Dog Behavior Problems can put a serious dent in the pet/owner realtionship. When left unattended, or in circumstances where owners feel unable to stop behavior such as dog barking, biting, general misconduct, or in more extreme cases aggressive dogs, this can impact heavily on what might otherwise be a source of mutual happiness and growth. What many owners don't appreciate is are the range of techniques which can be implemented by owners at home and effectively used to curb dog behavior problems, and regain control of their pet whilst still reamining a best friend.

Perhaps one of the most persistently complained of dog behavior problem is barking. Fortunately, being able to successfully stop dog barking is, however, something that most owners should be able to accomplish provided they properly understand the underlying causes of this particular type of dog behavior problem, and implement strategies to address them...

Firstly, it's important not to forget that dogs are supposed to bark. It's an inherent dynamic of their psyche, it's one of the ways they communicate. Consider this, if someone was entering your back yard with a view to burgling your home, you'd want your dog to bark, right?

However, if your dog barks to a degree which far exceeds need or duty, it is possible to stop dog barking by consistent conditioning, thereby eliminating the unnecessary and often frustrating noise (the part driving you and your neighbors increasingly nuts). By doing so, you'll improve your relationship with your pet by being prepared to listen and respond appropriately when your dogs barking response is invoked (not to mention improving your relationship with those suffering needlessly next door).

Assertive/Alert Barking

Beyond fear based barking is your dogs need to assert themselves as being 'on alert'. Frequently this results in them spending an hour barking like crazy at the garden hose rather than achieving any purposeful 'watchdog' role. This too can be curbed by understanding why it is that your dog is acting this way.

Your dog understands that its their duty to alert their owners. What they often need to have reinforced is that whilst their job is to alert their owners, barring extreme circumstances, they are then supposed to hand responsibility to responding to any perceived threat over to you. That is to say, you're the leader, your dog is part of your pack, and you must take responsibility for that dominance.

How do we achieve this? Firstly, give credence to your dogs barking. Take a look why they might be creating a fuss. Don't just tell your dog to be quiet from inside the kitchen, head on out and see what's the cause. It might be a neighbour, it might be the mailman (it really might just be the garden hose). But whatever it is, do your part and see. If your dog persists with barking once their role is fulfilled however, then its not only appropriate but essential that you let them know they are overstepping the line. You're the master. Once your dog has seen you have assessed the situation, then you should confidently and clearly reprimand them for continuing to bark. Take it one step further. Call your dog over, and with your sitting next to you take hold of their collar with one hand. With your other hand, carefully but firmly place your left hand over your dogs muzzle and press down (be sure the pressure is not unconfortable). At the same time, issue a single command in a calm but confident voice, such as "Quiet". Don't yell at your dog. They will hear this as similar to a bark and it only serves to reinforce that there is something worth barking at. By doing it calmly and confidently, together with imobilising your dogs head with your hand, you are exerting your dominance in a manner similar to that which might be displayed by a normal dog pack leader when silencing a noisy dog. By doing this anywhere up to a dozen times, your dog will begin to associate the command "Quiet" with the need to stop barking.

You can in fact set up this conditioning without having to wait for situational barking. Find something that triggers your dogs warning barking. It might be knocking on the door for example. After one or two barks, stop knocking and do something to get their attention. As soon as they stop barking, say "Quiet" or whichever command you have selected, and reward your dog. Positive reinforcement when your dog stops barking can be assisted by aids like food treats. Apply this when first training your dog with this technique, and gradually decrease the use of food treats. You should aim to get to the stage where you can simply pat your dog or say "good dog" or a like comment. Its important to apply this technique only when your dogs barking is unecessary. As stated earlier, there will be situations where you want your dog to bark, and the bark response is not something you may want to extinguish completely.

Dog Barking Triggers

If you can't get your dog to stop barking at anything and everything, attempt to eliminate some of the triggers which set off the dog barking. This might be as simple as removing their exposure to the trigger. For example, put them in their enclosure if a neighbor is expected. Say your dog guards the north side of your fence from the neighbor's dog it might seem obvious but remove your dogs access to his post. With the absence of temptation comes salvation.

