A Few Tips for Barking Dogs

Barking dog

Living in Los Angeles comes with many people being dog owners. I suppose the reason many people have dogs is because they live far away from home and want a constant companion. ( My basset hound it certainly helps me when I am homesick!) When I take my Basset Hound for a walk, there is a 98% chance we are going to meet new furry friends. Los Angeles is a doggy dog city! Although I am a dog lover I am also human and at the yip yip yip sound of a insistently barking dog is like nails on a chalkboard. Oh, the barking dogs. If you have done everything in your power to try and ease a barking dog issue here are additional tips that may help your pup chill out.

Don’t take offense when I say barking dogs are like nails on a chalkboard. When you think about it, a human being that constantly yelling will eventually aggravate you, right? I was inspired to write about this because as I was sitting in my loft and there was a constant bark coming from an apartment in the same building as mine. Initially the nonstop barking dog did not bother me. After 30 minutes of “yip, yip, yap, yip”, I was annoyed. After an hour of constant barking I became concerned. I thought to myself, “Is the dog okay?, Is the dog scared?, Is the dog’s owner okay?” It turned out the dog’s owner was not home and apparently the dog was not happy about it. When I tell you it was over one hour of constant barking with just a few seconds for the dog to take a break – I am not exaggerating.

I always like to see a dog that is comfortable; obviously this pup was not. If you have a dog with separation anxiety or chronic barking issues, here are a few tips to try out. If these options do not work out for you it is probably a good idea to consult with a veterinarian. A dog but that is going to constantly bark is not good for the dog, nor is it good for you.

  • Use body language to try and ease your dog from barking. Let your dog know that you are unhappy with his/her behavior. Use a certain look, movements, or sound.
  • Grab a handful of pennies and put them in a can. If you have a chronic barker this will work wonders when you’re home. My Basset Hound goes into barking phases and nothing I do to stop her seems to work at times. A friend of mine gave this advice to me and after a few shakes of a can filled with pennies by hound dog knew the barking needed to stop. I communicated to my dog that what I was shaking was known as “the can”. Now when she barks I barely have to shake the can because all I say to her is, “where is the can?” She looks at me and knows that if the barking doesn’t stop, shake shake shake! This may sound silly but it works wonders.
  • Sometimes excessive barking comes from a spurt of energy. Try to channel this energy in different ways like taking your dog for a walk, play time, or a run. A dog sometimes use its energies through barking. Maybe your dog is trying to tell you, “let’s go for a walk!” Think about a crying baby; have you ever heard of a parent taking a baby for a ride to call them from crying? The comparison is somewhat similar.
  • If you plan on meeting your home for an extended period of time take your dog for a healthy walk. Any built-up energy can be used through exercising your dog. Think of how many times we took your dog for a long walk and not long after you returned, ZZZZZZ! Sleepy dog!
  • If all else fails talk to your veterinarian about chronic barking.

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