Few things in life can drive
you crazy as a constantly barking dog. Whether they have that deep shuddering
“Woof, woof, woof” or that ear piercing “Yap, Yap, Yap” it can do your head in
very quickly.
The great news is that
barking is not something that dogs need to do in order to be happy. In fact,
generally speaking barking is a sign of stress, frustration, anxiety or over
excitement and none of these emotions are particularly good for your dog. Or
you!
Remember a content, relaxed
dog does not bark!
So lets take a look at one
specific type of barking and get you started on putting a stop to it… Dogs who
bark when you are not at home is a very common issue.
Usually people have no idea
that they have a problem until the neighbor or even worse the dog control
officer pays you a visit.
Understanding why your dog
is barking is the key to stopping it so you can actually address the cause of
your dogs problem and not just treat the symptoms.
Now bear with me on this one
because… you MUST remember you have to see it all through your dogs eyes!
So think of it like this…
Your dog is a pack animal
and understands that there are leaders and followers. And one of the pack
leader's jobs is to protect the pack.
So when on Monday morning
everybody leaves the house to go to work and leaves the dog at home alone they
become stressed… and so would you if you lost your pack!
That’s the reason why
they're stressed and barking. They are calling out to you to come back. They
just are trying to do their job.
Think about it… If you are a
parent with a young 3 year old child, one of your main jobs is to keep that
child safe, so you keep an eye on them. All the time. All over the house you
know where they are. They are safe.
You are relaxed.
If they suddenly walk out of
the house and shut the front door behind them locking you in what would you do?
Chase after them? Of course… But. What if the door was locked and you couldn’t
open in. And all the other doors and windows are locked. Then what would you
do…
Phone for help? Your dog doesn't
have that option! Shout for help? Well that is
exactly what your dog is doing…
You certainly wouldn't sit
down, relax and have a cup of tea, knowing your young child was wandering
around the streets alone.
Are you starting to see why
your dog is stressed and barking when you leave now? And all those other
annoying behaviors such as chewing, destruction and trying to dig under the
fence, or jump over the fence that only happen when you're not around… Yep,
that’s right. They are all symptoms of a stressed dog that’s desperately
concerned about you not being home and safe. Remember your dog can’t speak
English to tell you any of this!
So what’s the solution? Well
it’s almost certainly not by giving them a bone to chew on whilst you are away.
Imagine saying to the parent who is totally stressed that their young child is
out on the streets…
“Don’t worry, here’s a box
of chocolates”! You may love chocolates but it is not going to work in this
situation.
Toys jammed full of food and
other distractions do not treat the cause of the problem either. They are only
treating the symptoms and so may work, if you’re lucky, for half an hour or so
– max – but not long term.
Most of you will know that
this doesn't work because you'll have already tried it!
The solution is actually
very simple.
You need to become the pack
leader in your dog’s eyes. Once you do this correctly your dog will not see it
as their job to protect you.
You will be able to come and
go as you please and they will be totally relaxed.
This is the real solution to
having a calm relaxed dog. No tricks here, just an honest understanding.
Now. Becoming the pack
leader is not complicated. Anyone can do it, however it's not really something
that I can explain in 2 minutes here. If you take a look at Doggy Dan’s website he explains very powerfully how to establish
yourself as the pack leader and stop dogs from barking when you leave them.
There is even a $1 trial of the site that you can take advantage of right now.
Here though are additional
tips that you can use in conjunction with becoming the pack leader that will
help stop your dogs barking.
• Exercise:
Exercise your dog before you leave them – a tired dog is more likely to relax
• Find the right space:
Try leaving your dog in different areas – some dogs will relax more outside,
others inside and some prefer smaller areas such as a washroom
• Fed and watered:
Always leave water down and make sure that your dog is warm and fed before you
leave
• Pick up the bones:
Leave toys around for your dog but not bones
• Music and TV:
Consider leaving music on for your dog or the TV
– these distractions can
help
• Herbal remedies:
There are some herbal products for dogs which can help relax them – but again
they do not really treat the cause of the issue, they simply help relax them,
and are also quite costly
• Dog walkers: A
break in the middle of the day can certainly help break up your dogs day
• Leave calmly:
Leave your dog calmly – whilst it's fun to get excited when you leave your dog
it's better if you leave calmly.
Say goodbye 5 minutes before
leaving to help them stay relaxed as you go
• Comfort jackets:
There are also jackets and shirts available that are designed to comfort them –
however they are very expensive and have limited success in my experience. I
even know of one dog that actually ate it!
Unfortunately the popular
idea that getting another dog is going to stop the problem is something I would
stay well away from. Remember the source of your dogs issue is not boredom.
After all, many dogs who bark all day when the owners leave are the same dogs
who lie around the house doing nothing most of the weekend when they are at
home!
So with all that said
hopefully now you have a far better understanding of your dog's problem!
I would suggest if you are
really serious about stopping the barking immediately then take a look at Doggy Dans site and become the pack leader.
That will be the end of your issue.
To take advantage of your 3
Day $1 trial and take a look around this amazing site CLICK HERE There is actually an entire section dedicated to
stopping this sort of barking under the dog problem section "Separation
Anxiety".
It’s not hard but you have
to understand your dog's problem through their eyes rather than human eyes!
They do not want more bones, or biscuits shoved into a ball – what they want is
a strong pack leader.
So get started now, take
advantage of the 3 Day $1 trial now, don’t hang around. The sooner you turn
things around the sooner your neighbours will be thanking you for it!