Training Tip: Unwanted Barking

Disclaimer: Please seek the help of an experienced, professional trainer who can assess your dog and the problem(s) and provide you with in person help. I am all for seeking as much information as possible, but given today's dog training atmosphere, it's more confusing & contradictory than ever! It is important that your trainer not only be experienced, but that you and your dog connect with him/her. Two organizations that can help you locate a trainer in your area are:

International Association of Canine Professionals

Association of Pet Dog Trainers

Learning why your dog barks is key in helping him stop the unwanted barking. Dogs bark as a way to communicate (and this can include incessant whining, howling, etc.). Rarely does a dog bark for no reason. She is trying to communicate something.

Here are some of the more common reasons dogs bark:

Boredom: What is your dog doing all day? Is he getting enough exercise and playtime with you? If he's just sitting around the house, alone, barking may be a way to vent some pent up energy. In addition to appropriate exercise and play, training new behaviors is an excellent way to mentally stimulate your dog. If your dog is alone for over 8 hours, you might want to consider a dog walker or day care a few days a week to break up the monotany.

Frustration: While some boredom barking can be attributed to frustration, dogs also get frustrated when it is unclear what is expected of them. This is usually a human problem due to inconsistency in training (poor timing, for example, which can lead to confusion). A good training class or one on one lessons can help fix this problem.

Separation Anxiety: If your dog has true separation anxiety, please consult a professional, as this is something beyond the scope of this post.

Increase or Decrease Distance: Fearful dogs will bark in order to tell you "Stay away!", other dogs bark seeking attention. While you do not want to reward the barking at that moment (since that will simply reinforce it), you do want to address the underlying fear or need for your attention.

Alert Barking: This type of barking is very familiar to most owners and usually welcome. Many owners want their dogs to alert them to people coming on their property, for example. It's when the barking doesn't stop, that there is a problem (think about the doorbell ringing, your dog charging the door barking and continuing this as you let in your friend). Training your dog to realize that the doorbell is not cause for all hell to break loose is possible! Again, please consult a trainer in your area since there are numerous ways to address this issue.

Play/Hunger: Dogs will also bark as an invitation to play either with you or another dog. Your dog also may have learned to bark or whine at you when he's hungry.

So, can you stop your dog from barking? No! That is how dogs communicate...but you can train her to stop the excessive barking in certain situations. Understanding why she barks and that not all barks mean the same thing is the first step in solving this problem. Finding a balanced, experienced trainer is the second. Good luck!

January 2010 is Train Your Dog Month!

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers has declared January 2010 as Train Your Dog month. Many dogs found new homes over the holidays. Let's get started training them, so they can stay in those homes! I will be posting training tips throughout the month, but feel free to email me or comment if you have any questions: romanizmydog at yahoo dot com.

By the way, I will be right there with you. While most consider my dogs trained, there is always something that can be worked on or perfected. So, this month I am working on Roman and Tikka's territorial behavior in front of my house and perfecting their Rally Obedience (maybe we'll even enter a real trial for a change!).

Reliable Off Leash Control Starts with a Solid Foundation Part I

Many clients come to dog trainers with one goal in mind, "I just want my dog to come when I call him off leash!"

While this is an important goal, what many people do not realize is that a solid foundation needs to be built first in the basics: sit, down, heel (walk on a loose leash at one's side), stay. As new dog owners scour the internet on methods of training, it can be quite overwhelming and contradictory on actually how to train these behaviors. This is why it is important to find a qualified trainer that you and your dog click with; one who sees each dog and owner as a unique team and customizes the training as the lessons progress.

There are many ways to teach a dog the foundation behaviors. I prefer a method that uses motivational techniques coupled with fair consequences. In my experience, the dog learns exactly what I want from him (and how to get his reward) this way.

Breed considerations need to be taken into account. My German shepherd learned a lot quicker what I wanted than my shih tzu mix. Does that mean he's smarter? Not  necessarily (and the topic of a future blog). I trained both dogs in the basics using food (and a clicker for my GSD). Once it was clear they knew the behavior, food/clicker was phased out and I introduced fair consequences (in my case, the word 'no, with a pop on the collar). This is how I achieved reliable obedience the first time I asked for a sit or down, etc.

Once these behaviors were solid (and this is where patience, time and commitment come in...I trained several times a day for very short sessions...first starting in non distracting environments and building up to more distracting environments over the course of several months), it was time to introduce the recall command (come).

(Check out the Association of Pet Dog Professionals  and International Association for Canine Professionals for a qualified dog trainer in your area)

Retraining Recalcitrant Roman

One tenet of dog training many owners do not want to believe is...the training never stops. If you have a working breed, like GSDs, it can't stop due to their need to constantly be learning and active. But, life happens and even this dedicated trainer slacked these past few months due to a heavy work schedule. See, trainers are people, too! What is that saying about the cobbler's childrfen not having any shoes?

After Roman got a naughty report card from his dog walker (not holding his stay in the back of the truck), I knew I had to do something and get things balanced again. We are back on our training walks and lessons. While rusty, Roman is thrilled to be 'working' again. Notice how naughty he is in the second video...can you point out his recalcitrance? He knows when mom is tired, that is for sure!

He is doing much better in the first video. He held is down-stay at a good distance. When I released him, he came running to me...not a requirement, but greatly appreciated and a sign he is paying more attention to me. If you would like help in getting your dog to focus more on you and not other dogs, cats, squirrels, etc., please contact me:

http://www.angelacasey.com