/pages/barkingpreventin.aspx

5 Anti-Bark Cllars Barking Behaviur We all have the right t live with a pet. Hwever we are respnsible fr making sure that ur cmpanin is nt a nuisance t thers. Imagine, fr a mment what yur neighburs must feel when they are subjected t incessant nise frm a dg: elderly peple wh have a rest during the day, students wh need t cncentrate t prepare fr exams, even smene hme due t illness. Barking is a natural frm f behaviur fr a dg. A dg that barks t give warning f an intruder r a danger, r t cmmunicate jy t their master, is simply expressing their emtinal state. HOWEVER, if yur dg frms the habit f barking at the slightest external prvcatin, this behaviur becmes unacceptable. There are different levels f nuisance behaviur depending n the breed, persnality, age and histry f the dg. These prblems can smetimes grw s serius that an wner has n ther ptin but t get rid f their dg. T prevent things frm reaching this stage, and slve the prblems as sn as they arise, cnsider using an Anti-Bark cllar. These cllars are a tried and prven methd f enabling yu t retrain yur dg. Electrnic Cllars When yur dg barks, a static crrectin is emitted at the lwest level yu have set. If the behaviur cntinues the crrectins will increase with each successive bark. There are 3 selectable ranges; each range cnsists f 6 incrementing levels f crrectin. Giving a ttal f 18 levels. The cllars we use are activated by a cmbinatin f sund and vibratin. This means a neighburs dg barking r lud sund cannt activate the cllar by mistake. The cllar als has a SAFETY TIME OUT, if yur dg barks 15 times cnsecutively within a 1- minute perid the unit will disable sensrs and remain inactive fr 3 minutes, then reset itself t the riginal setting. Citrnella Cllars Each time yur dg barks, the electrnic bark-sensing unit releases a brisk, citrnella spray in frnt f yur dgs nse. This effect is sufficient t startle yur dg and interrupt its undesirable behaviur. The smell f the citrnella which is unpleasant t dgs then begins t irritate the dgs nasal passage. Thrugh this harmless cnditined reflex the citrnella discurages and reinfrces t yur dg that barking is unpleasant. The sensing unit hlds apprximately sprays. Citrnella is a 100% natural spray, safe fr all dgs, peple and the envirnment. Citrnella can be used safely n all healthy dgs.

6 TRAINING TIPS In rder t make it becme part f their nrmal envirnment, let yur dg get used t wearing the cllar fr a few days befre ever activating it. Let them see yu with the transmitter in yur hand. This way when yu d activate the cllar, yur dg wn t assciate the crrectin with the cllar r yu; as they have seen yu with it and wrn it befre with n cnsequences. During training the cllar is switched n and ready t g. If the dg is nt already wearing the cllar, put it n at least 20 minutes prir t cmmencing a training sessin. Organise at least tw t three training sessins a day f n mre than 10 t 15 minutes a time, s that neither f yu lse yur cncentratin r patience. If there is a specific behaviur yu are trying t stp, create the situatin where yu knw yur dg is ging t react. This gives yu the ability t cntrl the situatin. Always use the lwest stimulatin level as pssible. If yur dg shws n reactin increase the stimulatin t the next level. If training in new lcatins, be aware yur dg may becme distracted, yu may need t reinfrce yur cmmands with the remte cllar mre ften as a result. Always reward yur dg fr gd behaviur. This will reinfrce the gd behaviur faster and the dg will want t please yu mre. Wuld yu wrk fr nthing! Always end a training sessin n a psitive result and try t play with yur dg s they feel gd. The biggest ne! BE CONSISTANT!