BARKING

It must be remembered that barking is a normal dog behaviour used as a communication tool.

Excessive barking can be caused by many things - most commonly boredom, separation anxiety, or excessive stimulation. If these issues are not addressed, solving the barking problem is often difficult. This is why it is important to discuss the problem with us, so that the cause can be determined. A dog with separation anxiety needs very different treatment to a dog that is bored.

Because the inciting problem is not addressed, you may find that you are in fact encouraging this behaviour inadvertently. For example - a dog that barks for attention will often be told to 'shut up' - this tells the dog that if it barks it will be rewarded with attention. Dogs don't discern well between good and bad attention. Another example (but one that is hard to avoid) is the dog that barks all day due to a separation anxiety. When the owner goes to work, the dog begins barking. This persistent barking is rewarded when the owner returns at the end of the day. The dog thinks that by barking all day, it is causing the owner to return. This is why it is important to understand the reason for barking.

There are several items available for an attempt at a 'quick fix'. The best known are the citronella bark collars that squirt a citronella spray into the dogs muzzle when the dog barks. These can work well if used at the correct time and situation. They will rarely work for a dog with separation anxiety by themselves. They do work well if excitement is the predominant problem, and the collar is used early on in the problem. Unfortunately the collars are expensive, and we would recommend a behavioural consultation before purchasing one.

A behavioural consultation depending on the problem, involves certain training techniques which are usually employed with or without medications that can help.

Nearly all barking problems do take time and effort to manage. Very rarely are we able solve a barking problem over a period of days - more commonly weeks to months.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL US. AN INFORMATION SHEET IS AVAILABLE FROM US FREE OF CHARGE ABOUT BARKING IF REQUESTED. HOWEVER WE DO SUGGEST A CONSULTATION SO THAT YOUR DOG'S INDIVIDUAL PROBLEM CAN BE ADDRESSED.

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