Excessive Barking (Part 1): The Number One Reason Why Dogs Become Excessive Barkers

Dogs are not born as "problem dogs." Instead, they become problem dogs as a result of human dog owner inadequacies. The shortcomings of dog owners are to blame as the real culprit for bad behaving dogs. And although most serious canine problems tend to develop during the most critical period of a dog's life, which is during the first 8 weeks of puppyhood, many issues can develop at any time as the dog grows into an adult.

One of the most common dog behavior problems that many of you can relate to is excessive barking. This is the dog that makes all of your neighbors regret having you live nearby! This annoying barking habit will keep people awake at night, severely get on people's nerves that are within hearing distance, and floods police lines with neighborhood complaints of noise.

The scary part about having a dog that barks excessively, especially if he is kept outside during the daytime, is that they can be the target of abuse or poisoning by sick-minded individuals living in your neighborhood. I'm not trying to scare you or anything but the truth is that every day dogs are reported to have been poisoned from an unknown substance which usually results from a disgruntled neighbor.

Is Your Dog Lonely?

Most dogs that are guilty of excessive barking have developed this behavioral issue for no better reason than that of loneliness. Of course there are other reasons, and to be certain we will discuss them later, but canine loneliness has been proven to be the number one culprit for excessive barking behavior.

Dogs are just like children when it comes to the need for companionship. And when these animals have nobody around for long periods of time, sheer loneliness will cause them to invent games and make toys out of whatever is available. From the start of these "invented games" comes habits that progress and create a problematic dog.

Inside Your Dog's Mind

What goes on inside your dog's mind as he is barking excessively? What does he do when he is lonely? What is it about being alone that gets dogs all excited and noisy?

Your dog's world consists of everything within his reach. For those of you that keep your pet at home during the day while you're at work, the entire house is his domain. If you keep your dog out on a rope that is securely tied to your backyard, everything within the circumference of his paws are fair game. And when he reaches the end of that rope, loneliness can set in, and quick!

Your dog may spot a bird or a cat outside the window or on top of the backyard fence. All of a sudden he is in a frenzy as he sees a potential playmate. He starts to cry, then scratch at the door, window, or the fence. Then the barking sets in, becoming louder and louder as he wants to play with any moving object he sees outside, but cannot seem to get to it.

Woof! Woof! Woof! - as he attempts over and over to see what is going on and to find somebody or something to play with him. Woof! Woof! Woof! - louder and louder the barking becomes, matched with frustration and eventually barking at anything he sees. A plane flying over, a bird swooping too close, the bushes that are moving in the wind - all of which your dog begins to bark excessively at, trying to get its attention. Nothing seems to help and your dog only knows one thing: BARK! BARK! BARK!
If he barks long enough, he figures that something will happen, somebody will play with him, or one of those neighborhood animals will join in a game of chase. As you can imagine, this is the type of experience that no house dog should have to go through, and then be punished because of its barking problems.

Brand new puppies literally absorb everything that passes through their senses. Whatever they see, hear, taste, smell, and touch, it all gets stored in their brains just like a computer.

Vast amounts of information are constantly being downloaded into a puppy's mind about the people they come across, places they visit, and responses from all stimuli, whether it is from the form of communication it receives from people or the scary sounds of vehicles moving by outside.

Most new dog owners completely underestimate the intelligence of their younger puppies. Do not waste this remarkable learning time. Make good use of your dog's capacity to learn and absorb information by teaching him good manners and healthy behaviors that will help guide the pup towards a civilized and respectful member of the family.

Concrete Evidence That Puppies Are Ready To Learn Early In Life

It wasn't too long ago that most dog owners and dog trainers did not consider puppies to be trainable until they were well past five or six months old. However, that theory has been totally disproved.

We now know that puppies as young as two to three weeks of age can start learning due to their rapid brain development. EEG measurements of young puppies show that they have a marked increase in the height, or amplitude, of brain waves when they are awake. And from this point on, puppies acquire new skills at a rapid pace.

Bigger Brains

Studies have shown that a puppy's early experiences can mold and shape the brain's physiology. Puppies that are raised with lots of toys to play with and problems to solve, along with positive behavior training, ended up having a higher learning ability and amazingly enough, grew slightly more developed brains than similar puppies that were raised in limited learning environments.

Think about this information. Evidence clearly shows that the puppy which learns various training protocols at an early age, such as climbing stairs, meeting different people, etc. will be better developed both mentally and physically then the puppy who is confined to a crate or room all day long and only interacts with its family members, without being stimulated mentally.

What Does This Mean?

The good news is that this does not mean that your puppy should have total freedom and domination over the house to do what he or she wants. However, it does mean that your new dog should spend as much time as possible around you and other people as you go about your day.

