Dog Guidance Blog

Training your dog is essential to his and your happiness. A well trained dog means that you both know what to expect from each other. Once he is trained, you will have less worry when you leave him home alone, have visitors or take him out in public. Although it may not be easy, the time you devote to teaching your dog manners, tricks and the proper way to do things, will be well spent.

Barking

Training your dog to “speak” can help eliminate annoying excessive barking. Dogs bark to alert the pack of threats. Since they bark by default, it is a good idea to teach them to “speak”, because then they will understand how to not bark. Start by telling your dog to “speak” when it barks at the telephone ringing. Then, when the dogs pauses, tell the dog “quiet”. This will help the dog distinguish a barking state from a non-barking state.

Never yell at a barking dog. While a barking dog is sure to raise your frustration level, resist the urge to yell at them. Dogs do not understand that you are yelling at them, and often associate your raised voice as you joining in the fun of barking. If your dog is barking, calmly distract them with a toy or treat, and when the barking stops, give them their prize.

Know that all barking isn’t bad barking. Some barking is necessary for a watchdog to alert you or a dog to let its mother know it’s hungry. However, if your dog barks incessantly at everything and everyone it may need training. First figure out the reason behind your dog’s barking, and then speak with your veterinarian to determine the best course of action.

To keep your dog from barking, teach them to obey to a simple order that will make them quiet. When your dog barks, show them a treat and repeat the order, for instance ‘be quiet’ until it stops barking. You can then give it the treat. If you repeat this long enough, your dog will associate the treat and then the order with being quiet.

Address boredom barking. If your dog is barking because he’s bored, then you should be prepared to take the blame. It means that he doesn’t have a sufficient outlet for his physical and mental energy. Take the time to play with him and go for regular walks. When you aren’t around, offer chew toys as a distraction.

Be patient when training your dog to stop behavior that is typical of dogs. Dogs have behaviors such as digging, jumping on others and barking that are normal to dogs. It takes time to help your dog understand how to behave in a way that makes their human owners happy.

Most of all, dog training is about establishing the rules of the relationship and just as with a person, you will enjoy each other so much more now that these rules have been established. Remember to keep reinforcing what your dog has learned. Keep his knowledge sharp and stay on top of any deviations in his behavior. Once your dog has the basics of training under his belt, there is no limit to what the two of you can achieve.