General Care and Nursing - Excessive barking

From now on, for many months to come, life is going to be one lesson after another for your dog, but he will thrive on it. Learning new things keeps him out of mischief by giving him something to do, something to anticipate. Training matures him mentally, and he almost wiggles out of his skin with pride when you praise him for work well done.

Your puppy has learned to love you very much; you are his whole world, and if he has anything to say about it, you are not going to leave him alone, no sir. To make a long story short, he barks when you go out-the neighbours have complained. This will never do. .

The first step is to teach him not to bark unnecessarily. To do this correctly, you must first decide when the barking is permissible and when it is not. To discourage all barking is to limit his value as a watchdog. So you correct only when the dog barks continually and for no apparent reason.

Go to the barker. Never call him to come to you for correction. With one hand hold his muzzle tightly shut even if it hurts. Use the other hand to finger-point as you command “Quiet!” Correct your dog every time he barks excessively. Occasionally a few such sessions will be enough, but if the bad habits is of long standing, or the dog unusually stubborn, then something more spectacular than the muzzle grip has to be used. You can surprise the happy one into silence by means of a harsh sound-drop of a trying pan or a tin. A shake-can can also be ratted at the dog as you command “Quiet!” To make one, place five to ten pennies by shaking the can should distract your dog and make him stop barking. This lesson can also be taught successfully by squirting him with water from a water pistol or plant mister.

Once you teach the “Quiet!” lesson, the dog will remain quiet while you are with him, but the minute you are out of sight, he’ll probably start barking again. Pet owners who live in apartments or settled communities must make sure their dogs behave when left alone. So put on your had and coat and let the dog think you are going out. Order him to “Bed!” or “Place!” with an old sweater of yours to lie on, then say plainly and slowly “Quiet!” and pretend to leave the house or apartment. Once the door is shut, stay close by.

Don’t let the dog fool you, however, by stealing the door and sniffing out the fact that you are waiting on the other side. That is why you ordered him to “Place!” to keep him away from the door. As soon as your dog starts to bark or dry or howl, open the door immediately, rush back inside, and reprimand him with a firm jerk of his collar and command “Quiet!” you may have to repeat this performance many times, and you may find yourself spending what seems like hours just outside your door waiting for the barks to begin. But keep at it until you are sure your dog has learned the lesson. Leaving him for short periods at first will also let him understand that you are going to return. If he feels assured of your return, he will learn to be contended alone. Young puppies that have learned this in the cradle, so to speak, rarely have to be trained to stay alone quietly.