If outright isolation from a trigger is not possible, before a barking trigger event occurs (such as the mailman arriving) call your dog and instruct it to sit. Provide your dog with praise and reinforcement for compliance. Better yet, eliminate the trigger as being perceived as a potential threat. Introduce them to the neighbor or mailman, let them give your dog a treat. If necessary, have them start off from afar, and reassure your dog calmly and confidently as they approach. Let them throw treats to your dog, and as they get closer, hand them directly. Engendering loyalty in dogs with your encouragement to others, or by way of controlled exposure to something causing your dog concern, is a great way to eliminate alarm.

Attention Seeking

If you can't stop dog barking because your dog wants attention, this requires some more interventionist methods, and the appreciation that your own actions may at some stage have contributed to the problem. Attention seeking barking is a learned response. Like children, dogs find out what works, or what they can get away with, and repeat it. If you let your dog into the house whenever he barks, whenever he wants to get in he'll bark. If you try and ignore them, the barking will become more persistent, often to the point of extreme frustration. Worse still, if you ultimately accede to their demands (say at 3am, out of desperation) it only reinforces that persistence results in success. Instead, try waiting for a point where they stop barking, then let them in. For particularly determined barkers, try coupling this with a deterrent, such as a squirt bottle, for more rapid results. Diverting this type of barking behavior may take more time, and success may be gradual, but it is achievable.

Boredom Dog Barking

If your dog is barking because they are bored, then your attention to their needs may be the simplest and fastest solution. There are a mass of dog related products on the market which are relatively inexpensive. Chew toys, balls, and a range of other toys can keep your friend occupied until you get home to give them their much needed exercise. Try altering their routine and give them plenty of options to keep them quiet.

Frequently, being able to isolate your dogs anxieties, needs or motivations is key to achieving that which you both want, which in your case is a happy (and quiet) pet.

Fear Based Barking

Most dog barking problems develop during 6-8 months of age, during a period where your dog's barking is more likely to be fear based than protective. The problem is exacerbated in dogs with limited socialization. The less confident your dog, the more likely they are to be prone to excessive barking. Positive experiences and reinforcement of your dogs level of confidence can have dramatic effects on their levels of barking, particularly during this phase of their development.

Whether your dog is young or older, it is essential that problem or fear based barking is not reinforced by your response to it. You want your dog to feel confident. When your dog displays uneasy behavior (such as shackles risen) it's often our natural reaction to try to reassure. We might pat them, and tell them ok, but frequently in doing so we communicate with a slightly concerned tone. We of course are concerned...we want our dog to be calm! But to our dog, they interpret this as us reinforcing that there is something to be fearful of. The best response is to simply and confidently tell your dog there's nothing wrong. Adopt an 'everything is great' attitude, and your dog will follow.

For many of us, the prospect of being unable to stop dog barking is an intollerable one. Many forms of bad dog behavior can invoke owners to look to professional assistance in dog training and dealing effectively with dog behavior problems.

For many of us though, our hectic lifestyles are such that formal types of dog training such as schooling are simply not a practical possibility. The good news is that there are means by which we can obtain the information we need to start implementing training techniques to deal with problem dogs.

Sit Stay Fetch is one of the more comprehensive online resources dedicated to dealing with a myriad of dog problems, including:

-dog barking,

-dog biting or nipping,

-dog aggression and;

-general misbehavior.

It provides step by step techniques aimed at rapidly and effectively implementing strategies that can help you achieve the goal of owning a well behaved, trained dog. Best of all (and I can speak from personal experience) the strategies are designed for results which are quickly attained, but the effects of which are long lasting. Phew!

If you're tired of having your dog bark incessantly, the cost of this ebook is significantly defrayed by the relief one experiences after reading through the various techniques and using them on your dog...immediately.

You can get a free Sit Stay Fetch eCourse which is worth checking out, but the book provides the really meaty information and is pure gold for those with problem pets looking for a solution.