Who We Are   Books by The Pet Docs    Articles of Interest    Questions & Answers    Interesting Links

Barking Dogs Dogs bark for a variety of reasons. For them, barking is a primary means of communication. Bark! - "My ball is stuck." Help him. Bark! Bark! - "There's someone approaching." Acknowledge him. Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! "I'm out of control" (and loving it). Control him. Do you yell? No, because your dog will think you are joining in the act. Do you punish him? No, because it will not help. So what do you do? Say "Quiet." Wait until he has been quiet for 3 seconds (it will happen) and then reward the silence. After a few sessions, your dog will understand what you want and anticipate the reward. Don't dismiss barking as a nuisance behavior. Understand it and control it. But note, if you can't stand any barking at all Š get a cat. Back to: Articles of Interest   nick@thepetdocs.com Copyright © 2006,The Pet Docs Inc.