Sometimes a dog barking can be extremely helpful to his safety or to its owners safety; for example, barking when an unexpected visitor approaches your home. However, most of the time we don't want our canine companions to bark at every visitor. Especially troublesome for owners who live in an apartment or condominium building and have been the unfortunate recipient of neighbor complaints.
by TaylorMartinerin
Sometimes a dog barking can be extremely helpful to his safety or to its owners safety; for example, barking when an unexpected visitor approaches your home. However, a dog's bark can quickly change from being helpful to just being stressful or bothersome. This can be especially problematic in an apartment or condominium, where you're living in close proximity with your neighbors and a barking dog can be easily heard.
There is hope with training techniques and products to help stop your dog from barking.
Most people don't realize that often dogs bark more when they have a lot of energy and are bored. Dogs need daily exercise - to be walked or played with. Even negative attention is better for some dogs than being continuously ignored, and barking gets people's attention quickly. Ensuring that your dog has been properly exercised is a good first step toward stopping their unfortunate barking problems.
The last thing you want to do when teaching a dog not to bark is give him positive reinforcement. When chastising a dog, address it in a clear, authoritative voice, and after you've made it clear they're doing something wrong, don't go on to give him or her positive attention. Spraying a dog with water instead of verbally chastising it might work better in some situations, though many dogs don't mind being wet. If you find you can't solve the problem on your own, you might want to find a professional behavior trainer.
Anti-barking products can also help break your dog of their bad barking habits. Electronic collars, citronella collars, sound-emitting collars, remote sound-emitters, medication, muzzles, and debarking surgery might all be appropriate, depending on the situation. Some of these items can also be used in conjunction with training to help make sure the dog gets the message. Some trainers or kennels offer overnight training and will incorporate the owner into the training, so he can uphold the trainer's ground work.
About the Author:
Taylor writes on a variety of other subjects, including how to select a large dog bed.
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Pets & Animals 
