The Bark STOPS Here!

June 24, 2011

At the very top of the list of nuisance behaviors is barking. Not only can it quickly turn you into the neighborhood pariah but most cities have very strict laws that harshly punish the parents of the canine culprits.

At Doggie DayCamp this past Wednesday we were joined by Amber Kothe, Alpha Pet Care's resident canine trainer and behaviorist who gave us some great pointers for dealing with this auditory annoyance:

(Click here to watch the video and continue reading for some of the highlights)

 

Catch them in the act!
As everyone knows, you have to correct the behavior as it's happening. Anything else is ineffective

 

Get their attention.
Amber suggests using a can filled with pennies. It's cheap, painless and loud enough to startle but not frighten. We noticed the dogs responding right away

 

Now that you have their attention.
Now that you've stopped the behavior, use the opportunity to introduce a new command like 'quiet'. The goal here is to associate the word with the action.

 

Rinse and Repeat and Repeat and Repeat
Consider your dog and it's surroundings. When is he/she barking. Understand and anticipate the signs and use the new command during the 'ramp-up'. And since training is about the carrot and the stick be sure to praise and reward good behavior.

 

Dogs come in so many flavors and every situation is unique, you may need a different approach. if you'd like to contact Amber and schedule in-home training with your dog click here.

Previous Posts:

• 06/13/11: 5 Common Puppy Training Mistakes