Do not make the mistake of giving the pup too much freedom. This will encourage problems with behavior and when this behavior becomes a habit, it is increasingly harder to break these characteristics as your dog gets older. You have to let your puppy know that you are in charge and while he has free reign to express himself, a clear understanding of who is the boss (pack leader) must be constituted.

When a dog is unwilling to eliminate in new public places it can create huge traveling problems. Some dogs will try to hold it as long as they can, rather than pee or poop at a rest stop, motel or weekend dog show. This can cause the dog a lot of discomfort and even generate health problems.

Teaching your pup to potty when given a verbal cue, such as "go potty", will help him get over his worries about eliminating in new places. Hearing the potty cue at home and being praised for doing his business will smooth the way to pottying on strange turf.

Here's the trick that will make unfamiliar ground smell more like home: When your dog pees before leaving home, blot up some of the urine with a paper towel and put it in a plastic zip-sealed bag. Take that with you on your trip.

When you take your dog for a potty stop, first pour a few tablespoons of water into the bag. Let the urine-scented water drip out onto the ground in a couple of places about 5 feet apart. You can reseal the bag and use it again at other rest stops.

After you put the bag away, take your dog to the area you just scented with his urine. Stand there with him, keeping him in view from the corner of your eye. He'll sniff those spots you scented, recognize his urine odor and perhaps wonder why he doesn't recognize the place. Praise him calmly when he sniffs the urine spots and say his potty cue to him. If he relieves himself, praise quietly and wait a few more minutes in case he has more business to do.

Time To Hit The Road

Once your dog has mastered pottying on leash and pottying where other dogs have been, the next step is to take him on a lot of short trips, so he can practice appropriate potty behavior in different locations.

Start with car rides to places 15 minutes to an hour from home. When you get where you're going, take your dog for a pleasant on-leash walk. Let him do a good bit of sniffing in areas where it would be OK for him to eliminate. If he sniffs intently at several spots in one area, chances are good that dogs have left their urine scent there. Calmly encourage your dog to do likewise and praise him quietly if he does.

Take rides to dog-friendly parks and other areas where your dog can sniff and explore on his leash. Praise him calmly when he sniffs so he'll get the idea that it's alright for dogs to potty there, and maybe he'll try it, too. If he does potty, calmly praise him, then give him some more time to sniff around - he might do it again.

Excessive Barking (Part 3): Train Your Dog To Stop Inappropriate Barking In Less Than 7 Days

Every day, all over the world, dog owners are making the mistake of supporting their dogs behavior problems, such as excessive barking, and then punishing the animal for its actions.

Excessive barkers are created, not born. And as you know, loneliness and the need for attention are the most common causes of such behavior problems. The secondary cause of excessive barking his simple misunderstanding. In other words, a dog is practicing a particular action because he thinks that what he is doing is what is expected.

Regardless of the cause, or the motivator, a barking dog must be quieted. You may have heard on the news recently about a woman who threw boiling water on her neighbor's dog that would not stop barking at night. Other dogs have been reported to have been shot with BB guns, yelled at by angry neighbors, turned in to the police, kidnapped, and worse yet, even beaten up and killed.

Everyone Is To Blame

The previous examples of what angry people will do to a neighborhood dog that barks constantly could definitely be described as inhumane, to say the least, but if you think about it, whose actions are inhumane? Is it the dog's action because of its incessant barking? The angry neighbor, by way of his tortures? How about the dog's owner, who does nothing and seems oblivious to the problem at hand?

Most responsible dog owners have the desire to quiet down there excessive barking dogs. While they do not want to squash that natural protective instinct that a dog has (who wants a silent dog when the house is getting robbed?), at the same time you do want your family dog to understand when to bark and went to be quiet.

Your Dog Can Learn

Did you know that it takes less than a week (on average) for a dog to learn a basic principle? In this small time frame anyone with the desire and patience can teach their dog that excessive barking is definitely an inappropriate behavior. You can make your dog understand that there are some occasions when barking is permissible, but that it must be "turned off" when given the proper command.

The secret weapon to getting this point across to an excessive barking dog is by communication. Communication simply means "finding a way that your dog can understand exactly what your desires are." When we communicate to another person, we just say the words we mean and it is automatically understood, but with a dog you must resort to methods which are backed by action.

Dog Crates: Consider Purchasing A Soft Side Dog Carrier For Your Needs

Dog crates used to be available in only two styles: wired or plastic. Nowadays there are numerous designs, colors, and different material that make up a wide range of dog crates to choose from. Each dog carrier model has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending upon your needs.

Soft Sided Dog Carriers

One very popular type of dog crate is called the soft sided carrier. Soft sided dog carriers are easy to move around and extremely lightweight. Most models can fold up like a small suitcase whenever it is not in use. There is plenty of ventilation due to the mesh panels that are on the sides and front of the carrier. The floor is typically padded and the doors are shut securely by a zipper.

