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Stop Barking Dog Training Solutions

Stop barking dog training solutions must always be positive. In this article you will learn behavioral and positive fixes to help stressed and anxious dogs relax and diminish their excessive barking.

If you think your canine friend barks for other reasons, follow this link for more help. One common cause of excessive barking is chronic stress. You may not have thought about it, but many barking dog problems start out because the hound is very anxious. There are two steps to solve this problem: 1) Find what is causing stress in your furry friend and remove it, 2) Train your pet to relax and follow your lead.

When we feel pressure at work or in social situations our bodies respond by flooding our system with stress hormones and we feel stressed. This feeling can be beneficial when it happens sporadically, for example, to get out of a bad situation quickly. Dogs also get stressed under certain circumstances and if your canine friend experiences stressful things daily, then it is very likely that he has chronic stress.

Chronic stress can be detrimental to your hound's health, it may also explain why he is over-reacting (with lots of barks) to things. What is even worse, stress prevents optimal learning (he won't be able to learn as well), which means training him won't be as effective.

To start your stop barking dog training plan, you first need to find the root of the problem. What is making your dog stressed? Then you have to remove the stressor for several days to help his body physiology reset to normal. In other words, relaxing for about a week is necessary to flush out all the stress hormones circulating in the body. That is why we, humans, also need vacations!

Once your mutt is relaxed, you can start using obedience training to teach him how to react in stressful situations and to be quiet on command. Relax, then follow a stop barking dog training program.

What produces stress in your dog?

...And ideas to get rid of stressors

CONFINEMENT Is your mongrel confined to a room or crate for long periods of time? If this is your case, think about providing environmental enrichment, like interactive toys. You can also take him to a doggy daycare a couple of times a week. Confinement can be very harmful for the brain of any animal, that is why your dog will need enrichment, to keep himself entertained in ways that are not loud.
LACK OF EXERCISE Some dogs need up to 2-4 hours of exercise each day (mostly hunting and sports breeds). Make sure your pooch has access to long and interesting walks (where he can meet other people, dogs and can sniff interesting things). Maybe hiring a dog walker could help you with some of the walks. Play time is also a great way to burn built-up energy: fetch and tug-of-war are a few examples.		Playing Frisbee with your canine is a great way to burn built up energy! Tired dogs do not bark.
TOO MUCH EXERCISE Taking your pooch for long runs, leaving him at a doggy daycare or engaging him in very high energy games on a daily bases can raise the stress levels of your pooch to an unhealthy level. Make sure you give your furry friend plenty of quiet and rest time as well.		Quiet time in the dog bed...snuggling on the couch works too! One important aspect of your stop barking dog training plan is to reward your furry best friend for being quiet and relaxed.
LONELINESS If you are the kind of person that works long hours and leaves your hound on his own all day, your pooch might be getting stressed because of lack of interaction with humans or other dogs. Think about a pet sitter or a doggy daycare to help you out in this case. Adopting a second dog can also be a solution.		Investigate carefully if bringing another dog or cat to the house is the solution, sometimes it can make things worse.
FEELING THREATENED Your pooch may be stressed because of frequent loud noises (nearby construction, shooting, thunderstorms), too many people coming in and out of your house (specially strangers to him) or being mistreated (use of punishment and aversive methods). This case might be a little bit harder, specially if you can't modify outside noises. Try leaving background music for your hound and make sure he has a safe place to go to when too many people are coming and going. A place that is far away from all the hustle and bustle.		Does your canine companion like music to relax? This is a series of CDs designed to help your pet calm down and enjoy quiet time. Try it! Through a Dog's Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion, Volume 1
MALNUTRITION You hound needs proper nutrients as well as plenty of water during the day. Please check with your vet to find out a good and nutritious meal plan for your hound.		Table scraps are not bad as long as they are not the main meal and you don't mind bad habits!
SEPARATION ANXIETY Dogs are social animals and as such they get anxious when they are separated from their pack (that is you and your family). Separation anxiety can range from mild to severe and while the problem is being treated, the best thing is to hire a pet sitter or take him to a doggy daycare.		This is an excellent book by dog trainer Nicole Wilde that can help you set up a complete stop barking dog training program to help your canine best friend.

WHAT IS YOUR PARTICULAR DOG'S CASE?

If you think your hound doesn't fall in any of the above categories, fill out this form to ask your specific question.

Stop barking dog training

Now that you have gotten rid of any possible stressor for at least 7 days, your pet should look more relaxed. It is time to teach him some basic obedience training.

Here are some articles I strongly recommend:

1. Avoid common mistakes when dealing with dog barking.
2. Train your dog to "Settle" and "quiet" on command.
3. How to train a reliable dog command.
4. For dogs that suffer anxiety towards specific things I recommend you read and apply Systematic desensitization and counterconditioning. These dog training techniques will teach your hound to be calm in stressful situations.
   

I wold love to hear your comments or stop barking dog training ideas, leave them on the box below!

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