Dogs That Are Constant Barkers. Tips!

Why some dogs bark more can have various reasons. Does the animal want something from its human, is it stressed, under-challenged or overwhelmed, or is someone just walking past? Many know the problem. As soon as the dog wants something from you, there it stands and barks at you. But the question arises as to why one dog does this and another does not. Quite simply: the one dog has learned that this behaviour brings it an advantage. If it gets what it wants, it will do it more often in future too. If we as humans do not respond to the barking, it will bark less or not at all. So one should consistently ignore it. It is important here really not to respond to it at all – not to stroke and not to scold. Act as if you did not notice it at all.

Signals for the dog to stop

When the dog barks in the home or garden as soon as a visitor approaches, that is actually completely normal behaviour. It is rooted in its basic instincts to protect the territory. That is why this behaviour cannot be switched off entirely, but only steered into the right channels. It should be the case that the dog gives a short bark and then does not carry on barking. If, however, it does not stop, we have to offer it an alternative. This is best done with a signal, for example with the call "That's enough watching". You can practise this in the surroundings where it is later meant to be used.

• Consistently ignoring demanding barking for more peace and quiet
• Establishing a stop signal for territorial alerts
• Positive reconditioning through distraction and reward
• Avoiding stress through balanced activity

At home in the flat, too

Some dogs bark as soon as they hear something in the hallway. Then practise in the flat by calling out the signal loudly and then throwing a handful of treats into a room that lies opposite the hallway. You can also practise this with a toy. Train this until the dog comes dashing over at your signal. It is also important to observe the dog, to see whether it really is alerting because something is wrong.

Stress can confuse the dog

Sometimes it is also the case that our four-legged friend barks out of being under-challenged or overwhelmed. The former happens because it no longer has a fixed task as in earlier times, such as herding a flock, but only goes for a few walks. Then there are people who do too much with the animal, such as going to dog school several times a week. The dog then thinks it is responsible for everything and must guard the house, keep visitors away and defend its human. One should quickly consider finding the happy medium here, because both mean stress.