Soft sided dog carriers are great so long as your dog is inside while you are around. Otherwise, because of the material used, many dogs have been known to completely chew or claw their way out of the plastic mesh sides. If your dog gets a little rowdy with the tendency to chew and claw when left alone, then you may want to consider a different type of crate.

What Size Should You Get?

Soft sided crates are no different than any other type of dog crate when it comes to choosing the correct size. Just make sure that it is large enough so your dog can stand up on all fours without hitting its head. He must be able to turn around, stretch, and lie down.

Any size larger than that is not recommended, especially if you are still working on housetraining your dog. Having too much room inside the dog crate will cause your puppy to use the bathroom in the back without worrying about the mess. Remember that the point of crate training as used to housebreak a puppy is to give him no choice but to wait to be released from the crate in order to use the bathroom in the proper location.

You can certainly purchase a crate that is a little larger than what your puppy requires, but for maximum effectiveness you will need to adjust the space inside. Simply block off the back of the crate by inserting a block of wood or a box that is cut specifically for the area. Many crate manufacturers provide divider panels with their crates for those dog owners that may want to use the same crate for different sized dogs.

Car Chasing: Why Do Dogs Risk Death With The "Thrill Of The Chase"?

The brakes squeal, the car swerves, the inevitable THUD of wheel meeting dog is followed by the sickening crash of the careening, out-of-control automobile. The victims? The dog, of course. The occupants, presumably. But who was at fault? The dog's owner!

Whether legally guilty or not, the responsibility for the dog's actions rest solely upon the shoulders of the dog owner, just as surely as a parent is responsible for the actions of his child.

Are We To Blame?

There are many reasons for such offensive behavior in dogs. Foremost, is simply the thrill of the chase. The instinct is strong in canines. Many mothers have warned their children to "never run from a dog" because it triggers an instinctive drive in the dog to pursue, overcome, and emerge victorious.

The wild canine ran down his prey. Nature gave him the instinct and the speed with which to accomplish the task. Chasing prey in the wild was serious business, and necessary for survival. And of course, there always was the thrill of the chase.

The domesticated dog no longer needs to chase prey for survival, but the thrill of pursuit still is a part of his natural instinct. Man capitalizes on that instinct with sporting dogs in the field. Man exploits the instinct in greyhounds by making them "racing dogs", chasing a mechanical rabbit. And, combat tracker dogs chase an elusive enemy through the jungle.

An instinctive protectiveness is responsible, in many cases, for dogs chasing cars. They chase only the cars approaching "their territory." What's needed here is communication. It would be quite easy if we could just sit down with our dogs over a cup of coffee and say something like "Look buddy, we have a problem here..." but unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. And even if your dog responds to your verbal command of "NO" or "STOP" as he sees a moving car, he will always dash after the car in your absence.

Minimizing The Thrill

A way must be found to minimize the thrill and emphasize the disastrous consequences of chasing moving vehicles. While the thrill of the chase is instinctive and never can be entirely erased, it can be minimized, and made less important than the consequences of the behavior.

Most dogs learn to avoid situations where they can relate a negative experience to that situation. However, for those dogs that have been hit by cars, and survived, they typically will not retain the experience. The reason for this is because the shock of being struck by an automobile is usually so sudden, and so severe, that the dog just isn't able to relate the pain to the automobile, or his behavior prior to the chase.

But along with the instinct to chase, mother nature also implanted something else; the ability of the dog to learn by association. He is capable of learning by associating his actions with pleasing, or displeasing results. You must successfully educate your dog to let him know that cars and bicycles are deadly.

For many centuries now, humans have totally domesticated dogs. We have brought them into our society and, in most cases, expected them to act like us and to be a regular part of our families. We should accept that fact that, in doing so, we have caused some of our own human emotions to develop in our dogs. Dogs have learned to become jealous, neurotic, spiteful, hateful, and bored.

In adolescent dogs, between the ages of six to sixteen months, we find that these emotions cannot be controlled as easily as the same emotions in adult dogs. The same can be expressed by a human teenager's capability of exercising mature restraint when affected by the same emotions.

Can You Spare 15 Minutes?

The most common cause of chronic chewing is boredom, and if every dog owner would spend a little more time each day giving his full attention and love to his pet, much of the "boredom chewing" can be eliminated. Fifteen minutes a day is all it takes, it's just that easy!

The Spiteful Boxer

Spite, another motivating factor, should also be considered. A story about a twenty-month old Boxer would be a great example in this case. Ever since he was a puppy, this Boxer had been an "only child" to a couple who spoiled him with lots of love and attention. The dog went along with them shopping, running errands, and visiting friends. He would walk gracefully and loved tagging along with his parents.

