Dogs bark for many reasons,
alerting their owners to danger, protecting themselves, in play, or
simply out of boredom or need for attention.
The best way to silence a barking
dog is to make sure the dog is a behaviorally sound member of the
family- that means an inside pet. Dog rescue groups take in hundreds or
thousands of dogs every year from owners who complain that they just
won’t stop barking. 99 times out of 100 that dog never nuisance barks
again after being placed in a foster home with attention and love and
toys to play with.
If you have a dog who is barking
inappropriately don’t run right out and get a collar. It is easy to
misuse an electronic collar or a citronella collar and end up with a
dog who runs from you, urinates all over themselves submissively, or
will never bark even to alert you to an intruder to your home or a
stranger talking to your child through the fence.
Many people have taught their dog
not to bark inappropriately by just using a spray bottle of water, a
can of pennies, or a firm "no".
Trained dogs are happy,
intellectually fulfilled dogs! Taking your dog to an obedience class
would help them feel occupied (even when their not in class) and help
them be a better family companion. Even spending 5 minutes a day
teaching your dog tricks would delight the kids and give your dog
something to look forward to.