Then, a new baby had arrived and things changed. Suddenly, the dog found himself left in the car during errand trips. On one occasion, mom and dad returned to the car only to find the entire interior completely destroyed! The car seats, the padded dashboard, the upholstery, all ripped to shreds, totally obliterated.

The Boxer dog was venting his wrath the only way he knew how. This is a case of spiteful chewing, not jealousy. The canine was not jealous of the new baby in the family, but he was not willing to give up his former position in the family and go back to just being a dog.

Replace The Dog's Target

The next time you catch your dog or puppy chewing a sock, shoe, or other object that he's not supposed to, take the object away from him, followed by a firm "No!" The object should be replaced with his own chew toy. The toy will take his mind off the object that he was chewing and won't make him think that you are taking something away from him.

And should your life suddenly change, while altering your dog's life in addition (like having a new baby in the house), like the Boxer up above, be sure to pay attention to the new schedule and adjust your focus to avoid your dog's destructive chewing. Your pet will need a little extra care and training to prevent such behavior and to settle in with the new changes.

Dog Crates - Why Using A Crate Is An Invaluable Dog Training Tool

Having the right dog crate when you start raising a new puppy is essential for various reasons. Some puppies do not yet know how to cope with large open spaces since they are new to the home and a perfect size dog crate can help calm him down. Dog crates are also a fantastic way to easily housebreak a puppy. All in all, a good dog crate is an invaluable training tool regardless of what type of puppy you have.

Dog crates are also a perfect solution to puppies that become overexcited. All you have to do is put your puppy inside the crate in order to help him relax. If your dog has to be left in the house unattended for a few hours, then having a crate is a stress-free way for you to be gone from the house and not worry about your puppy getting into trouble around the home or soiling the carpet.

Dog crates are also a great way to feed your puppy in case he becomes easily distracted. Simply put his food bowl inside and off he goes in an enclosed area where he can focus on eating his meal.

And here are a few more tips when it comes to using a dog crate:

1. Make sure that you get the appropriate size crate based on your dog's height and width. This is especially important if you are housebreaking your puppy with a dog crate. If the box is too large then your puppy may use the bathroom on one side, but keep sleeping on the other side, which defeats the purpose of crate training in terms of potty training.

2. If you have a fast-growing puppy, then consider buying a large crate that is meant for an adult dog but that has a divider built into it. This way you can divide the crate in half so that your puppy will be able to lie down comfortably and still be able to turn around if needed. A divided dog crate can also be used for your larger puppies by removing the division bracket.

3. One last aspect of using a dog crate that you should consider is the type of bedding that you place on the floor. Some dog owners have noticed that their puppies still use the bathroom inside even though the crate is the appropriate size for potty training. In most instances it turns out that the bedding that they laid down was a little too thick and had a tendency to induce urination in dogs. Instead, try to lay down less comfortable bedding that your dog does not consider to be used for urination, like newspaper for example.

People often think of clicker training as a fast and easy way to teach basic obedience commands, such as "sit" or "come," but it can also quickly shape puppy behavior in ways that establish a productive and happy relationship, right from the start.

"Puppies understand very well and quickly that a click means something good, and that something the puppy did made that click happen," says Kevin Alexander, a leading clicker training specialist from Kansas City, Kansas.

Kevin once taught an entire litter of 3-week-old Golden Retriever puppies to lift their paws on cue in just a few minutes. "When the puppies figure out that they're getting clicked for a randomly lifted paw, you see the light bulb go on, as if they're thinking, 'Wait a minute, if I do this, that huge creature gives me food. That's a good thing!'

Clicker Training can be used for much more than marking any single behavior. Mr. Alexander teaches pet owners how to use the clicker to teach incremental moves that can be shaped into desirable behaviors, such as going to a mat, standing nicely for grooming, or any number of fun tricks.

Lifting a paw, for example, can be transformed into a high-five trick, shaped into teaching the puppy to ring a bell when it needs to go outside, or even as an offering of the paw for nail trimming. As tricky as these behaviors may sound, the clicker makes them easy.

"When puppies understand what you want, they start doing things on purpose, making eye contact, and suddenly, these tiny puppies wake up and smell the coffee, and think about the universe in relation to themselves," Kevin says. "It's just a wonderful thing for puppies to learn."

Clicker training is particularly useful for dogs that aren't traditionally known for their skill at basic obedience. Perfect examples are Hounds, terriers and other traditional non-obedience breeds. These breeds do especially well with the clicker because it gives them a clear reason why they should do something they might not see the reason for otherwise.

Dogs that tend to have a "Why should I do this?" type of attitude really buy into clicker training (although it does work with all breeds). In fact, the best age to bring a clicker into your dog's life is early, as young as two to three weeks of age.